Marketing Plan Must Haves: Part 1

Marketing Planning ProcessLet’s say you understand that Marketing to Clients is the best approach, and you completed the marketing exercises to help you determine your unique marketing message.

Great job! Now you wonder how to piece it all together as it can be a daunting task. In the sample plan below you will find all the marketing plan must haves and how to showcase your uniqueness with the help of the results from the marketing exercises.

Sample Finished Marketing Plan

Marketing Mix Recommendations & Action Plan

PRIMARY MARKETING ZONE

The most effective marketing effort for XYZ Company will be based on creating dominance in a small market segment and then replicating that successful strategy in additional geographic areas.

Creating a high level of brand recognition, a strong professional image, and a positive credibility rating are instrumental in establishing a dominant presence in the market. Our goal is to present XYZ Company’s services in such a way that the prospective buyer will no longer ask the question “Why should I choose XYZ Company?”, but will instead ask, “Why would I choose anyone but XYZ Company?”

MARKETING MIX

Rather than isolated individual marketing methods for separate evaluation, our plan relies on a carefully selected marketing mix that produces bottom line results. Each element of the mix supports other elements of the plan. No one marketing technique is a silver bullet, but when the elements are fully integrated, consistent, and implemented strategically the marketing mix will produce highly qualified prospects. Then your sales team takes over and converts those qualified prospects to customers and your customer service program converts customers to clients. Your clients become a strong referral base and the business grows incrementally.

To create dominance in a small market segment the marketing mix should include:

Strong Web Presence

If you can't be found online, you are missing out on great business opportunities on a daily basis.

If you can’t be found online, you are missing out on great business opportunities on a daily basis.

  • Your target prospect has an information-driven decision-making process. The internet is the favored research tool. The website must not be an image piece, but must be consumer friendly, educational, informative, and consistent with all other elements of the marketing mix. A little fun never hurts either. The website is also the place where customers and prospects get to know more about WHO you are. In today’s marketplace, this is just as important (and in some cases more important) than conveying what you do or even how you do it.
  • The website reinforces all current offers, guarantees, and other marketing elements including the concept themes from direct mail and advertising.
  • The positioning of the website through search engine optimization is a primary method of putting XYZ Company in the arena for heads-up comparison with your local competition.
  • The website is a data collection tool and a survey tool.
  • The website is the medium for distributing a newsletter full of timely tips, useful information, and again, a little fun.
  • The website is the medium for distributing seasonal greetings to the customer base. Custom email cards: example – Valentine’s Day – We never forget that you are the heart of our business…etc.
  • The website is also an effective tool for:
    • Personnel recruitment
    • Personnel pride, loyalty
    • Support to the sales team, techs, and staff….many, many questions will be answered by…“If you will go to the website you will find complete information about that topic…”

Direct Mail

Direct Mail will be used as a vehicle to drive people to the website and direct response to offers, among other things.

Direct Mail will be used as a vehicle to drive people to the website and direct response to offers, among other things.

  • Direct Mail in and of itself has a low response rate. Most current research shows direct mail response at 1 to 2 %. This being the case, one would have to wonder why the mailboxes continue to be filled with direct mail pieces. The answer is that direct mail still works when it is examined within the context of an overall marketing effort that consists of a well-planned marketing mix.
  • Direct Mail will be used as a vehicle to drive people to the website and direct response to offers.
  • The prospect receives the direct mail piece and most people still get all the way inside the house with the piece in hand. Some people do stand in the driveway and toss advertising directly into the trash, but even these few handle the piece, read it if something catches their eye, and make a quick decision about its usefulness. Let’s say the postcard makes it into the home. Many people keep a file or catch-all spot for coupons or potential suppliers of goods or services they may be in need of in the future.
  • The person who receives the piece makes several immediate judgments from the look and feel of the piece. Attractive? Attention Getting? Familiar? Quality? This information is stored and recalled when it is reinforced.
  • Through direct mail, strategic seeds are planted. Rather than conduct focus groups on people’s response to direct mail the use of survey data should concentrate on the significance and relevance of the message. Specifically in the case of XYZ Company:
    • Premise 1: People respond to a direct mail
    • Premise 2: People who are using one of your competitors are probably dissatisfied with some aspect of their service and are unaware that there is an equally qualified, local firm that provides
      consistent, comprehensive care.
    • Premise 3: People are attracted to value propositions.
    • Premise 4: A creative testimonial presentation will build credibility, create peer influence and reinforce the loyalty of the customer who has provided the testimonial.
  • The psychology of the direct mail pieces involves the following major themes:
    • Every home manager wants the home environment to be healthy, happy, and trouble-free.
    • Every home manager wants solid information to support the decision-making process.
    • Every home manager desires to meet or exceed the standards set by their peer group. This is why the testimonial aspect of the campaign is so important. While people will say that they are
      not influenced by what others say or think…we know that is not the case. It is just human nature. Credibility is increased significantly by the opinion of others.
    • Every home manager has a level of pride associated with knowing the difference between price and value.
    • Every home manager desires a high level of personal service.

These are just a couple of examples to get you started. There is a lot more that goes into forging the marketing plan that is right for your company, as we will see on Marketing Plan Must Haves: Part 2.

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