The foundations

Do you have your marketing foundations laid? There are some basics to this “marketing thing.” Here is the list. Once you’ve mastered the basics. Then move onto more advanced techniques.

First Off ID Your Business

Identify very clearly what you do and what you offer. Don’t be generic here. Awhile back, my father went going through a business course for his farm and that was one of the first exercise they had him complete… exactly what do you do and whom do you serve.

Think of it as an “elevator speech.” If you could sum up what you do in 2-3 sentences, what would it be? Read it to yourself out loud. Does it sound right? Memorize it! Make sure you can repeat it quickly without thought. You want to sum it up so well that your raving fans can repeat what you say.

I have one organization that I interact with where every time you ask what they do, you get a totally different response. NOT GOOD!

Second, Your Ideal Customer

Figure out your ideal customer. What do they look like? How do they act? What do they do for a living? You should be able to clearly paint this person in your mind. This is not the same as your target market. Your target market is more broad. Your ideal customer is if you only sold to one person, who is the best person, what do they look like? When you write any kind of marketing message, you need to act like you are talking to that one person.

You should also identify your target market? What kind of person or group is most attracted to what you have to offer (and your personality or business culture as well)? Two people can offer the exact same service or product but relate to very different markets. You can look at your existing clients (especially repeat clients) to help here.

Identify where these folks gather both online and offline. You can use different strategies for each area.

Next Polish & Update

Take a look at all of your printed materials and everything online. This includes your website and social media profiles. They all need to look like they go together. Your website doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does need to look professional and be a reflection for your business.

Go look at websites that you like and tweak your look and feel to match or be similar. (If you don’t know where to look start searching in your industry.)

A couple of quick online design tips:

  • Break large paragraphs into quick, easy to read bullets or smaller paragraphs.
  • Add pictures.
  • Add a “stay updated” sign up box so fans can get emails. I recommend MailChimp for this. It’s free for small lists.

Does your email address match your domain name? It should. This is a sign of professionalism.

Your social media profiles should coordinate with your website. This is part of your branding. Use similar colors, logos and images. With Facebook’s layout, take a great photo and add to your header. Pick one that sets the stage for what you are about. Get some new photos if needed.

Don’t forget to look at your business cards and other promotional material. They should coordinate with your site and profiles as well. I almost always use VistaPrint for business cards.

Intermediate Marketing Tasks

Once you have all of the above set up, then you can start working on other inexpensive marketing tactics. Do you need help? I’m just an email away.

Continue Learning at ElianTyson.com:

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