HOW TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL MARKETING PLAN IN 4 SIMPLE STEPS
Most small business owners do not think they can afford big marketing plans. To them, marketing is advertising, and everyone knows that advertising is expensive. Of course, advertising is an important element of marketing strategy. But, there are numerous low-cost tools and tactics that a small business can use to increase their visibility and attractiveness to potential customers. And, all that is required to access these tools and tactics is research, planning, preparation, and execution.
Make no mistake; you need to include marketing in your budget. Without marketing, your business could easily become the best kept secret in the world and go bankrupt. Customers are bombarded with thousands of marketing messages and images on a daily basis and their memories are short. You must establish a big enough budget to create and maintain enough visibility for your company, products, and services so customers won’t forget you.
A word of caution is in order. While it is tempting to copy the competition, what works for them may not work for you. Effective marketing must differentiate your business from the competition so you can attract and retain profitable customers. It includes everything from your company name, logo, tag lines, advertisements, public relations, presence at trade shows, community involvement, reputation, and brand.
