Are you planning a new website or other marketing materials, content or advertising? Do you plan to hire a graphic designer or writer to help? Then you’ll need a creative brief. Without it, you run the risk of disappointment – or worse, making expensive mistakes.
It’s planning season for many businesses. That’s why over seven weeks we’re posing seven questions you should ask yourself and your team that will inform your marketing planning for 2020.
This week we explore our seventh and final essential question: "What will you measure – and how?" Our recent posts covered setting business goals, defining audience, marketing goal-setting, strategy development, choosing tactics and determining a budget. It’s planning season for many businesses. That’s why over seven weeks we’re posing seven questions you should ask yourself and your team that will inform your marketing planning for 2020.
This week we explore our fifth vital question: "Which tactics will work – and why?" Our recent posts covered setting business goals, defining audience, marketing goal-setting and strategy development. Now that you have a handle on these, it's time to decide on your tactics – those specific activities on which you will spend actual time and money to reach your customers. It’s planning season for many businesses. That’s why over seven weeks we’re posing seven questions you should ask yourself and your team that will inform your marketing planning for 2020.
This week we explore the fourth of our 7 Essential Questions: "What strategies should you pursue?" Our recent posts covered business goals, audience development and goal-setting. Now that you have a handle on these, it's time to develop these into your marketing strategies. It’s planning season for many businesses. That’s why over seven weeks we’re posing seven questions you should ask yourself and your team that will inform your marketing planning for 2020.
This week we explore our third vital question: "What are your marketing goals?" Our recent posts covered business goals and audience. Now that you have a handle on these, it's time to develop this information into distinct marketing objectives. It’s planning season for many businesses. That’s why over seven weeks we’re posing seven questions you should ask yourself and your team that will inform your marketing plan for 2020. This week we explore our second vital question: "Who is your target audience?"
Defining your target audience will help you refine what it is your business offers the public: product, price, the kind of promotions you run and more. It can affect where you locate your business, how to split it between bricks-and-mortar and online efforts, and even give you a sense of its viability; put simply, are there enough customers out there interested in what you have to offer? Developing a target audience also will help you contain costs by making sure you’re focusing your efforts and resources on the right people. There are few things scarier for a small business owner than staring at a blank piece of paper or an empty computer screen wondering where to start on your marketing plan. Where do you begin? How do you decide what's a priority, or where to place your precious resources?
Not to worry. It’s our mission to demystify what can be confusing or daunting processes. Over the next seven weeks we’ll pose seven questions you should ask yourself and your team that will inform your marketing plan. Each is important in building a complete picture, so you know how to focus your energy, time and money when it comes to promoting your business. |
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I'm Tim Hart, owner, coach and trainer at LoveSmallBiz.com. I'm also owner of marketing communications firm Hart Communications. Archives
April 2020
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