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Marketing Plan

A marketing plan is a document which is part of your business plan. In short it should show you how best to sell your products or service so that you are better than your competitors.

What is the incentive for your Business?

There has to be a reason why your Business exists and that shouldn't be based on your company providing the most inexpensive product or service.

If your marketing strategy was just to provide the cheapest product or service then we would advise you to go into a different venture. Unless you can guarantee to always be the cheapest and the best whilst still making a healthy profit.

Usually a large company can come along from nowhere and cut into your margins one way or the other - and at that moment you will be out of business more quickly than you can say "ABC".

What makes my Business different from the rest?

So what is or are your unique selling points (USP's)? Clearly the more things you can think of here the more alluring your Business will be to your prospective customers. It is a considerable advantage to your marketing position, because you can continue putting out distinctive messages all the time via your newsletters, twitter and facebook and any other Social Media your business is using. If you merely have one Unique Selling Point that's the single message you can use...so it's going to have to be a very good one. If that is the case or you are going to have to come up with some shrewd marketing to keep dressing it up in different clothes as your customers are going to get bored very quickly and that is the last thing you want.

Who is my Ideal Business customer?

Who is my ideal client?

In the beginning it feels like a bizarre question...almost rude...who cares as long as they pay the money right? Wrong! Knowing who your archetypal client is will permit you to target market them which will save you money and time in your marketing expenses and so increase your profits. Aware of what age, sex and where your typical client resides or where they hang about most repeatedly is a considerable benefit to grow your business. Be aware of your market segments.

Target Market Segment Strategy

What is your target market segment strategy? Once you comprehend who your buyer is - how are you going to tap them up? What marketing strategies can you come up with that will laser target these potential clients in order for them to use there hard earnt money and buy from your company rather than one of your competitors?

What do you want for / from your Business in the first year?

By calculating where you want to be after 1 year can really assist you in what you need to do in order to accomplish your target goal. This doesn't automatically have to be a target profit - it can be something in the vein of signing potential clients up. Obviously you should have a target of how much it has cost to sign somebody up...obviously the lower the better.

How much will each plan cost to put into operation and what come back can I expect?

What are the different strategies you are going to use in order to reach your targets and how much will each one cost. How valuable is each plan?

What will trigger my principle customer to think of me?

This is significant as it might give you a prospect to advertise in front of them. Are your customers in a certain place when they are liable to think of your business? Can you publicize in that location? And if so, how much does it cost to do so?

What programs am I running to get to my Goal?

What method are you going to use to laser target your potential customers:

  • Television
  • Radio
  • Broadsheets
  • Specific Magazines
  • Internet
  • E-mail
  • Billboards
  • Flyers
  • Post
  • Telephone

What will be the expenditure?

Do you have the assets to put these practices into position? How successful was the marketing that you put into position in month one, year one? Is it viable to do that marketing again in month two, year two? Do you need to make changes to your Marketing Strategy?

What is my pricing strategy?

Your pricing policy possibly will depend on a mixture of factors that you cannot effect such as what the weather conditions are like, how the economy is doing etc. etc. Are you going to have common products at low rates in order to pull customers in to purchase your higher priced products / services. Products sitting on the shelf aren't doing you any favors - so if you can sell them at cost (i.e. a sale) then that is better than leaving them there if they aren't shifting - you can also use that money to buy better stock that does sell at a profit.

What is my Promotion Strategy?

Are you planning a magnificent opening with special discounts on your opening night? Do you need to give special offers to attract new and existing customers to your Business once you are well-known.

Several promotional strategies may consist of:

Market Research

How are you going to carry this out to target current customers or / and new customers?

Are you going to recompense somebody to conduct this study? What questions are you going to ask?

Your Marketing Plan should be a part of your Business Plan. Lacking these 2 vital segments for your company - your company could come unstuck very rapidly.

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis is a rundown of your business's most main:

  • Strengths
  • Weaknesses
  • Opportunities
  • Threats.

By going through each one of these for your business and your closest competitors you can notice where the possible dangers lie ahead and hopefully have a solution to deal with the problem should it appear.

We have over 6000 business plans listed in our easy to find listings from 24 hour and DVD and Video Hire to Zumba Tuition.

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