Creating a Marketing Plan--For Dynamos and Dummies

Courtesy of Richard Hessler--a very prolific guy!

If you are going to create a marketing plan or campaign on a limited budget, the size of your target market should be limited. In determining the size of your target market, consider your ability to fund and manage a minimum of five simultaneous marketing channels. Five to eight marketing channels focused repetitively on the same target market group will yield the greatest results from your time and money investment.

Generally, there are 21 marketing channels from which to choose:

1. Advertising: (indirect) display advertising, classified advertising, yellow pages, inserts/circulars.
2. Buzz Marketing: (direct) paying people to say good things about your product or service to others.
3. Canvassing: (direct) Physically going door-to-door to solicit leads.
4. Cinema Advertising: (indirect) movie trailer ads, pre-movie advertising slides.
5. Client referrals: (direct)
6. Direct Mail: (indirect)
7. Indoor Advertising: (indirect) airport signage, marquee advertising
8. Networking: (direct) charity, community organizations, volunteering, formal networking groups.
9. Outdoor advertising: (indirect) billboards, building signage, bus benches/boards, lawn signs, sky writing/airplane banners, blimps, posters & playbills, stickers/bumper stickers, flyers, banners.
10. Point-of-Purchase Display: (indirect) banners, counter displays, mobiles, multi-media CD-ROM.
11. Professional Referrals: (direct)
12. Public Relations: (indirect) print articles, radio & TV commentary, print feature stories, print quotes.
13. Publishing: (indirect) books, newsletter.
14. Radio Advertising: (indirect) host-paid radio show, commercials, infomercials.
15. Seminars: (direct) public, private.
16. Telemarketing: (direct/indirect) outbound, on-hold narration, conference calls, tele-seminars, fax blasting.
17. Television Advertising: (indirect) host-paid TV show, pay-for-guest TV show, commercials, infomercials, product/service placement.
18. Trade shows: (direct)
19. Special Events: (direct) birthday parties, retirement parties, event parties, celebrity events, charity fundraisers, sport professionals, open houses, client appreciation.
20. Sponsorships: (indirect)
21. World Wide Web: (indirect) website, direct email, eNewsletter, SPAM, blogging, pod casting.

The impression you want to leave with your target market is that you appear to be everywhere; when in fact, you are just in front of your target audience.

Emphasize direct marketing channels over indirect. Direct marketing channels put you or a spokesperson face-to-face or voice-to-voice with your target audience. Direct marketing channels should be implemented first. Indirect marketing channels are used to reinforce your direct marketing efforts and create brand awareness.

Overall, the 21 marketing channel categories listed are effective. Some may not be as applicable to promote your specific product or service. Your results will depend on your creativity and making adjustments based on your results over time.

An Example:

Let’s say you want to sell a specific professional service to a specific group of people in a community. Choosing the following marketing channels may help you enroll attendees to a seminar that will generate sales meetings.

1. Client referrals: (direct) ask your existing clients, friends and family to invite people to the event.
2. Advertising: (indirect) run a low-cost circular in the newspaper, rent a billboard in a conspicuous location.
3. Direct mail: (indirect) purchase a mailing list for your demographic in the community.
4. Networking: (direct) promote the seminar at networking groups you frequent.
5. Professional Referrals: (direct) ask other professionals you work with to invite their clients to your event.
6. Telemarketing: (direct) call warm prospects and cold prospects to invite them to the event (businesses only unless you have a prior relationship).
7. Trade Shows: (direct) promote the seminar at a tradeshow.
8. World Wide Web: (indirect) promote the seminar on your website or eNewsletter.
9. Seminars: (direct) conduct the seminar with the goal being to schedule sales meetings at a later date.

The goal of marketing is to get someone to want to meet with you to learn more about your product or service. Marketing is NOT about educating everyone about your entire menu of services, save the details for the sales presentation. Market with an eye towards what the target market believes they need. We all use the same marketing channels, it’s your unique creativity and concerted efforts to communicate your value tailored to the prospect that will produce results.