I have to confess: I’m a hypocrite. In the past, I have harped on having a marketing plan, but all too often I have let my own slip by and not get updated. For 2010, with all the changes and laser focus I’ve had that you’ve witnessed in my Branding Friday segment, I knew I had to get an updated plan.

First, I broke down my business into categories that make me money (or will soon):

• Consulting
• Marketing EggSchool

Then I listed those things I do that don’t directly make me money:

• Blogging
• Speaking

I took speaking off the table for now, because I would like to do it to make money, but at this point I need to focus on the things that are a bit easier. I don’t want to have too many areas to focus on or I will certainly lose focus.

Under each category, I described my plan. How will I market my consulting practice? My ecourses? I need a separate and very different plan for each. This year I will be writing more whitepapers (see Connecting Brands with Bloggers as my first one), attending the right conferences and continue to build Susan Payton as The Marketing Eggspert.

I’ll do a better job of measuring my efforts and dropping what isn’t working. I will check in quarterly and update my plan as it evolves. Will you do the same? Let’s hold one another accountable this year and make sure we stay on target.

For instance, here’s the list of activities they generated for my marketing & PR firm:

Whenever I have time, I just log in and complete a few of the tasks. They’re things I wouldn’t normally know about, so I like LotusJump’s ability to scour the internet on my behalf. Not all the tasks are appropriate, but they’re easy to delete.

They have a reporting system but it just shows how many tasks you’ve completed in each category. I believe they’re working to add Google Analytics to the accounts, which would help show which tasks actually generated traffic to my site.

This service is great for your website, blog, or both. Prices start at $24 a month, which sure beats those awful companies that guarantee top search engine placement (something no one can guarantee!)!

Step 1: Make a list

Make a list of all the attributes of your ideal client. Make her/him into a character, if that helps. If it’s important to understanding your target, describe the kind of clothes she wears, what she enjoys doing, what she eats, where she lives. Also how old she is and how much money she makes are key. If you sell high end jewelry, you are probably not selling to broke college kids.

Step 2: Look at where she shops

Now that you have the first list, make another list of where that person would shop. Banana Republic or Wal-Mart? Macy’s or Target? This can give you an idea of how your audience makes its shopping decisions. A Wal-Mart shopper is probably swayed more by price than brand loyalty, while Banana Republic shoppers are likely to stay loyal to the brand.

I know it may be difficult to come up with some of this information, but don’t be afraid to generalize or assume, if you have nothing in the way of research.

Step 3: Do some research

Visit Google Ad Planner to get statistics to help you if you’re looking to promote online (and of course you are!). I’ve written about this resource before, so go back and study it. It will help you search for the websites that your demographic (based on age, income, education, and/or geography) visit the most. This can help you decide what websites you need to have a presence on.

It’s important to know how your target audience likes to be marketed to. If the results show up that your demographic is heavily into Facebook, then it’s a no brainer that you need to be on there. It doesn’t matter if you’re not into Facebook: if you want to sell, you have to speak your customers’ language.

You can also research those companies you listed in step 2 and see what their websites and ad campaigns look like. If they’re motivated by sales, that needs to be part of your marketing strategy. If they are brand oriented, you need to work on building your brand so that customers become evangelists.

Need help figuring out your target audience? Let’s brainstorm together.

Have you visited the websites of these competitors? Do you know what they’re doing in terms of marketing? If not, you just might be giving away more market share to them than you realize.

By keeping tabs on the competitor, you know what they’re doing and can get ideas about where you should go as well. Are they posting videos? Then you need videos and podcasts. Are they participating in local trade shows? Then you need to be there plus speak at the events.

It’s important to try to stay one step ahead of the game. And look for opportunities your competitors aren’t seeing, like:

• Social media (you might be the first roofer in your area on Twitter)
• Blog outreach (get bloggers to know and love you before your competitor does)
• SEO (surprisingly, many small companies don’t grasp the importance)

What will my ROI be with this plan?

It’s frustrating, because some things are difficult to measure. Like my being on Twitter all day. I can’t give you an ROI because the goal is to establish myself in social media as someone who knows what she’s talking about. I get numerous interviews out of it, but ROI? Well, that’s tricky.

