Do you have a marketing plan?

Put marketing at the top of your to do list and make the time write a marketing plan.

Here are 5 simple steps to help your business make a great marketing plan

1. Firstly identify your target markets which are the customers who would regularly buy your product

2. Then look at the messages that you want to send to your customers – is is buy now, it is click here to find out more, whatever it is always have a call to action

3. Then decide on the mix of marketing tools that you will use to target this market; such as radio, newspapers, magazines, leaflets, social media, e-newsletters and press releases.

4. Then put together a schedule of regular marketing activity that keeps your business in the public arena. If you don’t have a lot of money for marketing don’t spend it all on once, schedule a social media campaign followed by an e-newsletter campaign and spread out your marketing.

5. So now you know who you are targeting, what you are saying and how you are going to say it. Simple decide when the marketing will take place, allocate a cost and ensure someone in the business is responsible for putting the plan into action.

Having a marketing plan will ensure your budget is stretched throughout the year, as well as aim to increase the brand awareness and improve the profile of the business.

Don’t forget to monitor your promotional activity. For example you can ask people when they contact your business how they heard about you or take a customer survey to gain feedback on your promotions.

Treat your marketing plan as a movable plan, by no means is it set in stone. It needs to be revisited throughout the year as the business may have new or improved products  or new markets to target and this need to be implemented into the plan.

If you would like some expert advice on how to put together a marketing plan or creative ideas on how to make your business stand out from the crowd then contact JEM Marketing on jenny.ervine@jemmarketing.co