Marketing Plans - Building an Empire

Small business ideas for working from home is quite okay and may even sustain you for years; but  effective marketing plans are primary to getting a great head start online.

Bad business ethics are the main causes of the  latest recession and economic downturn, it is wise to be very frugal with your business dealings during such events. Some of us can still remember vividly the effects of the 1929 stock market crash.

Your business education is only so critically important at this junction. Planning and instituting small business ideas are hard work (for sure), riddled with pockets of online business mistakes that can and indeed happen to even the best of us trying to increase web site traffic and cashflow through great Web site content.

Marketing is about how sales are made and marketing planning is about being proactive in determining how sales are to be made.  Marketing plans are the calculated parameters within which a company takes specifically planned actions to create an awareness and demand for a particular commodity.

These plans are strategies which enumerate the required action for achieving marketing objectives. Ready to create a marketing plan?

Every successful business is defined by an effective plan. These plans make your marketing more effective which means your business is more successful. This article can help any small business owner develop a strategic plan to draw customers.

Marketing plans obviously outline how your company will market its business but it is also important to keep in mind that its efforts are all created in order to generate business by articulating what and who your company is. A marketing plan focuses on the four Ps (product, promotion, price and place), but doesn't neglect customer retention and key partnerships.

Coming up with a plan should be one of the first things on your "to do" list if you are a business owner, especially during these trying economic times. You can start very modestly spending nothing but your time. Marketing is a very creative process, and since you have literally thousands of options when structuring your plan, creativity is an asset, not a liability.

When you start writing your plan you will ask yourself many questions and these will help define the path you will take. The way to define a means to accomplish your overall marketing goals is through developing a strategic plan. There are so many different things that can distract you from promoting your business.  With a plan you will be able to know exactly what you need to do each day to build your business.

 If you come up with an elaborate business and marketing plan, including an advertising strategy, the right price, your advantages over  the competition's products and the target group of customers, you will succeed. After the dust settles down with a strong marketing plan, the only thing you need to have is a reliable and competent internet marketing coach for turning your success dreams into reality. An effective plan should incorporate several components to attract a broad range of people and be measurable so you can track its results.

Developing and implementing marketing and promotional activities like advertising, direct mail, a website, a brochure, or even networking without a marketing plan is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the cover of the box. Many people do not evaluate the effectiveness of their marketing plan often enough. Your plan can be a combination of direct mail, promotions, community activities, and effective and traceable advertising.

 Have a plan that includes advertising in all mediums, as well as promotions on-site, at special events in the area, or in partnership with a charity or other company. When writing your plan, remember that the proper strategy may be different for each target market you choose. A plan can include targeted mailings, coupons, customer loyalty cards, an e-newsletter, a website and gift certificates.

 It is important that the company adheres to their overall goal of the project, which is reflected in these production and plans. These  strategies serve as the fundamental underpinning of marketing plans designed to fill market needs and reach marketing objectives.

These plans should be adaptable to changes in environment so as to remain relevant. Marketing experts after years of research have found that the most viable formula which will guarantee success is to test, tweak and change your marketing plans until you come up with the right formulae for success.

Creating a plan doesn't have to be a month-long endeavor. There are plans for short term targets - 1 year, and long term goals - five years. The plan implements your marketing strategy. Essentially the marketing plan: forces the marketing personnel to look internally in order to fully understand the results of past marketing decisions.

 While a plan contains a list of actions, a plan without a sound strategic foundation is of little use. The plan is a written document that details the necessary actions to achieve one or more marketing objectives. The plan may be part of an overall business plan. Behind the corporate objectives, which in themselves offer the main context for the marketing plan, will lay the "corporate mission"; which in turn provides the context for these corporate objectives.

The marketing system itself needs to be regularly questioned, because the validity of the whole marketing plan is reliant upon the accuracy of the input from this system, and `garbage in, garbage out' applies with a vengeance. To achieve the maximum impact, the marketing plan must be clear, concise and simple.

It is only at this stage (of deciding the marketing objectives) that the active part of the marketing planning process begins'. If the marketing plan is to work, every exception to it (throughout the year) must be questioned; and the lessons learned, to be incorporated in the next year's planning.

