| |
| |
|
Marketing Information |
|
|
|
Using a Marketing Calendar Template
Owning a small business isn't easy, especially if you are running it alone. Between moving products, taking orders, paying bills, and taking care of family, it is easy to lose track of everything you need to do. Using a calendar template to organize and manage your marketing strategy will ensure you don't drop the ball with one of the most important parts of your business. Developing a Marketing Strategy First, research and identify who your target clientele is, and what characteristics they share that make them valuable to you. If you have developed software that organizes and manages an online calendar, you probably will not want to target 14-year-old skateboarders. But it is not enough just to identify an age category or an activity your target market shares - you need to consider socio-economic status, buying habits, and potential for up-selling. I may be in Porsche's target age group, but I am definitely not in their target tax bracket! Second, after identifying who you will be targeting, research and explore venues for your advertising message. The demographics of your desired customers will play a key role in deciding which venues to pursue, so don't forget about them. Examples of marketing venues available to you include newspaper ads, bus stop banners, sports team sponsorships, online marketing (including pay-per-click campaigns and search engine optimization), local television spots, and, if you're feeling extra ambitious, the Super Bowl. Finally, after identifying your desired customers and selecting which marketing venues you will pursue, create a marketing calendar. Calendar templates are available online for download and use. A calendar template typically divides time into weeks, providing a space each week to record what event or marketing method you are focusing on; how much money has been and will be spent on the activity; deadlines, contacts, and important notes; and what the results of the marketing ploy were. Once you have these three facets in place, you are ready to invest some real money into promoting your company. Implementing a Marketing Campaign With your marketing calendar template in hand and wallet in pocket, you are ready to invest in the marketing campaign you have designed. The nice thing about using a marketing calendar is that it takes what could be the impossible task of keeping track of and following up on all your marketing endeavors, and it breaks it up into one week chunks. This feature allows you to focus on each marketing activity and the results it produces. The prospect of launching an online marketing campaign, billboard and bus stop banners, and newspaper advertisements all at the same time is formidable at best and impossible at worst! Unless you absolutely cannot afford to wait one more week to launch them all, try phasing them in one at a time. The marketing calendar template will help you keep track of what is going on, and where you need to turn your attention next. Evaluating Your Campaign During and after every marketing endeavor you perform each week, fill out the important spaces on your calendar template. When you receive the results of that specific campaign (i.e. more visitors to your site or more customers purchasing the advertised product, etc.), compare it to other advertisement venues or practices you have tried. Was it more or less successful? Did it produce the desired result? What was your return on investment for this particular campaign? Did it improve your bottom line? Without keeping careful track of each activity and its results it would be difficult to answer these questions. And if you can't answer these questions you'll never know if you're throwing money away each month, or under-investing in advertising that could be giving you a huge ROI. In addition to constantly evaluating the specific advertisements and marketing campaigns you run, it will be helpful to systematically reevaluate your target audience. As your business grows and develops throughout the years, the products you sell or the services you provide may evolve from one demographic to another. Never get too comfortable with your marketing strategy - be alert of changes in technology and techniques that can benefit you and your company and take advantage of those resources. Launching a successful marketing campaign for your small and home business can be difficult, but it is not impossible. Properly creating, implementing, and evaluating your marketing strategy may be the last three steps you need to take to move into Porsche's target demographic. Nick Smith is a client account specialist with 10x Marketing - More Visitors. More Buyers. More Revenue. For organizational software that includes a calendar template, check out Agilix GoBinder.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Be Prepared for Marketing For most businesses, making a sale is all important. However, despite the amount of effort and attention given to getting sales, there is often no attention given to developing and effectively implementing a systematic marketing process. Marketings Nuclear Weapon Three seconds. That's what you have to convey your message. Overview on Qualitative Data Collection Techniques in International Marketing Research This article is meant to be a brief review and reminder of some valuable yet often bypassed techniques to collect data on international markets and consumers.When thinking of market research, surveys are most likely the first technique that comes to ones mind. Loyalty Cards Systems - Beware, Some Should Be Avoided Recently, I discussed a loyalty card system with a vendor who was selling quite a number of his systems to restaurants. I was shocked to discover the lack of detailed information that this vendor catered for, and the opportunities the system he provided squandered. Using Purchased Leads A little advice about using leads that you purchase from another source;These are not opt-in leads per-say, that you have gathered using lead capture pages.They might join your list, but initially this is a whole different animal. Ten Effective Ways to Capture Market 1.Evaluation of Existing Products / Therapies2. Marketing Lessons From Apples iPod Apple Computer just announced that their earnings from the last quarter more than quadrupled mainly due to robust holiday sales of the iPod digital music player. More than 10 million iPods have been sold since it was introduced in 2001. Promotional Lanyards to Market Your Products and Services It has become fairly common place to see Id badges dangling from a persons neck on a short cord, and on the cord or small rope itself, is printed the name of a company, or a school or an event on it. When you spot one of these, you can be sure you're looking at a lanyard. How to Avoid the Line Extension Trap If you follow the prevailing logic of most modern companies, you will inevitably fall into this trap. Line extension is using an existing brand name or image and extending it to new products. Finding a Brochure Printing Company A brochure can be a great promotional tool, whether it is for is a real estate listing, a trade show handout, a data sheet, or some other application, but sometimes it's hard to know where to start.Brochure printing companies can provide their expertise as well as a wide range of printing and marketing services. Stretching The String: Five Tips To Maximize Your Marketing When You Are On A Shoe String Budget "I know I need to market my business in order to grow my business, but right now I can't afford it."I have heard this statement numerous times from business owners that are struggling to stay in business. 5 Tips on Establishing Yourself As An Expert In Your Community Wondering how to get new patients into your practice? Wondering how to distinguish yourself as unique from the other practitioners in your community? Here are 5 surefire ways to get visibility in your area.5 Tips on Establishing Yourself As An Expert In Your Community1. The 10 Cornerstone Principles of Marketing There are four parts to a marketing system and they rest on ten cornerstones. Marketing results are only as powerful as your marketing systems. Top Ten Blunders Exhibitors Make in Expos/Tradeshows Triple your response from expos by avoiding the top ten blunders at expos. Turn disappointment into sales success!If you are like most exhibitors, you were disappointed from the results at your last expo. Logo Facts What makes one logo better than another?Simplicity.A good logo works in the simplest form. Differentiate or Die Sounds pretty harsh, doesn't it? Well, I can tell you from personal experience with both my own business and with my clients, "differentiate or die" is not an exaggeration. Whether you're a small one-person shop or a large government agency, solvency and the future of your business rely on you standing out in a competitive marketplace. Finding Your Niche: What Do You Want To Be Known For? In my experience, there are two kinds of small business owners: one that knows whom their market niche is and utilize it, and another who tends to waiver or not want to "set in stone" their target market. With the latter group, I always probe for more information: Why don't you want to choose a specific target for your product/service? Time and time again, the response is the same "I don't want to limit my profits by only catering to a few. Avoid These 5 Web Site Blunders! The Web is intended to help people find information quickly and easily. So why do so many sites make it difficult for users to get what they need? While neat design can add impact to your message, make sure the message itself doesn't get lost in the mix. Direct Mail Response Devices and How to Craft Them Successful direct mail packages contain three things: an attractive offer, a call to action, and a response device. The offer is the Incentive. Has the Free Report Had Its Day? For years now we have been inundated with offers of Free Reports. Most promise to tell you how, in a few hours per week, you can make incredibly huge sums of money or achieve some other benefit.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
