In the early 1900s, Andrew Carnegie was building his fortune in the steel industry.
One day a young man came into his office selling consultant services.
He told Carnegie that in only 15 minutes, he could provide information — free of charge — that would multiply Carnegie’s resources.
There was only one stipulation: if Carnegie used the advice and found it successful, he had to promise the consultant an appropriate payment.
Once they agreed, the man shared a productivity secret that transformed Carnegie's business.
What did the consultant tell him?
Each night before bed prioritize the six things that must be accomplished the next day. Then, start and complete the most important one before moving to the next.
After the consultant shared this with both Carnegie and his key managers, the business exploded.
The simple and profound discipline focused their work like never before.
An appreciative Carnegie sent the man a check — with an amount worth $1 million today.
“A simple plan can have profound results. But it only works if you work it.”
As you ponder how to grow your business, a marketing plan is a necessity.
Without a plan, there’s guesswork.
And guesswork will drain your marketing budget faster than anything else.
But how do you write a marketing plan? And what should be in it?
The 9 essentials needed in your marketing plan:
1.
An easy-to-understand overview
The problem with most plans is they’re too detailed and complicated for the average business owner.
Information overload can cause decision paralysis.
Regardless of the thoroughness of your plan, a one-page overview is needed at the beginning of the document.
Consider it a birds-eye-view of your overall strategy.
In one glance, you should be able to understand the broad strokes and key action steps.
2.
Elevator pitch
Also called a “one-liner,” this is an essential foundation.
You and everyone on your team should be able to describe the unique problem your business solves — and use the same language.
You ask, “Why is this important?”
Well, for starters, what about those quick conversations? Think about when you’re at a cocktail party and someone asks, “So, what do you do?”
This is where you need to avoid confusion. Developing a one-liner is essential in building a consistent and clarified message.
All of your marketing messaging flows from this one-liner.
If your team can’t be unified with your internal messaging, your external messaging will be a dumpster fire.
3.
Target market
This is more than just marketing speak.
Discovering and knowing your target customer is an absolute necessity.
The goal is to understand your target market like your best friend. Once you realize what makes them ‘tick,’ you craft pinpointed messages where they wonder, “Yes! How do they know this about me?”
A target market also helps you to niche your marketing, which both saves you money and delivers better ROI.
To determine your target, ask questions like:
1) Are they typically male or female?
2) Where do they live?
3) Are they married or single?
4) Are they highly educated?
5) What’s important to them?
6) How do they use their spare time?
7) What's their favorite music?
For example, if your target is a middle-aged female in the real estate industry, that pin-pointed knowledge will impact your messaging, your graphic design, and colors.
4.
Brand personality
Just like every person has a personality, so does every business.
Some are edgy and in-your-face (“You want a tough lawyer? Call the Hammer!”).
Some are glamorous and hoity-toity (“Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?”).
Some funny (“Dilly! Dilly!”). Some serious (“The Few. The Proud. The Marines.”).
Understanding your brand personality is essential in crafting your marketing strategy. The key is simply being who you are.
Avoid being “robotic” or “corporate” when you advertise. People relate to people, so use your unique personality.
5.
Lead Magnet
Leads always come before sales.
And one powerful way to generate leads is through a lead magnet.
A lead magnet is when you offer your target market something of value in exchange for a potential customer's contact information.
Your offer can be a PDF book, checklist, video tutorial, coupon, strategy session, or dozens of other options. Your imagination is the only limit.
6.
Lead Product
Think of this as your foot-in-the-door offer.
Your lead product is a product/service — at a free or relatively low entry point — that engages potential customers without flooding them with your full-scale offerings.
For the customer, it reduces up-front financial risk while deepening their trust in your expertise.
The deliverable, however, must be valuable and connect to the rest of your sales process.
For example: you can purchase home printers relatively cheap, but the ink cartridges is how the companies make their money.
The lead product is the printer, the cartridge is the bullseye product.
7.
Bullseye product
When a customer loves your lead product, they’ll consider purchasing your bullseye product.
What is your most profitable service or product?
That’s where you want your marketing to ultimately lead.
Think of it as the pot at the end of the rainbow. The goal of your marketing is to lead to this point.
The bullseye product must be built around a repeatable process that generates income and satisfied customers.
8.
Your customer’s journey
Every customer has a journey before they purchase.
Most don’t purchase immediately. They have to be convinced.
The customer’s journey includes:
-Their wants
-Their problems
-What they need from you
-The unique plan you offer
-The promise you give them
-How you call them to action
-How their journey ends in success
Smart marketers understand this unique journey and communicate accordingly at each step.
9.
The 1-2-3 plan
No matter how complex or simple your business, you must give people a plan.
The easier, the better.
This is where so many businesses fail.
If a potential customer has to work to figure out the process of doing business with you, they’ll choose someone with a clearer plan.
The company that wins the sale doesn’t necessarily have the best product, they often have the best communication.
Research shows that people naturally think in three’s. So give your target market a 3-step VISUAL plan.
You’ll be shocked how this works, over and over.
For example, think of CarMax:
1) Choose your car 2) Take a test drive 3) Enjoy a no-haggle price
Are you using a marketing plan with these strategies?
Andrew Carnegie utilized a plan both simple and profound.
When it comes to your business growth, you should, too.
For your marketing plan, these nine essentials will move the needle for your business.
If you need help creating your marketing plan, this is what we do at Genie Jar Marketing.
Simply choose one of two options:
1) Schedule a free, 15-minute strategy session
OR
About Me
Hey, I’m Brian, co-founder of Genie Jar Marketing. Born a Tar Heel but now a Virginian, I can do a great moonwalk on a slick floor. If you need help with your small business marketing, check out these resources for either your start-up or established business.