2. What is a marketing plan?
• Roadmap
• How to introduce / deliver your
product or service to customers
• Aligned with your business or
strategic plan
• Helps move your
organization forward.
3. Why have one?
• Look internally and externally to
understand your company and markets
• Set future goal and provide direction
• Help achieve business goals
• Roadmap to keep you on track
• Shopping blindfolded
4. How do you create one?
• Does not have to be long
• Does not have to cost money to
create a plan
• Just needs to be effective
• Let’s be real … be simple
6. About my business
• Summarize your current
business situation…. Who,
what, where, when
• Sales, income
• Location, competition
7. My products/services
• What do you offer?
• What does it do for your
customers – benefits? How
does it make them feel?
• What makes you unique? --
Unique Selling Proposition
(USP).
8. Your USP
• USP outlines how your business/ product/ service
differs from your competition’s. It identifies what
makes you the better choice, and why your target
clients should choose you over the competition.
• Helps focus your marketing and can be an important
part of your brand
9. Effective USPs
• When it absolutely, positively has to be there
overnight.
• The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not your
hand.
• They’ll fight over it when you’re dead.
• The world’s strongest coffee.
10. What’s included in a USP
• What does your customer really want
• How can you solve their problem
• What motivates their buying decision
• Why choose you over the competition
… Create a USP for your organization
11. My business goals
• Strategic / business plan includes goals or
objectives for growing your business
• If not list 3-5 key goals for growing your
business over the next 12 months.
12. My business goals
• EXAMPLES:
• Increase online sales
• Launch a new service or product
• Increase market share in a specific area
• Be a thought leader in your industry
• Increase foot traffic
13. My target market
• KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER. You are not selling
to everyone.
• Who is your ideal customer? Define your specific
audience. What are their interests, hobbies, goals?
• Where can you find them?
• What do they value?
• What do they worry about? What are their pain
points? How can you help?
14. Customer (Buyer) Persona
• A customer persona is a fictional character
that represents a real segment of your
current and potential customer audience.
• Keeps your typical customer front and
center by giving it a personality … name,
age, location, interests, joys and pain
points.
• Personify your customer!
18. ICB Persona
Small Business Persona
• Their company averages around $3-5 million in sales and growing.
• While they are successful, they are still growing; they have no
CFO/Controller/top financial position, so Mark and Karen are the primary
decision makers when it comes to their finances.
• In their early 50s, the couple has a great knowledge of all areas of their
company. With 25-30 employees they feel it’s important to know all of them
and stay on top of what’s happening inside and outside their business and
industry.
• Their pain points include finding a qualified workforce in the current
economy of low unemployment, and succession planning. This is especially
top of mind as they age.
• They have certain expectations of their banker: They expect a quick
response, they want a high touch relationship, and they expect their banker
to be a trusted professional with the financial knowledge they need to help
them run their business.
• Mark and Karen like to travel, for both business and pleasure; often
combining the two. With children who are older (both in college) it is easier
for them to do this now
Mark and Karen are
small business owners
of a mature company
that has been in
business for 10+ years.
19. My budget
• How much money do you need to implement marketing
tactics to meet your goals?
• No hard and fast formula
• 6-12% of gross revenue a common calculation
• Varies by industry, market, how long in business
• Budget what feels right – what will help you achieve your
business goals
20. My marketing activities
• Remember your goals… your customers…
What marketing tactics will reach them and
help you achieve your goals?
• Assign marketing activities to each of your
business growth goals.
• In general… How can you reach
the right audience through the right
media, to achieve your goals?
21. My marketing calendar
• Take your marketing activities and plot them out for
the year.
• What promotions, advertising, media and other
strategies will you use?
• Break it down by month to align with special events,
sales cycles or evenly spread out.
• This is your working marketing
checklist for the year. No shiny
object syndrome.
