MARKETING & BUSINESS

4 Points to a Winning Marketing Plan

“As marketers, we’re always spending time creating an awesome brand for a client, but we don’t often devote much time to ourselves. The same can be said about any business. Because you want to utilize your valuable time to its best advantage, here are four broad categories broken down to give you a manageable to-do list for your own marketing plan.

 

 

1. Know Thyself

Author and public speaker John Naisbitt rightly said, “Strategic planning is worthless- unless there is first a strategic vision.” Behind any product or service lives a deeper concept. It may seem obvious at first, but take a moment to really understand what you stand for.

 

Begin by identifying your core values. These can be simple or complex. Not every core value has to be lofty and profound. “Integrity”, “community-minded”, etc. are great values to include but have become buzz-wordy. Be honest with yourself and put your thoughts out there. Some not-so-obvious core values could be aspects like “roasting the best coffee beans and having a blast while we’re at it” or “marketing with our feet up on the beach”. Now, you don’t have to include these more personal-sounding ideas in your public content, but they will serve to guide you as you create your overall marketing plan.

2. Goals

Your core values bullet points will assist your objectives list. Clear goals mean clear plans. Identify your target customers as closely as possible. The more you niche, the more you can market to them directly.

 

Take a moment to imagine your dream customer, what they do, what they need, and most importantly how you can help. As the saying goes, your vibe attracts your tribe. A good fit for you is a good fit for your customers.

 

With a razor-sharp focus on your target customers, it’s time to piece together your marketing overview. Outline the major products or services you want to provide and why you think you are the best company for the job.

“Strategic planning is worthless- unless there is first a strategic vision.” -John Naisbitt

3. Cater to your Strengths

Make life easier on yourself by utilizing the abilities you’ve already got. Are you an avid photographer? Make Pinterest boards of your beautiful images coupled with a clever quote about marketing. Don’t like to write? Record podcast-like snippets of marketing wisdom for your visitors. Get creative as you list your skills because there are many out-of-the-box ways to apply them.

 

As you hone in on the primary ways you want to market your own business, you will sharpen the focus even more on your target audience. Check in frequently with your goals and trust them. They will tell you if you need to adjust anything in your plan. Follow your gut.

4. Budget

Once you know the marketing areas you want to focus on and how you are going to accomplish them, you will have a pretty good idea on costs. Look at an overview of your plan and the tools you will employ to accomplish it. Will you be purchasing advertising? Are you going to print brochures? Do you need a web designer?

 

If you began your plan with a fixed budget, then you’ve probably considered your advertising options already. Just like estimating the time it’s going to take you to complete a project for a client, add a little extra to your presumed cost. A buffer zone is always a good thing.

Rhonda Percell

CEO (Cheif Everything Officer)

Specialty: Managing Craziness.
Likes: Crisp Mornings on the Porch with a Cup of Coffee.
Experience: 20 years in Internet Marketing

Creating a Marketing Plan for Small Businesses – Part 2

Creating a Marketing Plan for Small Businesses – Part 2

Marketing & Business Creating a Marketing Plan for a Small Business - Part 2 How to get started... Last post we examined half of our marketing plan to-do list which covered expectations, goals, target clients, and creating an effective mission statement. You might...

Creating a Marketing Plan for Small Businesses – Part 1

Creating a Marketing Plan for Small Businesses – Part 1

Marketing & Business Creating a Marketing Plan for a Small Business - Part 1 How to get started... Few things keep a small business as strong as a solid marketing plan. But what exactly do you need in it? A lot of small businesses start out with specific goals but...