Marketers and clients or bosses look at things differently.

Marketers want to build your brand. Let people know it’s out there. Create a buzz. They do marketing.

Clients want sales. Today. Right now if possible. They want promotions.

Promotions do not equal marketing. Let me repeat: they’re different.

And understandably, they want to justify shelling out money on marketing. I get that. But I have to beg and plead for even three months to let Egg build the brand enough to let something happen. Social media and marketing in general is not an overnight success.

David Meerman Scott, in his newest book (I’m working on finishing it to do a bigger review) World Wide Rave, does a pretty darn good job of explaining why leads are not what you should be looking for in creating a world wide rave:

To create a World Wide Rave, forget about sales leads and ignore mainstream media. Instead, focus on spreading your ideas. Make your information totally free, with no registration required.

Here are some questions to ask that can help you measure a World Wide Rave:

1. How many people are exposed to your ideas?

2. How many people are downloading your stuff?

3. How often are bloggers writing about you and your ideas?

4. (And what are those bloggers saying?)

5. Where are you appearing in search results for important phrases?

6. How many people are engaging with you and are making the choice to speak to you about your offerings?

What do you think? Is it possible to get clients and bosses to shift their understanding of ROI in favor of social media and new marketing efforts?

I don't think so.

Clearly, those places aren’t ideal for an internet marketing firm. Not to say they’re not right for your business, but they’re not where my audience (business owners who at least appreciate online marketing) go to get their messages.

So I ask you this: what channels are you using right now to market your products? Are they all appropriate for your target audience? Could you stand to change a few methods to better reach them and to keep up with all the amazing tools that Marketing 2.0 has to offer?

I want to use Old Navy’s SuperModelquins as an example.

I first saw this new campaign on Facebook. There was a short, amusing video with these vivacious mannequins (if mannequins can be vivacious) talking about how Old Navy jeans made their butts look good. I enjoyed it. (This isn’t that video, but it’s a great “expose” on the story of the SuperModelquins)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBQ49O-6eF8[/youtube]

Then I saw a commercial on television.

Then I got this direct mail piece.

I liked the way the message was consistent. It was clear how these mannequins were being used to sell me Old Navy products. I responded well (and that coupon will not be on my desk much longer. Shopping time!)

So my question to you is: are your marketing campaigns consistent? Do you take a concept and apply it to all the ways you reach people? If not, you could be wasting valuable marketing dollars and time.

• Identify all the ways you reach your audience: website, blog, email, Facebook, Twitter, press releases, videos
• Create a plan that uses all of these elements to spread your message
• Voila! Instant cohesiveness. Good job.

I know at the start of the year, we’re all eager to make new plans and promise to stick to them. You probably sat down and drew out a fantastic marketing plan, didn’t you?

Where exactly is that plan right now? Probably filed away or hiding under a pile of paperwork. Am I right?

So get it out. Make a commitment to look at it at least once a quarter. Plans change. Technologies change. You’ll be adding tools to your marketing arsenal year ’round, so make sure to go back and update your plan with these addendums.

But first read this post I did this time last year about staying on track with your marketing plan. It’ll do ya good.

So, I’m thinking, if this guy thinks I’m a millennial, and markets to me as if I were one, he’s in for trouble. Not to get into semantics, but I classify myself as Generation X (it’s funny; both generations identified teens as apathetic; it’s just that my generation grew out of it). Where Millennials prefer text message marketing and Facebook applications, Generation X reacts better to direct mail and coupons.

And then what about Boomers and seniors? They’re not as connected online, so strategies outside of internet marketing have to be included.

As you can see, every generation (not to mention every person) has its own preferred method of being marketed to. Don’t waste your time trying to lump everyone into one strategy to reach your own goals!

1. Affiliate Marketing. As per Wendy’s definition, this is when you “Promote other company’s products and services on your website. When a sale is made, you get a commission.“

• Marketing Tip: Social networking. Make a name for yourself in your niche (and yes, have a niche as far as the products you sell as an affiliate), and establish yourself as an expert via Facebook, Twitter, etc. Link to your affiliate sites there without being obtrusive.
  • Also establish a strong contact list of people who will regularly buy from you. Develop an email campaign that will provide useful resources in addition to your affiliate products.

