In the last post on minimalist marketing, which talks about staying focused, I suggested that having a marketing plan is the best strategy you can employ to simplify your marketing, and keep things simple. Problem is, most people (if they have a marketing plan) make their plans way to complicated...
I structure my marketing plans in a simple, seven-step process. I will list them here, and then go through them one by one to help you understand how this works...
1. Understand Your Market and Competition - Does the market want what I sell? Can I capture enough market share to break even? Is there too much competition for what I want to offer?
Understanding this is very important when determining your marketing strategy. That's why it is the first step. You are, in essence, answering the question of can my product even sell in my market.
If you don't know your market, then you will never be able to focus on what you do. You will waste time and money trying things without really ever knowing it it will work. You are throwing darts blindly into space...
2. Understand Your Customer - Who they are, what they want, what motivates them to buy, how do they buy?
Knowing the answers to these enables you to make finite decisions on how to help your customer take action.
I stipulate that this is constantly evolving, and worthy of permanent monitoring, but "guessing" on these questions means you are waste time and money. This complicates your business life.
3. Pick A Niche - If "everyone who sleeps on a bed" is your target market, you will fail.
This is critical in minimalist marketing...if you are aiming for too broad a target with your marketing dollars and effort, you will miss most of your shots and waste lots of time and money.
4. Develop Your Marketing Message - Your story...what you do, how you persuade someone to let you help solve a problem or fulfill a need...
This is critical in that you must keep this message SIMPLE. A complicated message is harder to tell. And less effective.
5. Determine Your Message Delivery Vehicles - Social media, television ads, direct mail, billboards, face-to-face networking?
This is a key juncture...it is where you can clutter your program and stifle it recklessly. Choose ONLY the mediums that effectively reach your niche targets. Nothing more, nothing less.
6. Determine Your Sales and Marketing Goals - How many sales needed to turn a profit? How many prospects needed to make enough sales?
Nine times out of ten, most small businesses I talk to never really figure out this number...
If you need to reach 1,000 prospects to make enough sales to turn a profit, don't waste time or money doing things that distract you from this goal. Your plan should be designed to do ONE THING: enable you to talk with 1,000 prospects. Nothing more, nothing less.
7. Understand Your Marketing Budget - Once you know your sales + marketing goals, you can figure out what it will cost...
What else do I need to say here? If you don't have the budget to reach your prospects, or spending more than you need to, then what is the point?
Work your plan. Focus on simplifying it so that your plan does it's job. Don't add layers of complexity that put undue stress on your business, complicate your life, and sets you up to fail.
Your plan is designed to keep things simple. What do you think?