This post relates to a mailer sent to ModComms contacts. It outlines a few points for consideration when devising a marketing strategy. 
What’s the current situation?
- What is working for you right now?
- Who are your best clients in the target space? - The one’s you’d like to replicate?
- How do they see your services / understand your value?
What are your goals and targets?
- What (exactly) is the desired result? Is it clear, single minded, worthwhile? Perhaps brand awareness, whitepaper downloads, or inbound (new) prospect contact?
- What is the goal worth? Can you measure projected profit, or turnover, and by when?
- What are the consequences of going for it? Both positive and negative!
Who are your target audience(s)?
- Who are they? Think end users, influencers, decision makers?
- What do they currently think (if you know at all) about your competitors or substitutes?
- What do you want them to think and do? Raise hands as interested, buy something small, build a relationship?
- Where do they congregate? On and Offline.
What’s the story?
- How will you segment products and services according to ‘audience’? Can you make any or all of the following: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional - And should you? - Perhaps different values according to market?
- What’s the ‘big thing’? - The 10 second sell or ‘elevator pitch’? Can it be tested (at a trade show perhaps)?
- What’s the benefit of the story/big thing? Is it actually of REAL benefit to your customer?
Communication?
- Know yourself! Tone of voice in all content (on and offline) must be consistent. Be consistent through all collaterals and front facing personnel.
- How should you reach your audience? Methods and mediums.
- How will your prospects find you? Channels/methods.
- How much communication is required? Money, time, repetition?
- What can you give away that proves value and builds trust? Education, samples, tools, whitepapers?
- What can partners / affiliates sell of yours for a cut?
Control and measurement?
- What resources are truly needed? Time, budget, skills?
- How do you measure progress / success? Establish tangible and intangible metrics upfront!
- Put in place a plan to measure, monitor, review, update and modify things according to need.
- What’s next? Make a plan and act on it!
Are there logistical issues to consider if developing a new market?
- Are there any issues when dealing with overseas currencies?
- What channels / partners could you use to deliver your product / service?
- How do you handle delivering the service / product once a sale is made?
- Any legal ramifications about your products / services in your intended markets?
The above points aren’t definitive, but represent a good checklist when creating a marketing plan. In marketing, there’s no ‘silver bullet’. Success comes from how your activities link together!