If there is one thing that you need above everything else when you start or try to grow a business, is Marketing plans and a Strategy. Even if your business is brick-and-mortar and not solely based on the web, a Marketing plan and Strategy should be your number one priority. It is mind-boggling how many people get into business or own a business, thinking that they don’t need a Marketing plan or any Strategy.

One of the most popular reasons for this seems to be based around the products or services. Some people believe that their product or service is so good that people are just going to buy without them having to do much at all. But they aren’t taking into account the fact that if people never find the product or service – no matter how good it is – they aren’t going to use it.

 

 

If you don’t have a customer base, then you don’t have anyone to buy your products or services, and it is a mystery why so many businesses ignore this very simple fact. They plan out every other aspect of their business. They spend weeks designing the perfect website, months perfecting their products or services, and even concentrate on things like logos and business cards without sparing a thought for Marketing or Strategy.

One of the reasons that businesses give for this is that they simply cannot afford to do any Marketing, or hire a Business Coach. Some, probably don’t even know what a Business Coach does. But the truth is, they really can’t afford not to do Marketing, and will most likely fail at it if they don’t create a great Strategy. There is sufficient evidence out there that Marketing almost always gives you a higher return than any money or time you invest in it. Especially if you have a great Strategy.

Some businesses think they can just figure it out later. But this is a mistake too, because once you are ready to launch your product or service, you are losing money every day that you’re not making sales.

 

So, how do you create an effective Marketing plan or Strategy?

Here are some tips that will help you.

 

Good Marketing plans and Strategy will make use of the size of the market, the needs of the customer, the competition, and it will include a projection of future revenue. In addition, a good Marketing plan and Strategy will guide your business to meet future customer expectations. Also, a Marketing plan and Strategy will include plans for uniform brand distribution and building an online identity that will be instantly recognizable to customers. Finally, a good Marketing plan and Strategy will be flexible enough to be able to change based upon unforeseen events in the future.

 

In Conclusion

 

Running an ad in the local newspaper … sending out an email or direct mail letter … airing a radio or TV ad on a local media station are all examples of Tactical Marketing … Now don’t get me wrong … the newspaper, radio or direct mail can be successful Marketing channels … IF your Marketing message is powerful and compelling … But that’s the problem … the message is the Strategic side of Marketing … and yet, it’s the most neglected …

This distinction between Strategic and Tactical Marketing is huge and one you need to be acutely aware of anytime you start talking about generating more leads … Many businesses mistakenly assume that when you talk about Lead Generation, you’re automatically talking about Tactical Lead Generation … placing ads, sending out mailers, joining a networking group, attending trade-shows, implementing a prospect follow up system and so on …

They fail to realize that the Strategic side of the coin, what you say in your Marketing and how you say it is almost always more important than the Marketing medium where you say it … If you fail to make this distinction, then you risk becoming jaded towards certain forms of Marketing and Advertising that should be a part of your Tactical plan, but you eliminate them from consideration because maybe they haven’t worked for you in the past …

When Lead Generation results are less than optimal, Small Businesses tend to almost always blame the Marketing medium … like the newspaper the ad ran in or the postcards they sent out … They blame the Tactical part of the plan … without any regard for how good or how bad the Strategic “messaging” in that Marketing was. Business Owners often say things like,“we tried radio and it doesn’t work for our kind of business”, or “we sent out 50,000 pieces of direct mail and only generated 3 orders … It just doesn’t work” … Just because it didn’t work, don’t assume that it won’t work … But, you must get the right Strategies, tips, and ideas, or else …

 

 

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