Four Steps To A Small Business Marketing Plan
Is there such a thing as the perfect small business marketing plan?
It’s a simple question, with a much less simple answer. Sadly, there is no fool-proof, one-size-fits-all marketing strategy for guaranteed success…but this is simply because every business is unique.
You can’t force a generic plan on a company and expect to see results. Creating the ideal small business marketing plan involves tailoring: fitting a brand’s distinctive culture and ideas into a four-step skeletal structure.
Allow us to explain in a bit more detail…
Step 1: Set your goals
You can’t get where you want to go if you don’t know how to get there. By setting short-term goals alongside your lofty aims for the future, you can build yourself a ladder by which to reach these bigger targets and see visible progress along the way.
Naturally, these goals will be completely dependent on your position in the marketplace. You’ll want to become a force to be reckoned with, but getting to this point involves thinking about the short-term.
For example, if you’re not appealing to as many people as you’d like, you could consider repositioning your brand. If some of your products aren’t selling, you might want to think about a refreshed focus on driving sales in this area.
Goal-setting involves just as much looking around as it does gazing ahead. Thinking big means starting small.
Step 2: Know your audience
After outlining what you’d like to achieve, you need to conclude who your audience is. What type of people will be associating themselves with your brand? And what can you do to make your product or service appealing to them?
It may not be one particular group, either. Many small businesses have both a primary market and a secondary market whom they sell to – dependable big-time buyers and infrequent shoppers who may only require very particular services/products.
In either case, it’s important to segment your audience so you can create the right type of content from the very beginning.
Step 3: Identify channels
After becoming acquainted with your audience, you then need to figure out the best way to engage them. Step 3 involves identifying the appropriate channels by which to promote your brand.
You can open lines of communication with potential customers through well-written web content, blogs, email marketing campaigns, press releases, and social media drives. Many businesses pursue multiple channels, and some testing may be required in order to establish the most appropriate and effective outlet for your business message.
Step 4: Create & distribute content
The final step is creating all the content you need to achieve your goals and reach your target crowd, before eventually distributing it across the suitable channels.
This is where a copywriting agency can make all the difference – crafting content in alignment with your brand values for maximum engagement with your specific audience(s).
Making You Content can help you shape a marketing plan that reaps rewards and sends your company to dizzy new heights, putting words together in all the right ways. If you’d like to find out more about small business marketing in Manchester, get in touch on 01616 609 206 or drop us a line on [email protected].