2. Blogging. You’re reading this blog, so I’m going to assume you know what a blog is. You should write at least 3 times a week (although Technorati says 10 times a day brings great success. I’ll just trust them on that)

• Marketing Tip: I suggest a diverse approach:
  • Link to blog on your primary website, if you have one.
  • Create social networking accounts (see above). The key is developing conversations that will make people want to visit your blog to get more of your awesome advice.
  • Add link in your emails (in signature, in newsletters).
  • Add link on your business card.
  • Talk to people about your blog.
  • Get listed on blog networks.
  • Comment on other related blogs; include link in signature.

3. Ebay and Auction Selling. Wendy says this is, “Selling or reselling products via an online marketplace like Ebay, Amazon Auctions, or Craigslist. You can sell used goods, buy goods wholesale, or use a drop-shipping service.”

• Marketing Tip: Within a given auction, link to your other products to increase sales amounts.
  • Include link to auctions in email signature.
  • Participate in forums and blog comments in industry you’re selling items for. Include link.
  • Develop contacts and send email notices when new products are selling.
  • Consider Google AdWords or other internet advertising to drive traffic to your auction.

4. Ecommerce. The difference between ecommerce and auctions is that you’re selling products on your website and getting all the money rather than sharing it.

• Marketing Tip: I suggest a lot of the tips from the Ebay one as well as:
  • SEO. Make sure your site has descriptions and keywords behind the scenes and in the copy that will help search engines direct people there.
  • Get listed. Find directories for your product and get your link there.
  • Talk to bloggers. Ask for product or website reviews from bloggers in your industry. When they link to you, traffic will follow.

5. Arts and Crafts. I wish I had skills in this department…

• Marketing Tip: Take photos of your handiwork and post on Flickr. Then network with other users, just like you would on Facebook. Make sure to include a link to your website where people can buy.

• • Ask bloggers to review the products or give them away in a contest.
  • Develop a blog to keep people that are interested in your crafts engaged. Link to selling site.

6. Internet Research. What? They pay for this? I do this for free every day!

• Marketing Tip: list your services on Craigslist with an introductory price. Once the client is hooked, raise your rates!
  • Bid on jobs on Guru and Elance.
  • Get contacts at local law offices, etc. and call them offering your services.
  • Offer monthly specials via email to contacts with discounts on stuff you’ve already researched (if you’ve already developed a database of Florida lawyers, sell this over and over to whoever wants it for cheap!)

7. Freelance Services. Wendy says, “Providing professional services such as copywriting, design, photography, illustration, and programming usually billed on an hourly rate.”

• Marketing Tip: first read Freelance Parent for great advice.
  • Become a Guru Vendor to increase jobs you’re awarded.
  • Post services on Craigslist in multiple cities.
  • Network locally and spread the word.
  • Develop AdWords ad for services.

8. Recruiting. It’s hard to stand out as a recruiter. It’s really all about relationships.

• Marketing Tip: network online and locally. Develop relationships with people. Take them to lunch. Show your worth.
  • Write a blog or articles that show you as an expert. Include case studies of your successes.

9. Consulting. This is what I do, so I have a lot to say.

• Marketing Tip: this, too, is about relationships. People hire my marketing firm because I’m the person they know in marketing.
  • Build those relationships in Facebook, Twitter, and local networking organizations.
  • Establish yourself as the expert (or in my case the Eggspert) everywhere.
  • Write books or ebooks.
  • Start a blog or write articles for online.
  • Get in the news.
  • Make sure you show up in search engine results.
  • Create an email campaign to stay in touch.
  • Ask for referrals from clients.
  • Attend conferences.

10. Virtual Assistant. Again, build relationships.

• Marketing Tip: Post services on Craigslist.
  • Join VA associations. Affiliate with the well-known ones.
  • Educate people who don’t know the benefits of a VA.
  • Write a blog.
  • Post ad in local paper or on bulletin board announcing your services.
  • Post ad on AdWords.

