It’s March and spring is right around the corner. It always makes me think of the first signs we knew spring was on its way with the crocuses popping up in the garden. All we had to do to ensure they would bloom again the next year was tie their leaves and cut the stems. Outside of the tulips or the occasional rose bush, all our other flowers required us to plant the seeds in order to see them bloom. This is exactly like your business; there will be some business that just returns and is there for you without a lot of effort, but if you are wanting to grow your business, you will need to plant some seeds. This is where your marketing plan comes in.
Do you have a marketing plan? and Do you know what should be included in your marketing plan?
A Business Marketing Plan Should have these 5 Elements:
1. Everyday Exposures & Everyday Touches
If you are wanting to grow your business, increase brand awareness, and create a greater impact, you will want to develop a few marketing strategies that help you have exposure on a daily basis or what I like to call everyday touches. The great news is there are many options you can use here that do not cost any money at all. You want to be able to expand your reach, be visible, and stay in the minds of your customer with whatever option you choose. I would like to highlight here that having a website is not an everyday touch unless you are driving people to your website by giving them your business card, directing them to it from a social media post, or operating a daily blog from it. Listed below are just a few options for you to potentially include in your marketing plan to build everyday touches:
- Email newsletter
- Car Decal with Company Logo/Name/Phone/Website
- Social Media Posts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Periscope)
- Advertisements (Online with Facebook/Adwords or Radio, Paper, Magazine,TV)
- Company Swag (Laptop Decals, Notepads, T-Shirts, Pens)
- Community Bulletin Boards / Coffee Shop or Restaurant Business Card Placement
- Video (YouTube is up 24 hours a day and Facebook’s Live is coming soon!)
Your goal for Everyday Touches should be 5 times a week.
2. New Networks
If you are a start up, have just launched your business, or desire growth in your business, this marketing strategy is essential for you. Building new networks takes a bit more time and energy upfront, but pays long term. Also, in order for it to pay long term, you are most likely going to need to remain consistent with your effort for a period of time to see results. So what is involved in new networks and how do you create them? Developing a brand new network offline could include going to meetups, local business groups like your chamber of commerce or board of trade, and local business referral events. Online, there are groups that you can either be the expert in answering questions to potential customers or become a member in a network of other business owners where you all get to market your services. Â Here are the goals when you are building new networks:
- Engagement – You want to engage with people!
- Contribution – Give Value to the group, the person, the community
- Follow Up or Give them something – Stand Out by doing a second touch or Giving them Value
The goal in your marketing plan should be to achieve 1 -2 New Networks a Week. (If you have a weekly consistent business group meeting you attend, this would count as 1)
3.Prosperous Partnerships
Whose life can you make easier just by knowing about you? (Who would need to refer to you?)
Who will you need to refer business to?
Who could you contact that by sharing your resources, customers, services could double your list?
Prosperous partners are people who may be in the same industry as you with a variation of your service or have a business different from your trade but complimentary in some aspect. They are prosperous partners because the two of you can cross promote each others services or products, share your lists with each other, and/or even become affiliates for each other where you may share commissions for referrals. Â The key here is that there needs to be reciprocity or mutual benefit for each party involved. Take a moment to research and write out potential prosperous partnerships. The next step would be to know what you can or will offer them and what you would like to ask of them. Your final step is to call them and set up a personal meeting to discuss this prosperous partnership.
The goal for your marketing plan to achieve business growth is to contact 3-5 prosperous partners every week for at least 1 month and for better results at least 3 months.
4. Impact, Inspire, Influence, Ignite!
Where can you make an impact with your product or service?
Where will you be able to make the greatest impact?
Who needs your inspiration and needs to be inspired by you?
What influence do you want to have in people’s lives and what type of influence do you want to be?
Who needs to be ignited in to action, a better life, or to feel great with your product/service?
How can you ignite people with your offer?
This last element of your marketing plan may be the one that stirs up the most energy in you and if it is, then focus your energy here! Imagine growing your business entirely around where you can create impact in people’s lives, inspire them, and ignite something in them to take action!
Lastly, in every element above, you want to be adding #5. VALUE! … and when you do, great things happen to the growth of your business.
Stay tuned for a marketing template you can use in your business that will help you create more growth!
Would you like to develop your own marketing plan and find out how to do it? Visit us here: Marketing Plan for Business Growth