The final stage of any marketing planning process is to establish targets (or standards) so that progress can be monitored. Tracking and follow-up: will we have the discipline, as an organization, to track results of the marketing plan and make sure that we implement? The classic quantification of a marketing plan appears in the form of budgets. Its starting point should be the marketing strategies and plans, which have already been formulated in the marketing plan itself; although, in practice, the two will run in parallel and will interact.

Solid marketing strategy is the foundation of a well-written marketing plan. Developing a marketing plan is the tool businesses use to overcome weaknesses in competitiveness and to increase sales. Without a plan, a business can only be reactive to changes in the market and competition. A good plan can put the boot on the other foot. The process of developing a plan means that management is now being proactive, developing positive strategies and initiatives to create competitive advantage and boost sales.

If implemented properly, the marketing plan forges partnerships between the sales team and other personnel in other functions, creating an efficient, cohesive organization. If you want to be successful from the very start, you’ll need at least a basic marketing plan. You can start with a basic marketing plan, which will become part of the business plan in the future. If you feel that you aren't meeting your goals, or you've slowed in your progress, then it may be time to revise your marketing plans. As always, run your marketing plan and business ideas by your trusted support group.

You can't expect to run a successful business without some sort of marketing plan. Remember that your marketing plan serves as your roadmap to success for launching your business and beyond. Although, I don’t think you absolutely must have a formal written business plan in place before launching your micro business, do not attempt it without a written marketing plan

Your marketing plans can be as lengthy as you wish to make it, if that fits your specific needs, but a basic seven point marketing plan (below) should be enough with which to start. I cannot stress how important it is to write your plan down and consult it (and update it) often. The plan gives you a point of reference and direction for implementing your promotional activities.

Point One – The first point explores and explains the reasons for your overall marketing strategy. By "reasons" I mean the purpose you are doing marketing and what you wish to achieve in general.

As an example, a reason for your marketing may be to attract customers to your shop to fix their tires. Another reason may be to get interested traffic to your website to browse and consider your products or services. Yet another is you may want to let the decision makers at many corporations know about you and your new company. These are the basic reasons for your marketing campaign. Obviously, you will never reach every single possible person for your business, but you will continue to reach out to as many as you can.

These reasons are not the same as goals. Goals are specific and measurable, while reasons are general and not measurable. The goals become the measuring sticks for the reasons you are in business. Some goals based on the above reasons might be informing 25 car owners about your tire shop or getting 30 new visitors to your website.

Point Two – If Point One is your broad marketing strategy, then Point Two are your tactics. The second Point offers an explanation about how you will achieve the reasons you laid out in Point One.

For example, for your attracting customers to your tire shop, you may choose to use ads in the phone book and newspaper, you may mail out coupons or have them placed on care windshields, or you may place billboards. For a new website, you might list that you will purchase keywords on Yahoo and Google, place banner ads on similar websites, or issue a press releases about happenings at your business and on your website.

This point will basically be those that you plan to use at launch and soon after. You’ll develop a longer list in Point Four that will be your guidelines for the future during your growth phase.

Point Three – The third Point is to whom you will be targeting your marketing. Not surprisingly, this is called your target market. These should be the people who have the desire, need, or potential to purchase your product or service. Make sure this is who you are after; it makes no sense to market to 50,000 people if only 10 are possible customers.

Your target for the tire shop example might be all car owners within 15 miles of your shop. If you are offering custom-made promotional products for companies, then your target market might be heads of marketing. If your website sells items featuring university football teams, then you probably want to reach university alumni and fans of the team.

By knowing to whom you will target your marketing, you will be able to better create an effective marketing message and spend your money more effectively by utilizing methods that get right to the people that are most likely to become your customers.

Point Four – This is basically a list of every marketing and advertising avenue that you think you will employ in the future. This is not necessarily at the early stages of your business because some may be cost prohibitive or you may not have grown to the point to where you can actually fulfill the demands of the numerous customers that may respond.

Basically, this can serve as a guideline for the future and as a wish list of methods you’d like to utilize at some point. But try to be realistic about costs, needs and even your willingness. TV may either be too costly or just wasteful for your particular business. Or perhaps you’re shy, so you won’t be speaking at the Chamber of Commerce nor doing newspaper interviews.

