The Essence of Your Marketing Plan

Lee — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:28:39 +0000

Well, that's my first big goal of 2010 now achieved – to hold a free teleseminar about marketing.

In truth, I'm not happy with it as I was so tense I think it sounded like I'd just run a marathon! I'm always comfortable talking to an audience and so this came as a bit of a surprise to me, even though I'd done a few dry runs!

Talking into a phone that says nothing back is a very strange experience. While I often mutter to myself, talking to a phone for an hour is a bit tougher!

However, that's the truth of doing something new for all of us. The first time is tough and we have to feel the fear and do it anyway. If we didn't face up to fears and discomfort, we'd never do anything new or different.

In this teleconference, I introduced my key Core Marketing concepts. Your small business marketing plan needs to address 5 areas to maximise the return on your marketing investment…

Differentiation – Standing Out From Your Competition

It's not enough to just advertise, you have to demonstrate how you are different to your competition. Think of it as the bait on your fishing hook

Niche – Who Will You Sell To?

Just dangling a hook with a worm over the side of your boat does not target any customers at all – you've got to decide what kind of "fish" you want to catch.

Product Ladder – A Range Of Products To Buy

Your customers need to get to know you steadily and slowly, not all at once. Offer them a range of products, starting with a free giveaway or information pack in exchange for their name and email, so you can open up a…

Communications Loop – Keeping In Touch

People buy when they are ready, and most are not ready when they first come across your business. Nurture a relationship slowly with them by keeping in touch regularly with newsletters etc until they are ready to buy.

Marketing Channels – The Campaigns & Strategies

Have a range of different sources for attracting leads and enquiries. Don't depend on just one strong source, but build a range of different marketing campaigns that each bring in a dependable volume of leads for you.