| Step 1: Where Am I Now?
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| | campaigns. On-line promotional
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| | opportunities are more abundant than
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| Before you decide where you want your
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| | ever, so consider designing a Web site or
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| marketing plan to take you,you need to
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| | uploading information into a news group
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| find out where you are now. How have you
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| | or special interest forum.
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| positioned your business in the market?
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| How do your customers see you? You may
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| | Write out each strategy, and beneath it,
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| want to ask some of them for feedback.
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| | list key messages and tactics. Here's a
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| Write four or five paragraphs that
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| | sample:
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| summarize your business. Be sure to
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| |
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| include philosophy, strengths and
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| | Strategy: Position myself as the market
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| weaknesses.
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| | leader in lease purchasing in my
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| | community.
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| Step 2: Setting the Goal(s)
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| | Key messages: DeFiore Enterprises is a
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| Once you decide where you are, you can
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| | reputable, trust-worthy name in lease
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| decide where you want to go. What you're
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| | purchasing your home.
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| trying to accomplish? Do you want to
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| increase sales? Change the perception of
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| | Tactics: Approach local community
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| your business among target audiences?
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| | colleges about teaching a home-buying
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| Generate more store traffic? Enter a new
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| | class using the niche of lease
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| market where you may not have much
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| | purchasing.
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| experience?
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| | Propose a feature story to a local paper
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| After you have answered each of these
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| | about "10 Things to Look for When Buying
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| questions or any others you come up with,
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| | a Home," with you as the expert to be
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| you want to make an outline for each of
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| | quoted. Create a brochure entitled
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| your goals, and be specific. While you
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| | "Secrets of Buying a Home With The Lease
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| should be optimistic, you will also need
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| | Purchase Advantage." Offer it free to
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| to be realistic. You need to be realistic
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| | people who call.
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| in what you expect your marketing plan to
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| do. Also, while it's fine to have
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| | Issue a press release about the free
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| multiple goals, be sure to prioritize
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| | brochure to local media. Send
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| them so you can create a realistic plan
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| | informational brochures to real estate
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| to achieve them.
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| | agents and mortgage brokers who refer
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| | home buyers to you. For each step you
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| Step 3: Getting To Your Target Audience
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| | plan, keep asking yourself, "Why should I
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|
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| | do this?"
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| Who are your target audiences? If you say
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| "everyone," you need to rethink your
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| | Don't decide to do big, splashy
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| answer. Even the largest companies don't
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| | promotions if you really can't afford
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| market blindly to every individual. They
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| | them. Smaller, more frequent
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| break their audiences down into distinct
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| | communications are much more effective if
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| profiles, or niche markets, and create
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| | your budget is limited. Don't forget to
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| messages and vehicles designed to reach
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| | send communications to your networking
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| each segment.
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| | partners.
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|
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| Define your niche markets as clearly and
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| | Finally, be sure the promotions you've
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| specifically as possible. If you're
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| | selected project the right image. If your
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| reaching out to businesses, describe
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| | audience is conservative, don't stage an
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| which type, including the industry,
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| | outrageous promotion. Similarly, if you
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| revenue level, location and other
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| | need to project a cutting-edge image,
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| important characteristics. If consumers
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| | make sure your efforts are sophisticated.
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| are your audience, describe their age,
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| | Also, be sure you have made friends with
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| sex, income level, marital status and
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| | the media. Update your press package to
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| other relevant facts. If you identify
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| | reflect changes you have made.
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| several market segments, rank them in
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| order of priority.
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| | Step 6: The Importance of Budgeting Your
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| | Resources
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| Step 4: Research and It's Role In Your
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| Plan
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| | Home business owners believe marketing is
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| | an optional expense. This is one of the
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| Now that you've outlined where you are
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| | most tragic myths in business. Marketing
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| and where you want to go, it's time to
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| | expenses should be given priority,
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| determine the best way to get there.
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| | especially in times of slow cash flow.
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|
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| | After all, how are you going to attract
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| Nothing will get you where you want to go
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| | more business during the slow times if
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| faster than research. Information about
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| | you don't tell customers about your
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| your target audiences is available from a
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| | business? Take a realistic look at how
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| variety of resources, many of them free.
