Marketing Check-Up
You may think you do not have the time to do a check-up of your marketing, but a little time now can pay big dividends in the future.
Here are some things you will want to consider.
Update your marketing plan. Are you following the plan and getting the results you expected? If not, make adjustments. And if you do not have a marketing plan, this is a good time to make one. What will you do to attract customers over the coming months and years? What will your marketing budget look like, and how will it be allocated? Decide what marketing activities you will engage in and how much time and money you will invest in each.
Give your marketing materials a facelift. Have you been using the same business cards and brochures for several years? It might be time for a new look. Ask your graphic designer about updating the look with different paper stock, colors, fonts, graphics, etc. Get a logo designed, or modernize your logo if it is out of date.
While you are at it, make sure that your cards, brochures and other materials are current. Have you changed your telephone number, email address or location (or added a second location)? Are there new ways customers can reach you, such as a cell phone number or instant messaging ID? Do you offer a new service? Have you obtained a certification or professional designation, or won an award?
Does your marketing copy work as well as it should? Determine what percentage of prospects currently convert. Typical conversion rates (people who buy after getting your sales letter or viewing your web site, for example) can be .5% to 2% or so. Increasing your conversion rate from 1% to 2% means that your sales will double. Write a new headline, change the length of the copy, add testimonials or make other revisions and see which ones get better results. Make one change at a time and test after each change so you know what made the difference. For the best results, hire a professional copywriter. You will probably recoup the cost quickly by making more (or larger) sales.
Add content to your web site. The search engines love to see fresh content, so add some articles or other new pages to your site. This content can be written especially for your site, or you can repurpose things you have already written, such as articles for trade publications and client newsletters, or handouts from speeches and presentations. Start a blog, then commit to posting at least once weekly.
How do you keep in touch with prospects and customers? Start capturing email addresses and get permission to send email newsletters or updates to people who visited your web site, or those who asked to be added to your list when they met you at a networking event or had other personal contact with you. The service I recommend to manage your list is at http://www.MailYourCustomers.com/.
Your marketing check-up will prepare you for a prosperous future!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
