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The Marketing Connection
April 2010

5 Simple Marketing Strategies

Marketing is a process that involves planning, establishing goals and implementing (often a series of) marketing strategies. Following are five simple marketing strategies that can be helpful in your marketing efforts:

1) Offer free classes or workshops related to your products or services - target specific audiences or events.

2) Join local business organizations and networking groups. Many groups are inexpensive to join and the marketing benefits can be substantial. Once others get to know you and what you do, they will mention you to others and send you referrals.

3) Create a blog and use it to build an audience of people who would be interested in your products or services. Write regularly about topics related to your business and you will start connecting with other bloggers, business people and potential clients.

4) Join and use social media. It is recommended that you use a variety of social media, but if you only have time for one, Facebook is my pick. Facebook has "Fan Pages" that are designed specifically for businesses. You can share information about your company, the products or services you offer, promotions, events, articles and even video.

5) Ask for referrals. Asking for referrals is the easiest and least time-consuming of all the marketing strategies and it's also one of the least used strategies.

It is essential to have a coordinated marketing plan that may include some of the strategies mentioned above. These marketing strategies are not going to draw customers overnight, but if you work at them consistently you will see an increase in customers and sales. If you have questions or would like more information about the development of marketing strategies please contact us.

90-Day Marketing Plan
As I work with companies I have noticed that re-visiting or developing a marketing plan ignites a new potential and excitement that may have been lost in the daily tasks and operation of the business.

While it's important to monitor your marketing and track how effective your marketing campaigns are - it is vital in this economy to be diligent and watch where you spend your marketing dollars. Rather than create a one-year or a five-year marketing plan, why not create a 90-day plan?

Why a 90-day plan?
•You can use it to clearly track progress in the short-term.
•You can use the data you gather over 90-days to create a baseline that can be used to track your long-term plan.
•It enables you to re-direct your plan if something is not working effectively.

•Using 90-day increments enables you to stay in touch with change and meet the market demands - without detouring from your long-term goals.
•Your long-term plan will not become irrelevant because your 90-day marketing plan will continue to drive your business goals.

Are you ready to get started on your 90-Day Marketing Plan? Then spend some time evaluating and answering the following questions:

1) What marketing campaigns have worked well for my business?

2) What marketing campaigns worked well, but could have been improved?

3) What marketing campaigns didn't work well at all?
4) The marketing campaigns that did well performed because:
5) The marketing campaigns that didn’t do well failed because:
6) In the next 90-days, I define my target market as:
7) Will I change the geography I target? Will I target a different income level or demographic? Will I target product-oriented users, service users or both?
8) What marketing vehicles will I use in the next 90-days and why?
9) I need to work on enhancing or revising my marketing message by:
10) In the next 90-days my marketing budget will include:

When you evaluate what has to happen in the next 90-days, you will have a clear picture of priorities, a realistic working plan and the results you will generate. Set your start date, your end date and what you will do in between. Evaluate weekly how your plan is working and make changes and adjustments as needed. If you have questions or would like more information about marketing plans please contact us.

Social Media Marketing Mistakes

Social media marketing is about interaction, creating relationships and creating opportunities to share your products or services. This doesn't happen overnight and it takes time, consistency, and a genuine interest and nurturing of those relationships.

There is not a standard list of do’s and don’ts when it comes to social media marketing, but there is one thing that is constant - no matter what industry you are in, do it badly and you will destroy your reputation. Following are some Social media mistakes to avoid:

1.It's not all about you, interact. Get to know others; don't just try to sell and promote your products or services.

2.Spamming is not ok, ever. It's true that spamming is becoming a problem in the social media networks - and we are being required to weed through it. Creating opt-in lists is appropriate.

3.Inconsistency will lead to failure. You must be consistent when it comes to using social media. Participating once a month or once a week won't get the results you desire.

4.Don't be a social media snob. Social media marketing is about being social; be willing to learn from others, and this isn't just about others in your industry.

5.Want followers? You will have to be a follower. You cannot sign up and start off in social media thinking everyone is going to follow you - you must also be a follower. Social media marketing isn't about flying solo – you must participate.

It's important to realize that social media marketing does work, but there are core pieces of the strategy you must implement. It’s a low to no-cost marketing option, but you will need to invest some time or outsource your social media marketing efforts. For more information about social media marketing please contact us.

Thank you for reading this edition of The Marketing Connection. I appreciate the feedback I receive every month and I am more than happy to address any topics of interest you may have in upcoming issues. Please send your comments or article requests to najat@colamg.com.

Sincerely,