In today’s busy world sometimes we are all guilty of not planning effectively as we should and diving straight in!
However, to ensure you achieve the best results you can, try to sketch out your plan of action. This does not need to be lengthy or arduous but having a plan will help you to use your resources efficiently, give you direction and momentum and ultimately ensure that your achieve your objectives within your given timeframe.
There are many formal marketing models that you can use .. have a look at PR Smith’s SOSTAC® or the APIC framework to help you focus and try at least to consider the following:
Start first with looking at your previous marketing efforts and their results, what did you do? What worked? What didn’t? What could you have done differently or better?
Then pinpoint who you are targeting. Really dig deep into your target audience. Work out who they are and more importantly where you need to promote yourself to reach them. Are they business to business customers or are you selling to the general public? Think about who they are, where they are and most importantly how and where they buy.
Next look at your product or service and consider your price and how you position yourself against your competitors. What makes you different? Why should someone buy from you? Knowing your competitive edge will help here. Reviewing your buying process from your customer’s perspective is a worthwhile task to ensure that your potential customers can find you and easily purchase from you – sounds daft but in today’s fast paced world customers don’t have much patience!
With these answers in mind, set your goals and decide on your budget and timeframe. Are you raising awareness, looking for new leads or looking for sales conversions on your website? Knowing what you want to achieve and where your customers are on their buying journey is key.
Lastly plan your attack! Choose your marketing channels wisely and think carefully. Social media is a great low-cost media if used effectively but equally more traditional techniques might work just as well, depending on your audience. Think openly and consider each medium until you find the marketing mix that is right for you.
Finally, remember to measure your results and evaluate – and be ready to do it all over again! And if you need some help along the way, please do get in touch.