Articulate a succinct yet clear vision for the future thanks to the existence of your company as well as the mission that your organization strives for every day. Your mission and vision are at the core of your purpose-driven company. It’s the “Why” that will keep everyone going when times get tough and it will help empower your team to make the right decisions independently.
Verbalize the business goals you have for your company and develop a maximum of two marketing objectives that will help you achieve those goals. Your marketing objectives will act as the north star, guiding all the advertising tactics you’ll implement.
Your customer is at the center of everything you say and do. Your business exists to meet the needs of a particular target audience. When you take a moment to walk a mile in their shoes, it will become clear to you what you need to be doing and what areas you need to improve in order to meet their needs perfectly.
Your competition is anything that competes for the job you perform for your customers. When you look at it through that lens, you realize the competitive landscape is very broad. It’s essential to take the time to review your direct and indirect competitors and evaluate which ones could actually become strategic partners. For each competitor, note their strengths, weaknesses, and similarities as well as the insights you gained from studying their business.
SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This section is an introspective journey where you will take note of what your organization does really well, where you still need to improve, the opportunities that lie ahead, and what threats are present that could impede your ability to succeed. Take note and decide what you can do about each item!
After you’ve walked a mile in your customer’s shoes, you now know what their goals and frustrations are as well as what you need to be doing to meet their needs precisely. For each issue that is revealed to you, come up with a strategy to address it, the tactics that will accomplish that strategy, and the key performance indicators you will use to measure whether you’re successful!
Armed with having a much better understanding of your business, you can now look at all of your Owned Media and make a punch list of what you need to get done and what you need to improve. Tie each item to a date and you’re on your way to getting it slayed!
Look at all of your social media vehicles and identify a communications strategy that will build awareness of your key points while supporting your marketing objectives and business goals.
Consider your brand’s vision and mission and ask yourself how you can make a positive change in the world and get some unpaid, organic media attention from your efforts. It often takes experience to identify opportunities, so don’t be shy to consult with us if you need ideas.
If your budget allows for it, take advantage of paid media opportunities to expose your marketing messages to new audiences. Make sure you’re reaching the highest volume of qualified audiences at the best price to get the most bang for your buck. An experienced media buyer can work wonders with your budget, whether it’s big or small!
Put a plan in place to make sure new business leads are coming to you (inbound) and have another plan for you to actively go out to the market (outbound) and get new business!
Now that you fully understand your target audience, the context in which you are operating, your competitive landscape and your plan for attracting, educating and selling customers on your product or service, it’s time to sketch out “The Customer Journey.” Remember, the journey starts with awareness and ends with repeat business and referrals. Put a well-thought-out plan in place to make sure you have a seamless customer journey from start-to-finish, one which you’ve designed with your customer’s needs and wants in mind!