Whew! What a list! And this is by no means exhaustive. Just a few tips to get you started. Want more ideas? Email me at susan at eggmarketingpr.com.

So as I’m walking the streets of Las Vegas during BlogWorld 2008 with my Sparkplugging pals, we’re bombarded by people peddling flyers for strip clubs. And I’m thinking, “Wow. They really need to rethink their target market.”

For every 1,000 flyers they distribute, maybe what, 3-5 people buy in? The Las Vegas Strip is full of tourists. Anyone from 20-somethings showing off their cheap spandex fashion to retirees spending their IRAs. So why would someone trying to get people to go to a strip club pass out flyers to these people?

For marketing newbies, this is the Shotgun Approach. Sending out your message to anyone around, regardless of how well they fit into your target market.

Television is another great example. Sure, advertisers can target the type of person who watches Ugly Betty and attempt to cater the advertising during that show to appeal to that demographic. But in reality, of all the commercials you watch in a given sitting (if you even watch the commercials), how many actually stimulated you to go buy the product?

This is such a wasteful approach. So how could these Vegas vagrants do a better job getting their message out? Bootie Brokers, as I call them, would do better to pass out flyers outside other adult clubs (night or strip). That’s their market, so they’d have a higher rate of return.

That being said, how are you approaching your market? Do you know your market? Do you do your best to reach them directly or do you do whatever seems easiest, not caring about how much return you get? If B is your answer, do this experiment:

· Take the time to identify who your buyers are.

· Figure out how they like to receive their marketing.

· Use that channel to reach them, even as a test.

· Measure the results. How many sales did you make compared to how much you spent (time and money)?

· Now: do you prefer the shotgun effect or the direct targeted approach?

Have you ever thought of hiring a marketing firm to assist with your marketing needs, but was not sure of the quality the firm possessed to achieve successful results? In order to build that confidence in a marketing firm, you must understand what marketing effectiveness is. According to Wikipedia , marketing effectiveness is “the quality of how marketers go to market with the goal of optimizing their spending to achieve good results for both short-term and long-term.”

To better understand marketing effectiveness, take a look at the four dimensions of marketing effectiveness below:

1) Corporate – Companies have certain limits to follow, which include the ability to change, the amount of their budget, and size.

2) Competitive – How well do companies take action compared to their competitors?

3) Customers/Consumers – Understanding how consumers behave and what purchasing habits they have.

4) Exogenous Factors – Other factors companies cannot control such as weather, inflation, and government regulations.

Marketing effectiveness can be executed in many different ways, but to fully understand how marketers can achieve the results you are looking for, you must look at each of these four dimensions and see how a marketer can carry out the tasks you need for your company.

Susan:
Potential clients ask me to assure them I can get results for them. What are results? Do you want a 100% increase in sales? Or just an increase in brand recognition? Know what your objectives are before interviewing a marketing or PR firm so that the firm knows what you expect of them.

I find most companies aren’t sure who their target audience is, let alone what their real marketing needs are. And that’s fine, because that’s Egg’s job, to help you figure all that out. But you should also be able to answer questions about the four dimensions Natalie outlines above.

• Do you have budget constraints when it comes to marketing? Do you even have a budget?
• What are your competitors doing?
• Who are your customers? How do they like to receive their information?
• Are there other factors that can affect your business (my roofing client is impacted by the possibility of hurricanes in Florida each year)

Even I, lover of all things marketing, get overwhelmed with so many options out there. Press releases. Blogs. Social Networking. Podcasts. SEO. Email marketing.

Not all of it is for everyone. Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends wrote a great post on American Express’ OPEN Forum about targeting in on your best results when it comes to marketing.

Check it out. And think about where you’re wasting more time than you are generating results.

-Susan

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Exposure, attention, and perception. These are three basic processes of marketing, and are worth developing so you don’t alienate your target audience at this basic level. All three are necessary conditions for successful communication. Played right, they’re also your opportunity to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Exposure is the process by which the consumer comes into (physical) contact with a stimulus. The factors influencing exposure include the position of an ad within a medium and distribution and shelf placement.