This list can be as long or as short as you desire. Try to think as broadly as you can about what might work for your business. Look at what other successful companies do. Think about all of marketing, which can include advertising, publicity, promotions and publicity.

Take your time at this Point and really give it some thought and research some examples that you may not consider at first include things like using your circle of acquaintances to help with word-of-mouth, classified ads, fliers that can be placed around town or on doors, flea markets, joining community and business organizations for networking, trade shows, bumper stickers, and direct mail.

Point Five – This Point explains what makes you special, or what your niche in the marketplace is going to be. You will have to decide on this because you will have to communicate it to your customers. Your focus should be on what differentiates you and your business from all of your competition.

In marketing terms, this is known as your unique selling proposition, or USP. Your USP/niche can be based on speed, customer service, prices, quality, selection, or whatever you determine you can offer better than anyone else. Do focus on reality and be reasonable in your own expectations. Make sure your USP/niche is valid, within your capabilities, what you will really do to make your business unique and also what will actually matter to your target market.

Point Six– The sixth Point focuses attention on what you wish the overall public perception or identity of your business to be. This most likely will be an extension of Point Five and you USP/niche. Once again, make it real and make it what you can attain and deliver.

Your identity is basically how the public perceives your business and the way that they will feel about it. It doesn’t have to be one single point. For example, you may want to be considered the fastest and friendliest in town. Or maybe you wish to be considered the least expensive with the widest selection. On the other hand, you may want to be the most exclusive with the highest prices and best quality.

Point Seven – You’ve been waiting for this one, your marketing budget. This is especially hard at the beginning because you may literally have no idea. But it is generally true that you have to spend some money to make money at home. If you can’t get enough people to know about you, you’ll have a hard time getting the paying customers you need to survive and flourish.

Now that you have a marketing plan to serve as your general roadmap, you’ll also want to create a brief advertising plan as well.

Creating an Advertising Plan

Now that you have a marketing plan to serve as your general roadmap, you’ll also want to create a brief advertising plan as well. The advertising plan is a natural extension of the marketing plan, but serves as a more specific guide for you advertising campaign and the messages you wish to get across.

You should create a new advertising plan for each campaign or even for each advertising method you use. Every advertising method is unique and the way you get your messages across may vary. I typically use Five Points when I sit down to determine what to do in any particular advertising situation.

Point One– The reason or purpose for the advertising. You will determine this much like Point One in your marketing plan, but make it more specific based on the particular time and place of the ad.

Point Two– Explain the number one USP/benefit you will offer in the advertising message in order to meet what you wrote in Point One.

For example, if your purpose is to attract new paying customers, you may tout one hour service on their tires. Or you may offer guaranteed satisfaction with a no-hassle exchange or refund policy to help people feel better about trying your product or service for the first time. Remember, you know your business is special, but they don’t know it yet!

Point Three – What are additional USPs/benefits that you offer, but are not the main USP/benefit? If they are interested in your number one USP/benefit, any additional ones may help "close the deal."

For example, if you offer one hour service on tires, you may also offer a clean comfortable waiting room with free coffee and snacks. If you offer
guaranteed satisfaction, you may also wish to point out your wide selection of trusted brands and free consultations to help the customer determine what brand is best for them.

Point Four – Define your target audience for this advertising campaign. Depending on the actual time and place of the ad, it may be your broad target as explained in Point Three of your marketing plan or it may be a more specific subset of the target.

For example, your overall target may be all women over 18, but your specific message for a particular ad campaign may be more effective if it only addresses college educated women older than 45. Or your tire shop may target all car owners within a 15 mile radius, but your windshield leaflet will be for car owners within 1 mile.

Point Five – Here you’ll explain just what it is you want your customer to do.

You may simply wish for them to call you or visit your website for more information. Or possibly you want them to come into your office for a consultation. Maybe you just want them to make a purchase immediately. Whatever you want them to do, you need to explain it first so you can develop a campaign based on the desired outcome. In come cases, you just have to tell the customer what you want them to do.

As an online business tutor, certified  Internet marketing plans should start with the business startup basics, Internet marketing research with a good Internet viral marketing component. Always remembering the marketing mix that your company chooses to employ should be an accurate representation of your company concept.

