So you want to start your own business?
The Marketing Recipe
Sometimes it is overwhelming when you start in business to juggle all the different marketing activities that you need to be doing. We like to think of it as a simple recipe,
Ingredients: Brochures, website, mail shots, product launches, networking, adverts, press releases media/charity events, newsletters, seminar days, managing your database, sales drives, blogging, web links, linked-in, twitter or facebook fan pages.
1. Write down your business goals, looking at short, medium and long term goals.
2. Refine your offer, do more off what you do best and what brings you a good profit.
3. Pick the right mix of ingredients to suit your business
4. Create a ‘Top 10’ of potential customers to aim for
Preparation: Sort a very basic plan with scheduled monthly tasks
Time: Have you spent enough time on your tasks, are you procrastinating or spending too much time on unnecessary tasks?
Measurability: Set up a way to measure your success against your goals
Regularly refer to this recipe and review your marketing mix, get a date in your diary to do it quarterly. It is useful to have a colleague that you do this with or pay someone, with a relevant background to draw it up. Sometimes you need to bring in an expert.
Marketing is an investment not only in cash but also in your time you need to spend your time well. If you print 10,000 brochures do you have a plan to distribute them over the next six months before they become obsolete?
Activity brings results so set your priorities and get going…
This article originally appeared in the Network She Magazine Spring/Summer 2010
The latest Network She Magazine Issue 5 is out now
Q Marketing & PR Ltd is here ti assist new business starts.
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