This presentation aimed at small businesses and entrepreneurs talks about how to be strategic with marketing. There are several bonus slides discussing how to use social media at the end of the presentation.
2. What We’ll Cover Today
1.
How
to
develop
clear
brand
messages
2.
How
to
do
the
basics
of
marke3ng
3.
How
to
further
define
target
markets
4.
How
to
be
strategic
with
your
marke3ng
5.
What
it
looks
like
in
ac3on
3. What We’ll Cover Today
1.
How
to
develop
clear
brand
messages
2.
How
to
do
the
basics
of
marke3ng
3.
How
to
further
define
target
markets
4.
How
to
be
strategic
with
your
marke3ng
5.
What
it
looks
like
in
ac3on
4. Define your brand identity. Get
beyond your services list to what
makes you different – an elevator
pitch could capture this.
5. Spy on your competitors:
What do they say about themselves?
How are you different?
6. Focus on talking about WHY
you are a better choice
We can help you grow your business
We can help you streamline operations
We can help you expand your capabilities
We can help you make better products
We have the best customer service
We have the most experience
We have the lowest price (be careful with this)
We are local
7. Developing clear brand messages
SECTION REVIEW
GET BEYOND THE SERVICE LIST!
Paid marketing won’t work if you
haven’t clearly spelled out why people
should consider your company.
8. What We’ll Cover Today
1.
How
to
develop
clear
brand
messages
2.
How
to
do
the
basics
of
marke3ng
3.
How
to
further
define
target
markets
4.
How
to
be
strategic
with
your
marke3ng
5.
What
it
looks
like
in
ac3on
9. Have a professional website
This will serve as the central hub providing the
most complete information about your
company and directing people to social media
channels.
Make sure it conveys your brand and
messaging
Is it on par with or better than your competitors
in terms of design and quality of content?
10. Make sure your website
clearly presents brand
messages and services
Don’t let your uncle’s neighbor’s son’s
girlfriend do it – you have options!
Ad Agencies/Web Development
companies/Freelancers
(will they be there for you after it is built?)
You!
11. Low budget?
Build your own website
smallbusiness.yahoo.com, GoDaddy.com,
Homestead.com, squarespace.com
Big Commerce, 3dCart, or Volusion for
ecommerce sites
Benefit: low cost and can include
applications like photo galleries
Drawback: depends on your time and
writing skills, cookie-cutter design
12. Make your site Mobile friendly
Building a site with Responsive Design is now an option - or
build a separate mobile website that can detect access by
mobile phones
13.
14. Create a professional handout
People don’t read
Business cards or rack cards may be
enough if you have a good website –
primary purpose of many print materials
today is to drive to web or social media
Include testimonials, if room permits
Use low cost VistaPrint.com templates
18. The 3 Rules of Networking
Don’t heavy sell
It is like dating - ask questions
about them! (But watch for openings
to share info about yourself and your
business)
Don’t worry about how many people
you talk to, just make sure they are
good conversations
19. Send out Press Releases
Search “How to write a press
release” online
Has to be newsworthy – launch
new products, announce
events, new staff, new account,
big project, awards
A few times per year, if you are
lucky
21. What can you talk about?
Company announcements
New customers or completed projects
New staff or staff stories
Awards or achievements
Customer stories
Related business or community news
Unsure? look at what others in your industry
are doing
22. It is about ENGAGEMENT (and SEO)
WOW!
DID YOU COOL!
HEAR?
AWESOME!
27. Make your existing
customers feel special
Quarterly phone calls or
e-newsletters
Welcome notes, thank you notes,
holiday cards
Purchase level recognition with
gifts
Customer of the quarter gift cards
28. Customer profitability tends
Customer
2% to increase over the life of
Reten3on
Costs
a retained customer
10%
It costs
to get a new customer
vs. keep an existing
31. Doing the basics of marketing
SECTION REVIEW
Have a professional website and a
professional handout
Drive traffic and awareness through
networking, press releases & social media
Nurture your existing customers
32. What We’ll Cover Today
1.
How
to
develop
clear
brand
messages
2.
How
to
do
the
basics
of
marke3ng
3.
How
to
further
define
target
markets
4.
How
to
be
strategic
with
your
marke3ng
5.
What
it
looks
like
in
ac3on
33. Identify & prioritize your
target markets
They can look very different and need different marketing
approaches and messages to reach effectively.
Good marketing is not one size fits all.
34. Target market examples
Existing customers
Board members/stakeholders
Homeowners
Retirees
Small business
Government contractors
Women
35. Then drill down even more
Small businesses within a 30 mile radius,
at least 3 employees, preferably in the
following types of industries, chamber
members
Women, age 25 – 50, in the workforce
37. Further defining target markets
SECTION REVIEW
Define different targets and
develop customized
messages for each.
38. What We’ll Cover Today
1.
How
to
develop
clear
brand
messages
2.
How
to
do
the
basics
of
marke3ng
3.
How
to
further
define
target
markets
4.
