By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting – May 2009
Most people think that marketing is about getting people to buy something that they don’t necessarily need or even want, by persuading them that they do actually need the item. This is not correct.
Marketing is actually about telling the right people (in other words your target market) how your particular product and/or service will be of benefit to them in either their business or personal lives.
Here are some of the things you need to look at to create a marketing plan that will work for you.
1. Who is your customer?
What is unique about your product and/or your service – who are the people who are most likely to benefit from what you have to offer and why? Make a list of all these groups of people.
2. Create a list of ideas.
Invite all of your friends, family, colleagues to a brainstorming session to find different ways for you to reach your customers. This is known as ‘octopus marketing’ as different people will have different ideas and all of these ideas could reach out into all the different directions, but still all be a part of the same marketing plan.
3. The Best Idea
Take the best idea out of the whole lot – your favorite one, the one that you would love to do. Usually if you pick the idea that appeals to you the most, chances are you will actually do it.
4. Test.
Always test the water, so test your idea and if it works, test it again and if it works again – well then you have a winning formula. If your first idea doesn’t work however, don’t fret and panic – choose one of the other ideas and test that. Sooner or later you will find an idea that actually does work. The experts say that we should try at least three different marketing plans every month.
Remember to always have fun. If you don’t have fun with what you are doing, chances are that you are in the wrong business.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
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