Marketing Strategy & Planning
Do you need a strategic plan? A whole of business plan for getting to market or specificially for the next great idea, the one that will propel your business to the next stage.
Do you need an integrated approach to your marketing, PR, customer relationship management and business development?
This plan should ensure your brand is working for your business at all levels and you are maximising your opportunity to drive new business.10 things you must ensure in your plan:
- Your marketing plan must be based on your business objectives!
Be specific. E.g.: Do you want to increase the number of new customers by 10%, or do you want to increase your current customers are spending by 10%? That will have a huge impact on how you go about your marketing for the year.
- Do your research and score!
You need to research current, past and potential clients to learn how they think and feel about you, your business and your services or products. You might think people aren't buying Product A because of its price, but it might just be the colour is wrong! Base your marketing plan on research.
3. Get competitive!
By knowing as much about the competition, your plan can be focused on a position in the market that your business can own and dominate. You don't need to copy your competition but certainly counter the positives of those businesses while exploiting their weaknesses! Your business does not operate in a vacuum.
4. Profile Your Target Market
Who are they, what are the primary and secondary target markets. Where do they live, who influences their decisions, what are they looking for and what do they need.
5. Ideal Client Profile
Go a step further and drill right down to your ideal customer...this is where the marketing dollar will be the most effective and the best spent.
6. Brand promise
What do you promise to deliver to your customers? Entertainment - a fun atmosphere and a great experience. A family friendly approach - are you kid friendly? A unique product, made locally? What makes you different from the business down the road?
7. Key messages
What are the three things your business stands for and wants your customers to know?
What is your customer's need (not want) that only your company can fulfill?
8. Tactics
What exactly needs to be done and when. What tactics will work better than other and why. What portion of the budget needs to be allocated to which tactic and how long will it take to ne effective?
Every business needs an effective online strategy, how best to create an effective website?
9. Tracking Effectiveness
Track where each piece of new business comes from. You need to know which marketing tactics work best, so you can enhance the plan and do more of what works and less of what does not.
10. CRM Plan
How will you communicate with your customers and get to know them even better. How will you entice them to keep coming back? How do you give them a sense of investment in what your business is doing? A plan for regular communication keeps you top of mind and is crucial for building loyalty, word of mouth and frequency of purchase.