Susan: A good example of exposure would be a prominent end cap display in a store or a strategically placed product mention on a website. The products on Drugstore.com’s Buy One Get One ad will have higher exposure than the products lower on the page.

Taking that “standing out” to the extreme, we see annoying pop-up ads on websites. While it would seem exposure of these ads would be high, we’ve been conditioned to ignore them.

Attention is the process by which an individual devotes mental activity to a stimulus. To attract attention you must use personally relevant stimuli or pleasant stimuli. Personally relevant stimuli include self-relevant needs, values, and goals. It may also include dramatic scenes. Pleasant stimuli include using attractive models or using humor in
advertisement.

Susan: How long do people stay on your website? Most websites get an average of 60 seconds or less per page visit. Not long. It’s a challenge for marketers to engage visitors for long enough to get them to buy.

Perception is when stimuli are registered/interpreted by one of our five senses: vision (color), hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Sensory stimuli are not simply absorbed; they are built in our minds.

Susan: I’ll bet you’ve seen a commercial for food on television that made you hungry. That’s a successful example of perception. To engage a viewer to the point of triggering a sense is difficult (especially since we don’t yet have Smell-O-Vision at home) but when you can achieve it, you get instant sales.

Taken as a whole, exposure, attention, and perception are very important factors in marketing. When thinking about new products/services, one must look at these three concepts and interpret them thoroughly.

Susan: Take a good look at your ads, marketing and products.

• Are your products placed prominently so that they’re easy to find and easy to pick up?
• Can you get more exposure for your products by getting it into new distribution?
• How well do you keep the attention of potential customers?
• Can you inject humor or something unexpected in your advertising to prolong the attention? (Add video to your website; it’s a great attention-keeper)
• Do you engage the senses?
• Is your ad visually (or insert other sense here) appealing? Is there room for improvement?
  

-Susan and Natalie

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Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends has released her free ebook, 101 Marketing Secrets. This ebook is chock-full of great tips on social media, selling, relationship marketing and more. Look for tips from the top marketers and bloggers in the industry, including Seth Godin, Brian Clark of Copyblogger and…lil’ ole me!

Get your free copy now!
-Susan

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I’m introducing a new weekly post from my Marketing Associate, Natalie Grbic. Natalie is studying Marketing at the University of Central Florida, and will present the topics she’s studying in marketing, while I will follow up with real-world examples. Hope you like it!

Natalie
As marketers, why do we need research? This was the first question my Marketing Research professor posed in the first lecture class in the beginning of the semester. He then asked “Isn’t a major in marketing enough to teach us what consumers need, so that we don’t have to conduct anymore research?” I thought for a moment and came to the conclusion that the answer is no.

As marketers, we are learning tools and factors, not the answer. We can’t only rely on our own interests and needs because if there is something you should know, it is that you “don’t know.” With research, we are continually keeping up to date with the ever changing tastes and preferences of consumers. It also reduces uncertainty that marketers may have.

Marketing research is essential is every business practice whether it be marketing, economics, or even architecture. Some important questions I learned to ask myself as a marketer are:
-What are consumers’ needs?
-What are the market segments?
-How should I position my new product/service?
-What should my promotion look like?
-How should I price my product/service?

Susan
One of the first things we at Egg ask a new client is, “who is your ideal client?” We ask this to get an understanding of who that person is, then we proceed to conduct market research on this segment.

One example of a grossly under-researched demographic has been the Hispanic population. Only now are researchers realizing Mexicans don’t like to be marketed to in the same way that Puerto Ricans do. Further segmentation is needed. I recently read an article in DMNews about an ad campaign that flopped with Hispanics. Trying to appeal to the large family that is typical to Latinos, the mortgage company created ads with happy families. Studies showed those ads didn’t do as well as ads that featured large upper class homes. The appeal of upward mobility beat out family.

That being said, yes, market research is very important. Here are 4 reasons you can’t ignore it.

1. It can make an ad campaign backfire.
2. It can cost your company its reputation.
3. It can alienate your target market.
4. It can keep your business from growing.