How
to
be
strategic
with
your
marke3ng
5.
What
it
looks
like
in
ac3on
39. Build your marketing strategy
AUDIENCE
PRODUCT/SERVICE
MESSAGE
BEST
WAY
TO
REACH
General
Business
Branding,
print
We
can
help
you
be
Networking,
public
design,
web
design,
more
strategic
with
speaking,
sales
reps,
marke5ng
&
social
your
marke5ng
so
referral
program,
media
consul5ng
you
get
results
social
media
Economic
&
Web
design,
retail
We
can
help
your
Industry
Tradeshows,
Community
recruitment
guides,
community
aDract
sponsorships,
Development
presenta5on
the
aDen5on
of
site
referral
program,
e-‐
Organiza5ons
materials
selectors
and
newsleDers,
blog
retailers
Exis5ng
Customers
All
services
–
with
a
Don’t
forget
we
can
Direct
mail,
referral
focus
on
new
help
you
with
a
wide
programs,
e-‐
services
range
of
services
newsleDers,
calls
…and the service/ …and the …and the
List each
product you want to message you best ways to
Audience…
provide each want to tell each reach each
40. What are your options?
Associations and advertising opportunities
Sponsorships
Newspapers and local magazine ads
Trade magazine ads
Online advertising
Networking – Chamber, WBCNA,
HASBAT, etc.
41. What are your options?
Radio E-newsletters
TV Speaking
Billboard engagements
Social media Promotional
Blogging products
Direct Mail Etc. etc.
Press Releases
42. How do you choose?
What can you consistently deliver? Is a
monthly e-newsletter realistic?
What can you afford?
Biggest rule: Have a presence in as
many places as possible within your
budget: a small ad four times is better than
a big ad once
Spread out your visibility over time
43. Develop your 12 month plan and budget
Do date/pricing research for print ads, events. Then plug in around those.
44. Being strategic with your marketing
SECTION REVIEW
Determine the best approaches
to deliver your message to
each target market, multiple
times throughout the year,
within your budget
45. What We’ll Cover Today
1.
How
to
develop
clear
brand
messages
2.
How
to
do
the
basics
of
marke3ng
3.
How
to
further
define
target
markets
4.
How
to
be
strategic
with
your
marke3ng
5.
What
it
looks
like
in
ac3on
46. Red Sage Strategy for Economic
Development Market
Association membership in EDAA, NAIDA, and SEDC
Three to four conferences per year
Booth and sponsorships at conferences, be a speaker
whenever possible
Rack cards – one for web, one for marketing
Direct mail – database from association
LinkedIn participation
Quarterly E-newsletters
CommunityResults.com
50. Red Sage Strategy for
Small Business Market
WBCNA, HASBAT, Energy Huntsville & Chamber
participation in Decatur and Huntsville – regular networking
Public speaking
Ad in Decatur Chamber newsletter
Weekly blog, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
Commitment to update website and SEO
Press Releases
Award entries
54. Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted,
and the problem is I don't know which half.
- Lord Leverhulme (British founder of Unilever)
55. Ways to track results
Train your staff to ask all new callers – how
did you hear of us
Traditional advertising (radio, print ads,
direct mail) tie in a trackable offer – bring
this in for a discount, mention this ad etc.
Google Analytics, social media metrics, e-
newsletter metrics
How many people tell you they saw your ad
Sales volume or inbound calls volume
56. FINAL REVIEW
Be consistent with your elevator pitch
and core messages
Do the basics well and consistently
Be strategic with target markets
Spread out your efforts with a variety
of activities over time
57. Bottom Line:
You don’t have to be perfect.
You just have to be better
than your competitors.
58. WE ARE DONE!
1.
How
to
develop
clear
brand
messages
2.
How
to
do
the
basics
of
marke3ng
3.
How
to
further
define
target
markets
4.
How
to
be
strategic
with
your
marke3ng
5.
What
it
looks
like
in
ac3on
59. Download this presentation at
www.slideshare.net/ellendid4
Please connect with me!
www.RedSageOnline.com
facebook.com/redsage twitter.com/ellendidier linkedin.com/in/
twitter.com/RedSageAL ellendidier
66. Twitter
Rapidly growing in importance
Gen-Y and tech savvy participants
Some industries more than others
Search Twitter and “research” what
people are thinking about things (or
saying about your brand) – great
focus group
Post daily or multiple times per day
67. Using # and @ to
increase visibility
Use @ to mention an organization or individual
by name – this shows up in their feed (and is
very desirable) @RedSageAL
Use # to highlight topics to show up in searches
such as #PromDress #Marketing #Huntsville
Create your own #hashtag for an event or
promotion such as #RiverFest2012 or
#SageAdvice – use to create buzz at an event
69. Google+
Small (but growing) audience
At a minimum, duplicate the posts you
are posting to Facebook or Twitter – but
best to build out like microsite – allows
photo galleries, videos, services pages,
more information than Facebook
For some local businesses – may be
best way to show up on page 1 of
Google!
Populate with positive reviews!