Small Business Marketing Toolkit
Susan PrinceJanuary 8, 2014
The Big Picture
Marketing creates the sales opportunity
Marketing is the act of attracting customers to your business.
Without customers, you have no business and without marketing you have no customers.
Sales Opportunity
Your Company
What do you do? What problem do you
solve?
The Customer
What do they need? Who has these
problems?
You’ve got
solutions
Customers have
problems
Successful marketing requires a strong foundation
4 Simple Steps:1. Know thyself - what problems do you solve
2. Understand your customers – who has these problems
3. Combine steps 1 and 2 to develop strong marketing tools
4.Choose the right tactics to create the sales opportunity
Four Steps to Marketing like a Pro
Know ThyselfUnderstand
who your Customers are
Build your marketing
toolkit
Get the word out
What do you really do?
Not as straight-forward as you think
More than what line of business you’re in
Not just a list of your products/services
Focus on What Your Customers are Thinking About
People are self-centered and mostly want to know “What’s in it for ME?”
Stop talking about what you do and instead show them how you’ll solve their problems
What Problem or Need does your Business Solve?
Examples:
You aren’t a financial advisor
You help people gain control over their
finances
You aren’t a graphic designer
You help people communicate what
their business does
Especially important for service businesses
Focus on What Sets You Apart
Highlight what makes your solution special
Why are you better/different from your competition?
Why would someone choose you?
Four Steps to Marketing like a Pro
Know ThyselfUnderstand
who your Customers are
Figure out what you want
to say
Get the word out
Who is Your Target Market?
The people who have the problems you solve Can be more than one group, but saying
“everyone” is not an acceptable answer. You must have at least one specific target
market
Define your Target MarketBe specific – each target market needs to be:
Measurable
Sizeable
Reachable
Understand each Segment
What are their problems? Do they know they have a problem? How do they make their decisions? What’s important to them? What’s the
primary motivation for buying this product/service?
Where do they go for information?
Four Steps to Marketing like a Pro
Know ThyselfUnderstand
who your Customers are
Build your marketing
toolkit
Get the word out
Building Blocks to a Better Toolkit
Branding and Messaging Essentials Checklist Mission/Vision Statement – where you’re going as a company Strategy – how you’re going to get there (who you are going to
go after and why) Positioning Statement – what makes you unique Brand Personality – Logo/Look and Feel/Tone Tagline Elevator Pitch Key Messages tailored by audience About Us Boilerplate Services/Product Description and Benefits Statements
Marketing Tools Must have:
Properly Optimized Website Business Cards Customer Database
As needed and as budget allows:Email Template
Product Catalog/Folder
Case Studies/Portfolio
Brochure
Media Kit
Video
PowerPoint Presentation
White Papers
Blog
Online Advertising
Print Advertising
Tradeshow Booth
Promotional Items
YouTube
Four Steps to Marketing like a Pro
Know ThyselfUnderstand
who your Customers are
Figure out what you want
to say
Get the word out
Before you start
Set some goals Concrete and measurable (either in dollars or number of
units sold) Will it be a stretch to reach? It should be. You need a timeframe to reach these goals
Create a Budget Plan to spend a percentage of sales on marketing Don’t be afraid to invest in marketing,
but continually evaluate and adjust
How to reach your customers – Use your tools There is no magic formula – you
have to know your customers and where they go for information
Try different things to see what works best
Track response rates
Referrals/Loyalty programs Internet Social Media Publicity (PR) Promotional Events Tradeshows Database marketing
Direct Mail Email
Other options: Networking opportunities Public speaking Writing/publishing
Advertising
Time vs. Money
Cost/Contact Time
Social Media Free High
Referrals Low Low
Web Presence Medium Medium
Database Marketing Medium Medium
Tradeshows High High
PR Low Medium
Promotional Events Medium Medium
Advertising High Low
Think about where you want to spend your time and money
Develop a Plan and Measure the Results Decide which tactics you’re going to use Make a commitment to market your business Everyone should be doing the following:
Social media Don’t have to do every platform, just what makes
sense for your business Touching their customers on at least a quarterly
basis (email, postcards, visits/phone calls) Continue to build your network
Review results every 6 months
Congratulations!
You just now know everything to market like a Pro!
These are all the components of a thorough marketing plan…
Follow-up
Feel free to contact me if you have more questions.
Susan Prince
President
Cadence Marketing
22 W. Jefferson St. #405
Rockville, MD 20850
www.cadencemarketing.com
301.340.2520
Follow me on Twitter @CadenceMarket
Like me on Facebook @Cadence Marketing