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Event: How to develop a marketing plan

SBOCTeam — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:50:52 GMT

Before the tactics, you need a plan. It's not a long document of marketing super secrets. A small business marketing plan should be a concise document that will serve as your guide for all future marketing activities. It includes four essential spots: Branding, Experience, Conversation and Promotion

Jay Ehret, President of The Marketing Spot, coaches, teaches, consults with locally owned businesses. He also conducts workshops and seminars to empower small businesses to market more effectively. For more information on Jay and The Marketing Spot, visit http://www.themarketingspot.com

Jay can answer questions such as:

Where do I even start marketing?
What are the things I should add to, or eliminate from, my marketing plan?
What are some tips and best practices?
How do I tie the elements together into a cohesive force?

Post your question for Jay here and then check back on January 29th at 2:00PM EST, or any time thereafter for his reply. You can post a question any time during the event hour. However, he may not have a chance to answer all of them.

Re: Event January 29: How to develop a marketing plan

SBOCTeam — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:16:06 GMT

Jay, thanks again for your time today and your professional responses! We hope to see you back either as a guest expert or as a Community member participant.

Community, although our event with Jay has concluded, please feel free to discuss his responses amongst yourselves and implement them in your small business situation.

For more information on Jay and The Marketing Spot, visit http://www.themarketingspot.com

The SBOC Team

Wrap Up: Build Your Marketing Plan

MarketingSpot — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:06:50 GMT

Marketing plans are too complicated and focus too much on tactics. Start by
answering the "Who?" and "Why?" questions: Who you are, and Why you exist. Then,
I encourage you to simplify your marketing plan and focus on four primary areas:
Branding, Experience, Conversation and Promotion. This is The
Marketing Circle of Life for small businesses.

I have a complete free series posted on my blog on how to build your plan: Build
Your Marketing Plan. Please feel free to contact me if you have any
questions about the information I posted on this forum today.

Thanks to Bank of America for the forum an this great small business
resource. Power
to the Small Business!

Donating to a Cause

MarketingSpot — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:00:54 GMT

The best way to take advantage your donation is to not take advantage of it.
Do it from the heart and selflessly. Make sure you are either passionate about
the cause or it is aligned with your brand. If you donate to a cause without
expectation of return, the return will come. People will sense your
sincerity.

Re: Event January 29: How to develop a marketing plan

furnace — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:37:03 GMT

I recently donated my inspection services to a charitable cause (soup kitchen, shelter etc... outfit) to inspect their existing properties and potential acquisitions... while it is not a money maker for me, I see some potential for my associates (contractors). Now it is going well and I believe it will pay dividends for my business down the road..

how can i best take advantage of portraying what I did with out patting myself on the back too much?

The BNI Model

MarketingSpot — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:55:47 GMT

I am opposed to the BNI model because it is based on exchanging "leads."
Customers are treated as a commodity and a lead to be exchanged. That's not what
a customer is. My model is to create value and desire and attract customers to
you. Rather than you trying to sell someone on your services, think of how you
can create enough value that potential customers will seek you out.

Marketing to Realtors

MarketingSpot — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:51:58 GMT

You are on the right path networking with realtors. However, I don't think
asking for testimonials should be your first choice because it seems
self-serving.

Let your website be a resource for realtors rather than a marketing tool. I
would suggest adding a blog to your website and posting articles about common
inspection problems, or even "hidden" inspection problems. then you might
develop an information piece for realtors such as "prepping your listing for
inspection." or "presenting the inspection report to the buyer." Making the
realtor look smarter is a good way to get them to call on you, and depend on
your service.

Clarifying Brand Identity

MarketingSpot — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:45:16 GMT

Your brand identity seems a little cloudy and needs clarifying. Seems like
you have a lot of different products and services which makes it a little
difficult for customers to decide exactly what you are. I recommend focusing
your brand on one area of your business, even if you continue to offer many
different products, services, channels.

Trying to be all things to everyone means being nothing of value to any one.
Stand for one thing. What is that? Follow your passion for the answer. To help
you clarify your brand identity, here are some free resources from my blog:
http://themarketingspot.blogspot.com/2008/07/brand-promise.html

http://themarketingspot.blogspot.com/2008/07/marketing-plan-tagline.html

Advertising and Promotion

MarketingSpot — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:42:29 GMT

So what about advertising and how it fits into a marketing plan?
Surprisingly, you may not need to advertise as much as you think you do; and
possibly not at all. If you have built a strong brand identity and deliver a
remarkable customer experience, business promotion will take care of itself.
Customer loyalty, and thus repeat business, will increase. Word of mouth and
conversation will replace your need for a advertising budget.

However, if you feel like you do need to advertise, think message first,
tactics second. Create a message and courts the customer rather than clubbing
them over the head. Reveal personal and intimate traits of your business, don't
sell in your advertising.
To help you build your message use this resource: Courting
Customers

To help decide where to advertise (traditional) see the Media
Sporter Matrix

Re: Event January 29: How to develop a marketing plan

MarketingSpot — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:36:45 GMT

I do not recommend running ads on websites as they rarely give good return on
investment. Instead I recommend you create a video blog with tie tips. For
example: How to tie a bow tie, how to tie various knots, how to match tie color
with shirt color, patterns or solids? Post a different video tip each week.

Then I would engage in a social network frequented by professionals who wear
ties. Those will be difficult to find, but create a description of your ideal
customer persona and discover where they like to hang out on the web. This will
create interest and traffic for your blog. It may also create word of mouth on
the web.
Check out the Trunk Club blog for some ideas on how to implement: http://thetrunkclub.wordpress.com/