Business Marketing

Marketing Matters            

Let's be honest: You're a busy person. You wear many hats, and there's only so much time you can devote to each hat.

In fact, I bet that right now you're thinking, "I don't have time to read this article." But you should reconsider: marketing is worth your time.

Why? Marketing is the life-line of any business. Without it, you don't get exposure, and without exposure, you won't get leads or sales.

But we're not here to tell you that. We're here to share with you a fillable Marketing Plan specifically created for small businesses – to help you plan and implement your marketing efforts smoothly and efficiently.

 

Marketing is the Life-Line of Your Business

First, let’s talk about what marketing is not. Marketing is not just advertising.

It’s the process of creating, communicating, and delivering the value of products and services to customers.

Marketing is also not just about the product – it’s also about the customer journey from awareness to purchase decision to advocacy.

If you want your business to grow and succeed over time, then marketing matters!

 

Know & Track Your Goals

The first step in setting your marketing goals is to know what you want. That’s the easy part, right?

Well, it can be if you take the time to think about it. What do you want for your business? Do you want more clients and customers? More sales or revenue? How much growth are you looking for?

The next step is tracking your results—and tracking them regularly.

This will ensure that nothing falls through the cracks and that no one thing becomes too important at the expense of other important tasks; if everything gets done well but not prioritized properly, then nothing will get done properly!

The best way to track results is by creating a plan with specific metrics, such as daily sales goals or weekly email open rates. Once these metrics are set up (and being tracked), stick with them!

And don’t forget: The SMART system applies here too: Specifics matter when setting up goals because they make sure that everyone involved knows exactly what they need to accomplish before they can check off those goals on their list."

 

Create Personas

Personas are fictional representations of your ideal customers. Each persona is unique, but they all have one thing in common: they represent someone who has a problem you can solve.

Personas help you understand your customers better by giving them a voice and allowing you to think like them.

Personas can help you create marketing content that speaks directly to your ideal customer/clients’ needs, rather than trying to appeal universally.

They can also help you create a cohesive marketing strategy and plan – allowing you to obtain your goals and drive a strong return on investment.

 

Explore Marketing Channels

Consider the various ways your business can market itself and choose the ones that make the most sense for your budget, time frame and most importantly your target audience.

There are many different types of online marketing, including:

·        Social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)

·        Email marketing (newsletters or other direct-to-consumer communications)

·        Content marketing (creation and curation of relevant content)

·        Paid advertising (such as search ads or social sponsored posts)

Pro tip: It is better to be amazing on one or two channels/platforms than to be mediocre at 6 or 7. Choose the channels you have time to master and be fantastic!

 

Conclusion

Marketing isn't just one thing—it's an entire process with many components (think: strategy, messaging, media channels).  

Make sure to develop a plan before moving forward so that everyone on board understands what they're doing and why they're doing it.

Download your copy of the fillable template CF Marketing Plan to help you create marketing plans for the entire year!

 


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