[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Why you don‘t need a fifty-page marketing plan to grow your business exponentially
A recent survey revealed that one of the biggest challenges a business owner faces is marketing. A scattered and unorganized approach is making it really hard for them to stay focused on the activities that matter most to grow their businesses.
There is so much information out there and it‘s easy to be pulled in a million directions. Yet some of the key ingredients in running and growing a successful business is clarity, focus and direction.
To help busy entrepreneurs not only select the right marketing channels for their businesses but also to get a better return, I‘ve created a planning framework that has helped thousands of businesses around the world.
I‘d love to share it with you here! It‘s a slightly different approach to the conventional marketing planning methods you find in textbooks and it works. The good news is that you don‘t need a fifty-page plan and it won‘t take longer than a couple of focused hours to fill in.
So grab a pen and paper, a glass of wine (or a cup of coffee or tea), put on your favourite music and let‘s go. Planning is so much more fun in the right environment.
First off, you might want to download our planning template and watch the video below.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” gap=”10″][vc_column_inner width=”2/3″][vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjdzcHJvdXR2aWRlby1wbGF5ZXIlMjclMjBzcmMlM0QlMjdodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnZpZGVvcy5zcHJvdXR2aWRlby5jb20lMkZlbWJlZCUyRmEwOWNkOGI2MWUxNWVmYzIyOCUyRjk2ZWFlZjQ3MWE0ZjJiYzAlM0ZwbGF5ZXJUaGVtZSUzRGRhcmslMjZhbXAlM0JwbGF5ZXJDb2xvciUzRDAwMDAwMCUyNyUyMHdpZHRoJTNEJTI3NjMwJTI3JTIwaGVpZ2h0JTNEJTI3MzU0JTI3JTIwZnJhbWVib3JkZXIlM0QlMjcwJTI3JTIwYWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTNFJTNDJTJGaWZyYW1lJTNF[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=”centered” width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”10759″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Please note that the first three points in your one-page marketing plan are just as important if not more than the actual marketing strategies. They are making sure your business is positioned to attract the right people.
1. Your WHY
This is the most important piece when it comes to creating not just good but outstanding marketing, it will help you produce campaigns that are not only engaging but also memorable and sharable.
I‘m not talking about your vision or mission here, although they are also important. I‘m talking about the solutions people are coming to you for.
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” Simon Sinek
If you start talking about the WHY or the outcomes of working with your business rather than the WHAT or the features, your audience will engage and pay attention.
So think about what it is that you are really selling, it‘s usually not the most obvious answer.
A meditation teacher doesn‘t sell meditation courses, he sells having more focus, energy and clarity.
An accountant is selling piece of mind, saving you time and control over your finances. Nobody wakes up in the morning thinking ‘I can‘t wait to calculate my GST today.‘
Your turn! Crank up the music and write down your WHY before moving on to the next step.
2. Your WHO
One thing I love about being an entrepreneur is that you get to choose who you want to work with! You absolutely don‘t need to work with pain in the necks.
Think about your best customers or clients and let‘s go a bit deeper here. Most business owners stop at the demographics but to truly create extraordinary marketing, we need to dig a lot deeper and look into the psychographics.
Divide your page into two with a line straight down the middle. On the top left you write the words hopes and desires and on the top right fears and frustrations.
Now think about your favourite clients and write down everything that comes to mind in regards to their frustrations and desires. Make sure you go deep and also write down things they may never talk about.
For example: He is worried to look like a failure or she wants to be a role model for her children or he wants to impress his friends or she wants more sex.
This information will be incredibly valuable once you create your marketing campaigns.
Ok, turn that music up and put yourself in the shoes of your favourite client!
3. Your UNIQUENESS
In today‘s busy market blending in doesn‘t cut it anymore. You have to be unique to be seen.
Think about what differentiates you or your business from your competitors. Why are they choosing you?
Maybe you have an amazing satisfaction guarantee. Or maybe you provide the most incredible customer experience in the universe.
Also ask yourself ‘what are some of the frustrations people have in your industry?‘ and then see how you can overcome them in your business. For example customers may be frustrated about the long waits on the phone, so you make sure your phone communication is super quick and sleek.
Here are some examples.
- A hairdresser giving her clients a hand massage while they are getting their hair done.
- A dentist calling his clients a day after their visit to check in and make sure they are doing ok.
- A restaurant offering free wine tasting evenings.
Your turn! Crank the music and write down three things that make you unique! Remember they don‘t have to be big, the magic is in the details.
4. Your MARKETING STRATEGIES
Only once you‘ve worked on the first three parts of your one-page plan will you choose your marketing strategies. There is no point in selecting your marketing channels without truly understanding your core message, your client and your uniqueness. You need your business to be positioned to be attractive to your target market or else you are just wasting time, energy and money on marketing strategies that won‘t give you a great return.
I will talk a lot more about the best marketing strategies in the coming months but for now what I‘d like you to think about is to combine both online and offline strategies to create the perfect mix!
To discover how to attract more clients online, please click here
Well done! You did it! It wasn‘t that hard after all, was it?
Something that has worked exceptionally well in our own businesses is to review this clever one-page plan at the start of each quarter. This way we can ensure to stay on track and aligned with our overall goals throughout the year.
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