>How do you start your marketing plan?
Well, start your marketing plan with the right message, one that is easy to promote and honestly represents your product, business or service. Craft your message by creating a “Unique Selling Proposition” (USP) that differentiates your product from the competition and communicates its primary benefit. Base your USP on any feature that makes your product stand out from the crowd, such as price, ingredients, color, size, location or position in the market.
Your USP must answer the question every consumer asks: Why should I buy your product or service rather than someone else’s? If you cannot answer this question, then you do not have a defined USP and you are vulnerable to the competition. Once you create a USP, add to its strength by marrying it to “irresistible offers” such as gifts, coupons, deferred payments, rebates or time-limited promotions. Be in the right place with the right product at the right time.
Is your marketing talking to the buyer?
Your marketing message that you decide to promulgate must be, above all, easy to understand. If your marketing confuses the customer, it will make your sales task more diffi cult. The best marketing messages are clear and simple, and make no assumptions. We have found that customers follow five steps before deciding to make a purchase. Your job as a marketing professional is to guide the consumer through these five steps:
- Awareness of need and/or desire.
- Picking the ‘thing’ that fulfills the need/desire.
- Picking the source for the thing.
- Accepting the source’s price.
- Finding reasons to act now.
Select something exciting about your product or service, and sell this excitement. Proclaim a call to action. Always ask potential customers to act on your message. When possible, give them an incentive to take action.
Have you considered your market?
Every product or service appeals to a particular population segment or demographic strata. Define your product’s demographic appeal and then target your message accordingly. Choose your targeted market by segmenting possible customers by geography, demographics or affi liation:
Geographic target marketing – Send your message into the area you serve. This works very well for local businesses, such as drycleaners, banks, restaurants and real estate agencies. Once you define your geographic area, get your message out as often and in as many ways as possible. Send mailings, purchase advertising in local newspapers and become involved in the community.
Demographic target marketing – Reach out to groups of people who share certain demographic characteristics, such as age, income or career. Media outlets that sell advertising – television, radio, newspapers or magazines – provide specific demographic information about the people they reach. Use them to send your message to the demographic group that you want. Consider renting a mailing list comprised of prospects from your demographic audience.
Target marketing by “affinity or association” – Market to people who share your local group affiliations, such as trade or professional associations, civic or religious groups, or parent/teacher associations.
Do not forget your own marketing image
Present a strong, consistent public image. Reinforce it in your marketing messages in every area of your operation. Example your website should adhere to the following “four-point criteria:”
- Communicate a clear, congruent message on your website.
- Present your marketing content in an organized, logical way.
- Educate the customer about your products and services.
- Use every available space to promote, publicize and inform your clients.
And remember your clients needs to be part of your marketing plan for 2015
A client might leave your business for all kinds of reasons, but the most overwhelming reason is because the client feels unappreciated or unimportant. Every member of your organization must prioritize delivering consistent, excellent service and making customers feel cherished and wanted.
It is easier to sell to an existing client than a new one. In fact, research shows that you have a one in 16 chance of selling to a new prospect, but a 50% chance of making a repeat sale.
