Do you ever feel …
* That marketing is not something that's comfortable?
* That self promotion sounds pushy and fake?
* That marketing is something you can only do when you have extra cash or you have a big company?
* That marketing is not really important, your products and services sell themselves?
If this sounds like you, you're not alone.
Marketing is much more than advertising. Marketing is targeting and integrating opportunities to present your products and services to potential customers. Marketing is a vital component of every successful company- no matter how big or small. Marketing is not a luxury, it's a necessity for every business, every entrepreneur, every company interested in growth and opportunity.
Before you begin to market your company, there are some basics that need to be in place.
* Choose a name for your company
* Get a dedicated phone line
* Establish a professional email address
* Create simple stationary incorporating your business contact information
* Create a business card
Now that you have the basics in place you're ready to create your marketing plan.
What is a marketing plan? A marketing plan is like a map for your company. It's a plan of action with strategies to help your business attract clients while expanding and growing the bottom line.
A marketing plan consists of the following:
1. Purpose of your plan- this is your goal, what you plan to achieve, your objective
2. Benefits for the customer- this is the "what's in it for me" part. Your customer wants to know what benefits they'll receive from your products or service
3. Your target market- this is the group or groups of individuals you serve
4. Marketing strategy- targeting your market strategically, keeping your potential clients characteristics and needs in mind while moving them to the action you desire. (This step is so important one of thecoming articles in this series is about it.)
5. Your niche or specialty- this is the services or products you offer
6. Marketing budget- how much money you plan to invest in marketing
7. Marketing implementation action plan- where you intend to advertise and market
8. Evaluation strategies-ways you plan to track the outcomes of your marketing strategy
When determining the purpose of your marketing plan, you'll need to know who you are, what you do, why you do it, and who your ideal customer is. While each of these steps seems simple enough, spending time evaluating each step and laying it out in relationship to each of the other steps ensures that you'll have a marketing plan that reflects your desires for your company while supporting growth and opportunity.
