Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Take Time To Plan

Small business owners may not have time to develop a strategic marketing plan. They are buried with day to day operations. It is well worth the time and energy to stop and get your vision and objectives on paper.

So whether it is your overall plan or a target plan that focuses on your web and social media marketing, develop the plan! Take the time to build a strong foundation with measurable goals, a timeline and detailed budget.

Here are a few guidelines in creating a plan.

By the way, some things work and some things don’t, but if you don’t write it down and manage the process, you will be shooting from the hip and using gut feelings instead of quantifiable results.

John Wanamaker once said that he knew half the money he spent on advertising worked! He just didn’t know which half.

Start with the basics…

What are your Business Objectives? Are you launching a new product? Is the goal to beat a competitor? Generate “x” amount of revenue?

What do you want to communicate? What do you want to compel people to do in order to achieve the business objective? Click on your website? Visit your business? Join your e-community?

Who are your target markets? Who are you talking to? Give that target a personality? Not just an age range. It always surprises me when I see a market defined as “Women 25-35”. Are they working moms, stay home moms, athletic, computer savvy, travelers, single, married… you get the picture.

What are your USP’s? Rosser Reeves coined the phrase Unique Selling Proposition. It’s what sets you apart. What makes you unique.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Build your house with a strong foundation and it will last!

Visit HUSKE.com for client testimonials and more information.

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