The 6 Step Marketing Campaign

Solopreneurs and Entrepreneurs are urged to periodically launch marketing campaigns designed to promote the products and services sold and the brand. The purpose of marketing is to drive sales and generate revenues and profits, the life -blood of every business. In support of that suggestion, presented here is a review of the core components of a successful marketing campaign.

Step 1: Identify your target audience

Understand who you want your campaign to reach and influence. List the industry categories (e.g., for-profit, not-for-profit, social services, IT, hospitals, banking, etc.) and the job titles of your most frequent clients and most promising prospective clients. Members of the target market groups must have the motive and money to use your products or services.

Step 2: Know the competition

As you create your primary and secondary marketing campaign messages, keep your direct competitors in mind. The marketing message should promote the expertise, experience, judgement and attributes that make you superior to others with whom clients and prospects might do business. Your message should be designed to overcome current or potential objections to you and persuade those with motive and money to choose you, because hiring you will make them look good.

Step 3: Identify the primary and secondary marketing messages

What do you need to make known to current and potential clients that will help them to develop the trust and confidence required to do business with you? Refer to your knowledge of your target market groups and the competition, remembering also to reference client priorities and concerns and their objectives when using your products or services.

In the marketing messages, find ways to enhance your brand, that is, your reputation. Clients do business with those they know and like; they do even more business with those they trust and respect. Building up your image, or (tactfully) bragging about your already noteworthy brand will become the central elements of your marketing message.

Step 4: Select the media platforms

Decide which media platforms you will use to reach current and prospective clients. Marketing campaigns are most effective when they utilise more than one platform to broadcast the message to target markets. Comprehensive marketing campaigns will include a mix of online and print media platforms that feature text, visual and audio options, based on what the target audiences follow and trust.

Sponsorship of local charity events is yet another potentially effective marketing platform. When charity event sponsorships are part of your campaign, send a press release to local media outlets to request inclusion in additional media platforms. Newspaper items or radio announcements are always trusted more than paid advertisements, because news items are perceived as unbiased.

There is also an indirect and ongoing brand promotion campaign that marketing specialists are advised to conduct. Providers of B2B services are recommended to periodically schedule appearances as a host or visiting expert on webinars; serve as a panellist or moderator in programs that address topics the target audience will find relevant; speak at conferences the target audience would attend; or teach related courses or workshops as a way to enhance the value of the intangible resources that you sell, meaning, your expertise and judgement.

Step 5: Create a budget

Once you have your version of the ideal marketing plan in draft form, calculate its expected costs and the roll-out timeline. Make sure that the campaign ROI makes sense for your marketing goals. Align your marketing efforts to projected gross sales and don't squander resources on fruitless initiatives.

Step 6: Track the campaign performance

Establishing goals and objectives for your marketing campaign are worthwhile activities. The process will guide you toward making decisions that positively impact the campaign design and furthermore, will help you understand what kind of influence you can wield through marketing activities. Decide what you want your marketing campaign to achieve and confirm the metrics that will measure and acknowledge its success or shortcomings.

By Kim L. Clark - Article Source: EzineArticles.com/9698376