The Three Step Marketing Plan

Originally published in 2014 - Resurrected here with minor adjustments

You’ve got a great idea. You’ve got a fantastic service.  You may even have a business license, a storefront, a website…. If you can cover the bills, save for retirement and sleep a full eight hours every night, no need to read on.  If you aren’t quite there yet, keep reading.

Building a successful business takes vision.  It takes effort. It takes drive, knowhow, follow through and an all star support network.  It also takes a stellar marketing plan.

The details of one business plan will be vastly different from the next, but each can be built using the same foundation.

1.  Know your audience

Before you put down your life’s savings or take a second mortgage on your home you have to be confident that a wide audience needs your offering.  

Ask yourself:
Who is my ideal customer?  
What is their budget?  
What other products and services are vying for their attention?  
Where are they living, hanging, spending?

2.  Identify the right media mix

Bring in your support team or a coach.  This is a time when more heads are better than one.  Encourage an open dialogue to understand all the marketing avenues available to you.  Social media isn’t always the magic bullet.  For some businesses a sidewalk sandwich board or a direct mail campaign will give you the reach you need.  Don’t be afraid to try something old. Don’t be afraid to try something new. And remember, positive word of mouth is ALWAYS the best marketing tool.  My favorite statistic: 14% of consumers believe advertising. Everyone else believes their friends.

3. Articulate your message

Make sure that you have a call to action. And make sure that call to action is compelling. Develop new messages for every channel, referring back to #1 each time. Match your message to your audience and be prepared to blast that message over and over and over again. It can take hundreds of impressions to drive action.

Be Patient - you need to put in the time.

Start your marketing well before you make major capital investments.  The last thing you want is to be stuck paying rent on a customer-less storefront while you sit in the back working on a logo.  Effective marketing is not a one hit knockout.  To be effective, you have to put in sustained effort over time.  Be willing to try new things.  Be committed.  Follow through.  Be flexible. If something you try doesn’t work, scrap it, modify your plan and try something else.

If you need support as you begin to build or refine your marketing plan, consider joining an upcoming workshop or reaching out for a 1:1 planning session.