What is your marketing plan?

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Now that we have reached the second half of 2017, what are your marketing plans for the rest of the year?

Ready, Aim, Fire

As the saying goes, if you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.  So as we wind down the humid days of summer, it is time to prepare a plan and be ready to execute come late August.  Once buyers are back at work and the kids are in school, you should already have your plan in motion.  Waiting until then to start planning is too late.

Some Things to Consider in your Marketing Plan

As frequent readers of this BLOG can tell you, we like to point out some outside the box things to consider in all areas.  Marketing is no exception.  Here are three things to make sure your plan includes.

  • Evangelizing - Who will be out there letting the world know about your product and services?  Whether that is you or your sales person, make sure this happens.
  • SEO - Who will be making sure your website is easily found and the keywords you are targeting (or should be targeting) are ranking on page 1 of search engines?  If you don't have this person, get one or learn how to do it.
  • Employee Relations - Are you employees happy and servicing your clients with excellence?  If not put some work into this.  There is nothing worse than earning a conversion and your team scaring them off.  Make sure to take care of your team, they are all that matters.  If you are just starting and don't have a team, make sure you are always "on" when a client calls or emails.  No shortcuts and never be short.  Never try and fit them into a box, clients can steer you in amazing directions you never thought you would go!

Best Laid Plans

Any plan is better than no plan.  So if you have never created one don't let that stop you!  Just start somewhere and stick to it.  The point of a marketing plan is to create activity.  As many wheels as you can get turning the better.

Pick up some books while on vacation bout marketing.  Seth Godin's books are terrific fast reads that will get your creative juices flowing.

You should be marketing every day.  Drip, drip, drip.  Every thing you do can be moving your marketing plans forward.  Every time you do have activity your brand grows in notoriety.  Slowly you will gain momentum.  Only people and companies who do nothing fail at this.  Everyone is a marketer so don't be afraid if you don't have a background in marketing.  When you start a company it is about getting the flywheel going.

Naysayers

Beware of the naysayers in your circles.  I have had employees who spent more time bashing our marketing plans than they ever did creating an idea or a plan of their own.  Ignore them!  Also, don't let friends or family hold you back.  You are not Geico and can't advertise like they do, but that doesn't mean you won't be successful in your world.  Work towards something, anything, and create activity.  The results will come!