No matter what type of marketing initiative you are undertaking, whether it's a direct mailing piece, email marketing program, social media campaign, mobile text messaging program, or print media campaign, there are a set of questions you must always ask yourself. These questions help you focus on the main objectives and outcomes you hope to achieve.
Questions to ask yourself, regardless of the Marketing Initiative:
1) What is the purpose? Why am I undertaking this marketing initiative?
Are you trying to drive traffic to your website or retail store front, are you list building for social media, email or text message marketing? Clearly define your number one reason for this specific marketing initiative and design your entire campaign around that purpose.
2) What is the main message I am trying to convey?
What are you attempting to entrench in the minds of your audience? When they hear or view your message, what is it that you want them to visualize in their `minds eye`, what is it that you want them to remember?
3) Who am I trying to reach? Why am I reaching out to them? What action(s) do I want them to take?
Your marketing should always be targeted at a specific audience and the goal is to motivate them into action to do something that engages them with your business. Are you making a special offer, giving something away for free, hosting a workshop? running a contest, holding a sale?
4) How am I going to reach these people? Where will I put the message so it is highly visible to them? Where are they collecting and gathering, and are these the spaces I want to present the message in?
If you have a specific audience in mind, you want to make sure you are putting your messages in the spaces where your ideal client types `hang out`, whether that’s on social networks, reading certain print publications, listening to certain radio stations, reading certain blogs and e-zines. Where do your ideal clients flock to, where are they collecting and gathering in large numbers, and how to you best present your message in these spaces.
5) What action(s) do I want the audience to take, so it brings them one step closer to doing business with me? Do you want them to visit your website to download a white paper, sign up to your e-zine, call a specific number, opt-in to a mobile text message contest, sign up for a workshop or event, booked reservations, request information, etc. There always must be a meaningful call to action that you can track and measure, and ultimately it should be something that helps you to grow your contact lists for ongoing permission based marketing programs, whether that is email, social media, direct mail or mobile text message marketing programs
6) How will people reach out to me? Am I easily accessible?
If the readers and viewers are so drawn to your message that they are ready to make a commitment to do business with you, whether it’s a consumer or business, how easily accessible are you. Did you leave your contact details readily available so they can engage and do business with you? Are you making yourself accessible 24/7? What happens when they attempt to reach you outside of typical 8-5 business hours, can they still move one step forward towards your business or are they dependant on you being open in a traditional business hour working model? Many are overlooking that the bulk of internet savvy consumers and business operators are accessing the online world first thing in the morning before most companies are even open, and late in the evening when most companies are closed. Is your company set up to accommodate these savvy shoppers and business people? If not, it should be because you are likely loosing business to your competitors
ABOUT SWEET SPOT MARKETING:
We are a new media marketing training and education company that lives by the motto "It is better to know than to think you know, there is power in knowledge".
We have a host of education programs in the areas of digital technology, new and social media, marketing automation, creativity, commercial innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. We also work with companies who are looking to engage with their audiences in real time, through mobile text message marketing, social media marketing and online internet marketing.
To learn more about how we can help grow your business, we invite you to
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Author: Nancy Beth Guptill
Founder of Sweet Spot Marketing Canada
Marketing & Social Media Training Consultant
Web: SweetSpotMarketing.ca
Twitter: @SweetMarketing
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SweetMarketing