-Susan

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Used to be everyone was struggling to keep up with competitors just by having a website. Now if you don’t have a blog you’re behind. Forget for a moment that you’re not web-savvy, if that’s true, and look at the benefits of blogs over websites. I’ll borrow from Suzanne’s list and add my own.

-Blogs are easier to update. Sites like WordPress make it simple to upload posts instantly, so as soon as you think of a topic, you can write it and post it within minutes. With websites, you likely have to call your IT or web design guy to get anything changed.

-Blogs help you identify your market. Because you’ll blog on many different topics within your niche (for me, I cover press releases, marketing online and blogging for business and can easily track which are the most popular topics) you can see what gets the most hits. Once you know that, play up to it or offer services or products on that topic.

-Blogs get noticed more frequently than websites. Spiders that crawl for search engines like ever-changing content, and since that’s a characteristic of a blog, you’ll be up, running and noticed sooner than your website will.

All this being said, a blog shouldn’t take the place of your website. The two can work together in perfect harmony. Link to your blog from your website and vice versa. Refer to your company website in your blog posts. Whatever you do, just don’t underestimate the potential a blog has for getting you new business.

-Susan

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The post says press releases for online distribution should be shorter. You, as a reader of online material, can appreciate articles and news releases that are short and to the point. No need to ramble. Do we need a new format altogether?

And then this post talks about how PRWeb, a distribution service I happen to use, is cracking down on releases it deems not acceptable. The release in question had more of a salesy approach that PRWeb didn’t approve of.

But it brings up the question: what is acceptable for a press release? We are rapidly moving away from the old standards of PR and media, so how can we continue to base our rules on the old school methods? Shouldn’t PRWeb be more flexible in what it accepts? Can we redefine what a press release is?

These are interesting questions, and ones that should provoke thought and conversation. What do you have to say?

-Susan

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Speaking of getting off track, how’s your marketing plan? It’s just February, but are you still being diligent about reaching your marketing goals?

Let me guess, you’ve been swamped. You’ve been out of town. Your dog ate your marketing plan.

Whatever the excuse, it’s time to get back on track before your excuses spin out of control. Here are some tips to get you focused.

Put your plan on your desk. If you get your plan out in plain site, you’re more likely to review it. Tack it to your wall. Print it on pink paper. Just don’t forget about it.

Review it regularly. I make a task in outlook at the end of every quarter to review my marketing plan. That way I can’t forget. Things change, so you need to make sure your plan keeps up with what’s going on in your business.

Don’t make big decisions without referring to the plan. It’s tempting to take marketing opportunities as they come, but if they’re part of a bigger picture, they’ll be more effective. If you’re like me, you get calls for marketing and advertising opportunities weekly. Just kindly tell the rep calling you that you will consider it for next quarter, but your plans for this quarter are locked in. This will keep you from making impulse decisions when they tell you you only have a few days to take advantage of this amazing price.

Make your budget match your plan. If you’ve identified budgets for different areas of your marketing (networking, advertising, research), set it up in your accounting program so you can keep tabs on where your spending is going. If you’re not spending enough in one category, you might want to step up your efforts. Likewise, if you’ve already blown half your annual budget on advertising, it’s time to pull in the reins.

I want to hear from you! Are you on track with your marketing plan, or have you already strayed? Let the Marketing Eggspert keep you accountable!

-Susan

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1. Increase readership of blog to 5,000-10,000 unique readers per month.
2. Make blog profitable.
3. Expand Egg Marketing into marketing coaching, ebook products, and classes.
4. Listen to my husband/business partner’s good ideas for my businesses.
5. Continue to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses.
6. Translate blog readers into Egg clients.
7. Exceed my revenue projections for Egg.
8. Get in touch with my blog readers.
9. Continue to network, both in person and online.
10. Have my business run itself while I relax on a beach in another country!

You’ll notice most of my resolutions are pretty tangible. That’s the secret to making resolutions you can keep. We all know about the overdone “lose 5 pounds” resolution. Why not make your business resolutions ones you want to keep and believe you can?

When it comes to your business, where do you want to be in one year? What are your wishes about your business? If you never declare them, you’ll never make them come true. Sometimes all it takes is writing them down to get you on your way.

Please, share your resolutions with us!
-Susan

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