For some business owners the words Marketing and Advertising brings nightmares. The thought of spending time on Marketing Plans may seem boring and uninspiring, however this is the life blood of your business. So for those just starting its important that this be your main task.
Here's the truth about your new business. If nobody knows that you're in business but your immediate friends and family then you're headed down a road of stagnation. Nothing is worse than stagnation in a Work From Home business.
Marketing Plans Made Easy.
Most of us don't want to think about marketing because we don't want to spend the money that we have not made from our initial investment. Well, the truth is the initial investment is just that, the initial investment. This however does not mean that your Marketing budget has to hurt.
So back to the plan. What you want to consider while crafting your Marketing Plan to keep it simple (KIS) are, your goals, how to get the message out, budget, and Time spent on one method versus another.
Goals.
For your goals, consider what you expect to accomplish with your chosen campaign. This should be very simple. Either exposure or sales. Exposure is always a good way to start.
How to get message out (Low Cost Marketing).
There are many cost effective ways to get your message out without breaking the bank. I will share a few with you. The great thing here is that once you see this list it will get your juices flowing to come up with more yourself.
Unsold space near press time is a great way to get a good deal on inexpensive advertising. This is called remnant space. They are available for publications as well as radio and TV.
Overnight Radio. How does $10 per minute sound? Sounds like music to me. Of course there will be much less of an audience but it can still be very effective.
Newspaper. By cutting down your ads and having a catchy headline you can save money. Same thing for Classifieds. By placing your ad in the right place you will get more targeted traffic.
Yellow Pages. Did you know that first advertisers get as much as 40% off? Check with placing the ads in the online version.
Publicity. For this you will need a great press kit. One press kit can give you a lot of free press. So one cost can bring great amounts of exposure. You will however have to convince the newspaper or whomever that your company is news worthy.
Contest and Give-Aways. A great way to get your company in the public eye is to have a contest. For example, if you're a travel agent you can give away vacations for referrals.
Testimonials. Always get stories from your satisfied customers.
Flyers. 5000 flyer for 100 dollars is a good deal. With flyers you must make sure that the placement of these flyers are in places where your product or service is needed/wanted. Advertising for a tanning bed on Sunset Strip may not be the place.
Coupons and Samples. Giving your services away for discounted prices is a great addition to your Marketing Plan.
Online advertising. If your business is online you would be remiss of you not to use all of the internet marketing strategies available. In today's market a website is a must for any business.
Budget.
The Small Business Administration suggest that at least five percent of gross sales should go into your Marketing Plan and advertising strategy.
Timeline.
This is probably the most import part of your plan. Once you have worked out a Marketing Plan think of a time line to gauge your results. You want to know the results of all campaigns. This will allow you to know how effective it was. Then move on to the next in your strategy. I would suggest only doing one or two at a time. Once you find one that gives you the maximum results then its time for "All Out Massive Action."
With a little planning your Marketing Plan no longer needs to be a chore. Better yet its discovery time for you and your business. If taken serious this can be your ticket to a successful business.
Author Resource:-
Matthew is Co-Founder of the most innovative businesses on the internet. He devotes his time, energy and, effort into making others and his team successful online. To learn how to they earn a Substantial Online Income go to: Free YourSelf.
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