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Plan ahead, and be prepared. It will make a world of difference to your business, to your customers, and to your bottom line.
Peace of mind. That is what you will be rewarded with if you take the time each and every year to develop a comprehensive media and marketing plan for your business. It is a road map that you can rely on to help you stay the course, or to know when you need to change course.
I work with my clients on their media and marketing plans on a yearly basis. We usually meet every August to review the previous year’s plan, evaluate what worked, what could have been better, and were there any missed opportunities, or new ones that have emerged. Once we understand these core components, I start evaluating opportunities specific to each individual client’s goals for the upcoming year while compiling my beloved spreadsheet.
These detailed spreadsheets breakdown each area of opportunity, such as print media, social media, online partnerships, direct mail, broadcast, etc… Once we have an overview in place, then we start identifying potential partners and negotiating contracts with each individual company.
Negotiations can take several weeks of backing and forthing depending on the various negotiating points, so don’t rush this part. It’s worth the time to get it right. Once I have their final offers, I plug them into the spread sheet, then meet with my client to craft the perfect plan based on their resource allocations and specific goals.
This is a simplified view for purposes of this article. Media and marketing plans for small businesses generally cost between $1,500 and $3,000, depending on the amount of time spent researching and negotiating contracts. But these plans can save you many time more than that by eliminating what I call the “Shotgun approach to marketing”. Meaning that you just randomly select where to advertise based on whatever you’re feeling that day when the rep shows up on your door.
Knowing where and when to reach your customers cannot be undervalued. Plan ahead, and be prepared. It will make a world of difference to your business, to your customers, and to your bottom line.
