Creating A Simple Marketing Plan
Many of you broke into a sweat after reading the title, didn’t you? Many people don’t have a marketing plan because they think it’s too hard, too time consuming, or they just don’t know where to start.
Creating a good marketing plan doesn’t have to be overwhelming, or costly, but it will save you time and help you achieve your 2009 goals.
Get started by identifying:
· Who is your ideal client?
· What do I have to spend?
· Where can I reach my ideal client?
Establish your ideal client, by looking at your current client base, and who can afford to buy your product or service? Then identify the best ways to reach them.
Your marketing budget should be 1-5% of your yearly sales, or whatever you can afford. Start simple, and make changes monthly or quarterly as you begin to see results. Be realistic and flexible. Having a budget will allow you to visualize and expand upon your program throughout the year.
The plan itself will have a number of options to consider. Here is a list of some marketing aspects to consider in your plan.
- Print advertising (including Yellow Pages)
- Direct Mail
- Email (include eZines and Blogs)
- Networking (Chamber participation/membership)
- Sponsorship
- Trade Shows
- Article Writing
- Speaking
- Referrals
While some of these items will have little to no cost, including them in your marketing plan will help you stay on track and implement each segment of the plan.
When putting together the actual marketing piece the most important thing to remember is to have a ‘call to action’. It could be a coupon in a direct mail piece, or a ‘free’ offer at the end of a speaking engagement. Just make sure you have different calls to action in each piece so that tracking success will be a breeze.
Check in quarterly to see how each segment is performing and make adjustments as needed throughout the year to make sure you are getting the biggest bang for your marketing buck!
Jeannine Clontz, Your VA Business Coach, is a speaker, author and VA coach, who helps Virtual Assistants increase profits and build the business of their dreams. For more visit: http://www.VABizCoach.com where she offers a 2-month trial in her virtual assistant group coaching model.
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