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| | much money you have to spend on
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|
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| | marketing. While you shouldn't overextend
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| So be sure to take some time to find out
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| | yourself, it's critical that you allot
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| about the demographics (physical
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| | adequate funds to reach your markets. If
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| characteristics) and psychographics
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| | you find that you don't have the budget
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| (psychological characteristics) of your
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| | to tackle all your markets, try to reach
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| target markets. Demographics outline such
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| | them one by one, in order of priority.
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| factors as age, geographic location and
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| |
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| income level. Psychographics offer
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| | For each of your tactics, break down each
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| insight into trends, buying habits,
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| | expense and outline the estimated cost of
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| market segments and the like. American
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| | each. For example, a brochure includes
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| Demographics magazine has a Web site (
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| | writing, photography, graphic design,
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| that offers access to articles about
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| | film, printing and delivery. From there,
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| various consumer and business market
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| | you can beef up or pare down your plan,
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| segments.
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| | depending on your financial situation.
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|
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| Trade associations and publications are
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| | Step 7: The Importance of Timing In Your
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| often great places to start your
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| | Projects
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| research, especially if you're reaching
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| |
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| out to businesses. Use your own and your
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| | Now that you've broken down the steps
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| target industries' trade resources for
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| | involved in each activity, be sure you
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| market information. Many associations
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| | set aside the time to accomplish the
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| have Web sites, and many publications are
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| | steps for each project and set a deadline
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| also available on the Net. For
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| | for each project. Again, make sure you're
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| information about consumer audiences in
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| | not overextending yourself, or you may
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| your region, try your state or county's
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| | get burned out. It's better to start with
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| department of economic development. In
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| | smaller, more consistent efforts than an
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| addition, the SBA offers limited help
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| | overly ambitious program you'll never
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| with market research.
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| | complete.
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| Once you've gathered this information,
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| | Step 8: On Your Mark Get Ready, Set, and
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| write a detailed profile of your audience
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| | Now Go For It!
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| segments. Include all the demographic and
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| psychographic information you've
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| | With the above steps you now have in your
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| gathered. For instance, if you're selling
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| | hands the most effective "to do" list
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| a product to homeowners in Smithville,
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| | you'll ever write. You have prepared a
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| USA, find out what percentage of people
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| | document that can help you reach your
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| own homes in Smithville. What is the
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| | market segments from a position of
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| average household income? Do most
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| | knowledge and expertise instead of from
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| homeowners have children? The more
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| | shoot-from-the-hip hunches.
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| specific your profiles are, the better.
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|
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| | Now you need to use your marketing plan.
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| Step 5: Planning the Action
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| | Make it a part of your "to do list" every
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|
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| | day. Will it grow and change? Sure will.
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| This is the crux of your plan. For each
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| | Also, as your business reaps the benefits
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| goal you've outlined, create a strategy,
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| | of your initial strategies, you may want
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| complete with your key messages and steps
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| | to increase the scope of your marketing.
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| that will help you accomplish the goal.
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| | If you find something is not working,
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| Don't forget that you have many tools at
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| | change it.
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| your disposal.
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| |
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|
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| | Remember, consistency and continuity,
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| As you examine each of your goals,
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| | delivered with a dash of creativity, give
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| conduct a mini-brainstorming session.
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| | you the formula for successful marketing.
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| Consider the best ways to get your
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| |
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| message out. You may decide to use
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| newspaper, radio, TV, magazine or outdoor
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| | Copyright 2004 DeFiore
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| advertising;direct marketing programs,
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| | EnterprisesInterested in having your own
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| including postcards, sales letters,
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| | successful, home based creative real
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| fliers, business reply cards, newsletters
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| | estate investing business? Chuck and Sue
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| or toll-free response numbers; or public
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| | have been helping folks start successful
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| relations elements such as publicity,
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| | home based businesses for over 19 years,
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| events, speaking engagements,
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| | and we can help you too! To see how,
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| sponsorships and opinion polls. Perhaps
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| | visit for the latest FREE tips and
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| you can accomplish your objectives and
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| | tricks, educational products and coaching
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| cut costs by teaming up with related,
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| | in creative real estate investing and
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| non-competing businesses for in-store
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| | home based businesses. No time to visit
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| promotions or cross-promotional
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| | the site?
|
