Build Your Marketing Plan with Care

Every business needs a well balanced marketing plan (map) elements of which will work together to reach goals that produce desired results. So if you have, or want to start a business - home based, online, or brick and mortar - you need a plan to reach potential customers and/or clients.

What will you do? How will you move your offered products/services from your office and to your customers? Without a proper marketing map in place, chances are, your wish will remain just a wish.

Building such a plan for your small business can be easier said than done. There are so many aspects you need to focus on that losing track of one while focusing on another is quite easy. However, if you use a proven marketing map development process, there is no reason you should not succeed.

Here are the steps I believe are important. The first point you should keep in mind while building your plan is to remember what you are selling or trying to sell. You should also know your target market -- where your prospective customers/clients are located. Once you have defined these two parts clearly, the next, and perhaps the most important step is to define a clear method for how you will be conveying your message to your customers/clients and why they should choose you over your competitors - your unique selling proposition.

Finally, you must use attraction marketing techniques selling first yourself before you introduce your prospects to your products/services.

So, here is how I recommend you proceed:

1) View your business from the perspective of your target market. What value will you be providing them?

Play to Your Customers' Wants:
You have products or services that your customers want; so do your competitors. So your marketing plan should start by focusing on telling your customers exactly what they want or need and how your product or service fulfills this requirement. Avoid talking about your competitors' shortcomings and rather focus on how your product is more complete and meets their needs better. This should grab their attention quickly and effectively.

2) Speak to Them Directly:
Never market any products or services that you yourself would not want to buy, because when you do, you will not be able to talk to your customers directly. When I say speak to them directly, I mean addressing them through a message that is really easy for them to understand. Always create your marketing plan and marketing message by putting yourself in your customers' shoes. Not only should the message talk about your product or service but also excite the customer enough to buy it immediately.

3) Reach Them Through Multiple Channels:
Your marketing plan should not be restricted to one or two channels. I normally suggest first analyzing your market and understanding which are the best channels to reach out to your customers. Once you have these, you should craft a marketing plan that covers all of these channels in the best possible manner. Reaching the same customers multiple ways, such as email marketing and direct mail marketing and social media marketing, is very important for an effective message.

4) Make Yourself Visible:
This point relates to point 3 above. By using multiple channels you can be sure that you will always be visible to your potential customers at all times. It also means that you will be reaching out to your customers regardless of the channel they are available through. The higher your visibility, the higher is the chance that customers will find you.
 

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