Promotion and marketing should appeal primarily to the (target) market and in general, marketing efforts should center around why your products/services are appealing, exotic, high-quality, or in some
way unique.

I thoroughly  studied many websites before I finally come up with a viable marketing system for my Internet business model. I urge everyone to do some serious preplanning of their Internet marketing plans with some strategic Internet business research.

Before I even begin a marketing project, my heart has to be in the proposal, I think of a title for my marketing message, I spend lots of time researching how my competition is presenting content for the same or similar product/service. Then I begin writing my marketing message.(Ref. article)

Note:  It is also necessary to think about how you intend to stay afloat (financially) throughout the advertising campaign.

This way I can tailor it to include things that I may have neglected to mention but my competition did; it also may trigger thoughts that neither of us thought to include in our Internet marketing plans and messages. For me, this is the best time to get all of my ducks in a row before I put my marketing message into the market arena.

Secondly, I craft a benefit-laden title that promises a benefit or offers a solution that the reader is seeking. This is the way to grab the attention of the reader. The very first step of a great presentation. (Ref. article)

Next incite more interest, then create desire in the reader for what you are offering, and lastly in no uncertain terms, give them a way to act (right now) on what they read.

I am not perfect, but I know that it is better to be disciplined or end up regretful latter. There are no second chances to make a first impression.

(Being attractive to your visitors)

As you know, your web marketing research makes you attractive to your visitors and there are many ways to make yourself attractive to your visitors. Below are some of the ways I attract my visitors:

Internet Marketing Plans:

Personal selling, Advertising, Consumer Promotion and Public Relations (PR) are the most widely used promotion mix tactics.

Buy 1 - Get 1 Free, Sweepstakes, Premiums, Coupons, Free newsletter, How-To Courses, Free Tele-Seminars, Free Consultations, Price & Terms, 30 days Free, Free Trials, Free Samples & Subscriptions and many more. (be creative)

My marketing plan usually starts off with an Internet viral marketing component to get web site traffic. Internet Viral marketing is nothing more than "word-of-mouth buzz." Just like a real virus is spread from one person to the next. There are tools you can use to spread your marketing message virally.

And there are many ways to start the buzz (virus). My last marketing campaign used a free e-book that featured my free mentoring e-courses.

The Internet marketing plan and especially the viral part is the most fun (to me) when I start my marketing campaigns. Because I can know from the very beginning of the campaign how interested (motivated) my prospects are and how many there are. As you know, marketing is all about the numbers; the bigger the numbers the better. 

Note:  When you begin building your business, it is our experience that you will have to produce enough "today income" to sustain you and your business. Your state's EDD Office can assist you when you are out of work from your "day job" and need income assistance.

Tip:  If you do not want your internet marketing plan to be a struggle when you begin building your business, then "CTPM" will be most helpful.(Ref. article)

On the road to profit do you want to send unbounded advertising or the alternative?

In conclusion, I wanted to make you aware of "salting" as a sales strategy. The salting technique is used to increase the likelihood of a wanted outcome. A dairy farmer feeds his herd with bails of hay; afterwards, he then leaves blocks of salt for the herd to consume. The farmer does that because he wants the herd to drink lots of water to produce lots of milk.

The salting technique has a unique property producing (unconsciously) a desire for a business prospect/customer to do things that will result in a sale or more sales. For instance, a patron at a fast food restaurant orders a hamburger, the waitress (on cue) then asks,” Would you like fries with that?”

A patron goes to a convenience store to buy a newspaper, the clerk asks, “Will that be it for you today?” Customer, “That’s about it.” Clerk (on cue), “Did you get your lotto tickets yet?” These are prime examples of the salting technique.

Salting can also work because the feelings of “the fear of loss”. “20% off on all school supplies today, only while quantities last.” Buy one and the second one is half-price.”

Salting also works because of an added benefit. Purchase a deluxe burger and get a medium shake & fries for free. The added benefit concept is blatant in its operation where all the concerned parties know what the deal is. Salting is very subtle, it is almost like invisible sleight-of-hand, because you are not even aware that you were forced into doing something which you had not planned on, just like the dairy farmer, waitress, or the clerk examples.

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Page References

Introduction to Preselling

Law of Attraction

Marketing Money-Magnet

Understanding Human Behavior

Website Marketing Strategy

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