Basic – For our purposes, marketing is going to market; using strategies and processes to sell a product or service, to bring customers to you, to make prospects aware of the benefits of using your product or service.
1. Three ways to grow your business:
a. Acquiring more customers
b. Persuading each customer to buy more products or services
c. Persuading each customer to buy more expensive or profitable products or services
2. Do to before you identify your marketing strategiesb. Persuading each customer to buy more products or services
c. Persuading each customer to buy more expensive or profitable products or services
a. Make a one-page business plan (see Member Resources on blog)
b. Identify your ideal customer/client – age, industry, geographic location, interests, likes, habits, challenges they face for which you provide a solution, etc.
c. Figure out what makes your company unique; this is similar to brand. Understand your unique selling proposition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unique_selling_proposition, http://www.abraham.com/articles/How_To_Create_A_Unique_Selling_Proposition.html, http://www.interactivemarketinginc.com/unique-selling-proposition.html
d. Set a marketing goal. Your objective may be to increase sales by 15 percent during the next 12 months. Mark your calendar to stay consistent and persistent with your goals. http://www.ideamarketers.com/?10_Simple_Steps_to_Setting_Your_Marketing_Goals_How_to_Plan_for_Your_Success_&articleid=74510&from=PROFILE
e. Have a 15-second, 30-second, and 1 minute Informercial. http://290bni.com/bniforms/60second.pdf, http://www.jarrodgoddard.com/business-freelancing/how-to-sell-yourself-in-60-seconds
3. Choose your marketing strategiesb. Identify your ideal customer/client – age, industry, geographic location, interests, likes, habits, challenges they face for which you provide a solution, etc.
c. Figure out what makes your company unique; this is similar to brand. Understand your unique selling proposition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unique_selling_proposition, http://www.abraham.com/articles/How_To_Create_A_Unique_Selling_Proposition.html, http://www.interactivemarketinginc.com/unique-selling-proposition.html
d. Set a marketing goal. Your objective may be to increase sales by 15 percent during the next 12 months. Mark your calendar to stay consistent and persistent with your goals. http://www.ideamarketers.com/?10_Simple_Steps_to_Setting_Your_Marketing_Goals_How_to_Plan_for_Your_Success_&articleid=74510&from=PROFILE
e. Have a 15-second, 30-second, and 1 minute Informercial. http://290bni.com/bniforms/60second.pdf, http://www.jarrodgoddard.com/business-freelancing/how-to-sell-yourself-in-60-seconds
a. Promotional Kit – presentation folder with company logo and contact information, history of your company, services you offer, testimonials, references, etc.
b. Press Release - http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp
c. Website and Search Engine Optimization, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization, http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35291
d. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) – This advertising method allows you to tap into the searches occurring and puts your site directly in front of customers who are actively searching for what you are selling. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pay_per_click
e. Referral Marketing – This is the most sought after method of marketing, the most profitable, and often the easiest way to generate new business. Develop a referral marketing system, http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/referral_marketing.htm, http://www.divatoolbox.com/business/marketing/79-do-you-really-know-how-to-give-a-good-referral.html
f. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referral_marketing
g. Advertise – usually the most expensive and the most difficult to generate results without continued exposure. Possibilities: Targeted newspapers, trade publications, radio, TV, chamber mailings and publications, other people’s websites, internet, etc.
h. Direct mail - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_mail
i. Electronic mail – sending your message with email (email blasts)
j. Networking – (see Member Resources – What is Networking?) chambers, associations, leads groups
k. Social Media Networking – Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and many more.
l. Public Speaking - http://www.evancarmichael.com/Public-Relations/237/Public-Speaking-Its-Many-Benefits-Can-Grow-Your-Business.html, http://search.entrepreneur.com/googlesearchresults.php?q=public+speaking&cx=013574105172325703311%3Axhkof7qpqpa&cof=FORID%3A9#912
m. Sales calls – cold calls, warm calls, http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/409/The-Warm-Call.html, http://www.unlockthegame.com/LeadsIntoWarmCalls/, telemarketing [You must do a financial-sales analysis* to decide how many clients you need to make your sales goals and how that transfers to how much time you need to accomplish those goals.]
n. Directories
o. Expos/trade shows/events/seminars/open house
p. 3-foot rule (talk to everyone about your business within 3ft. of you at any time.
q. Writing your own material online or in publications
r. Buddy-marketing (example: if you send out brochures, you could include a leaflet and/or business card of another business, which had agreed to do the same for you.) and bartering
4. After you choose your marketing strategiesb. Press Release - http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp
c. Website and Search Engine Optimization, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization, http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35291
d. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) – This advertising method allows you to tap into the searches occurring and puts your site directly in front of customers who are actively searching for what you are selling. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pay_per_click
e. Referral Marketing – This is the most sought after method of marketing, the most profitable, and often the easiest way to generate new business. Develop a referral marketing system, http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/referral_marketing.htm, http://www.divatoolbox.com/business/marketing/79-do-you-really-know-how-to-give-a-good-referral.html
f. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referral_marketing
g. Advertise – usually the most expensive and the most difficult to generate results without continued exposure. Possibilities: Targeted newspapers, trade publications, radio, TV, chamber mailings and publications, other people’s websites, internet, etc.
h. Direct mail - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_mail
i. Electronic mail – sending your message with email (email blasts)
j. Networking – (see Member Resources – What is Networking?) chambers, associations, leads groups
k. Social Media Networking – Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and many more.
l. Public Speaking - http://www.evancarmichael.com/Public-Relations/237/Public-Speaking-Its-Many-Benefits-Can-Grow-Your-Business.html, http://search.entrepreneur.com/googlesearchresults.php?q=public+speaking&cx=013574105172325703311%3Axhkof7qpqpa&cof=FORID%3A9#912
m. Sales calls – cold calls, warm calls, http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/409/The-Warm-Call.html, http://www.unlockthegame.com/LeadsIntoWarmCalls/, telemarketing [You must do a financial-sales analysis* to decide how many clients you need to make your sales goals and how that transfers to how much time you need to accomplish those goals.]
n. Directories
o. Expos/trade shows/events/seminars/open house
p. 3-foot rule (talk to everyone about your business within 3ft. of you at any time.
q. Writing your own material online or in publications
r. Buddy-marketing (example: if you send out brochures, you could include a leaflet and/or business card of another business, which had agreed to do the same for you.) and bartering
a. Research to find the best methods and tactics
b. Design the tactics particular to your convenience, most promising success, etc.
c. Measure your results* Set a specific time and mark your calendar to remind you.
b. Design the tactics particular to your convenience, most promising success, etc.
c. Measure your results* Set a specific time and mark your calendar to remind you.
*Talk to Linda about how to do this
