Marketing begins with R

As part of your overall Business Plan, your Marketing Plan is crucial to your business success. Thorough Research will reap benefits if the information is used wisely.

Here are some simple steps to take to produce some focussed objectives for your marketing:

Research – your market, your competitors, the economic climate, any factors that could affect your business, and ensure you use a combination of primary and secondary research methods.  Don’t just rely on existing information, carry out some of your own specific research on your target market.

Identify – who are your target markets? Do any of them have any common characteristics?  Can you group them into segments?

Prioritise – which ones are easiest to reach?  Most likely to work with you initially?  Which ones may be more of a long haul?  Prioritise into short, medium and long term markets

Message – prepare your message – are you talking their language?  Are you putting your message out there where your target audience will see it?  Will it inspire? Encourage? Engage? Think about it from THEIR point of view

Results – What are the outcomes of your work – has your message worked?  If yes – why?  If not, why not?  What can you do?  Evaluate and then return to your Research

LinkedIn article written by Marie Stephenson.