Danielle MacInnis – Marketing Blog for Small Businesses

Small businesses now get it. They need to capture potential customers that come to their website. They get that they need to have a series of touch points before they convert that lead into a customer. How to capture that lead with relevant content often becomes the stumbling block.

What do I have that I could share? What information, resources or tools can I share?

Here are some good tips in working out what to use as a lead capture tools:

1. Understand what your ‘ideal’ prospects want, and give it to them

Determine what information your prospects are seeking to make a purchase decision, and make that information easily attainable. ( e.g a checklist, free trial, pricing information, comparison chart)

2. Offer something that solves your prospects problem

Solve your prospects problem. Draw an arrow from your prospect’s problem to your solution. (How to choose an architect, How to consolidate your debt in 90 days, Retire at 55 confidently, download our checklist)

3. Offer something that helps prospects make a purchase decision

Paint a picture that enables your prospects to envision themselves experiencing the benefit of your product or service. (competitive chart, education)

4. Don’t sound like everyone else

Get more attention by being different. Have a sense of humour, community, value. (free shipping)

5. Good offers should be enticing

If you can elicit an emotional response in your prospects, and you’re already on the path to creating a relationship with them. (30 day free membership access, free consultation, our key tools)

6. Make your offers easy to share

Use your site traffic to amplify your marketing efforts by making your offer enticing enough that prospects will want to share its benefit with others. (tweet, FB like, download, forward  to a friend)

7. Create value 

If you don’t want it, won’t open it, download it they they probably won’t. We are way past email newsletters.

As we start the festive season and wind down at the end of 2010, a small part of us should be looking towards next year. How can we keep our businesses growing? What can we be doing now that ensures a steady stream of ideal customers in 2011?

Here are my 5 steps to creating an effective marketing plan for your small business in 2011.

1. Write out your goals for this coming year.

I like to use a audit chart with my clients. Where are we now and where would we like to be? Then we run through a set of questions.  Once you have your big goals you need to break these down into small achievable tasks and prioritise them. To do my marketing audit click here.

2. Focus only on your ideal prospects and existing customers

It is time to narrow your focus and build a plan around your ideal prospects. It is no good trying to be everything to everyone. FOCUS. Ask yourself , who is my ideal customer?  and build a marketing plan just to attract those customers. I think it is important to focus on existing customers first and then potential customers. remembering the 80/20 rule. So if you have a database of existing customers start with them first. When was the last time you communicated with them, offered them something of value? Christmas is a perfect time for giving!

2. Put it on paper.

So many of you walk around with lots of ideas in your head. Force yourself to put it on paper. You need the suggested marketing activity, i.e ad, mail-out, email campaign, event. Then the cost. What will the return be. i.e leads, sales? Who will implement this activity? Remember better to do a few things well than many things poorly. Plan out the whole year so you can see exactly everything you are going to do. Then make a call on what to dump. Don’t do too much. Do a few things really well and if you have it on paper then you can see what you are doing and what is working and amend on the fly. You can purchase my marketing action planner  here for $10 Bargain that will give you a great template to use for your small business in 2011.

3. Do a survey

It is important to understand your customer and staff needs. This is always a good time to ask for feedback as it can shape ideas for the coming year in terms of incentives for staff and ideas from customers to improve your service or product offering. Doing a simple online survey or making a few phone calls can really make a difference to making a great marketing plan. For a survey done for you for $100 email us today and we will take care of the rest at danielle@macinnismarketing.com.au

4.  Be different

In order to create awareness you need to gain attention. Trying to come up with some creative ideas and campaigns for your business throughout the year can be the difference between a promotional campaign working and falling through the cracks.

5. Measure the results

You need to evaluate everything you do in a marketing plan. Look at what you did last year. What works? What didn’t. Be flexible enough to change so that you can do more of what works. If you don’t  a very clear return on a marketing activity that you are doing then STOP! Google Analytics will help you see what is happening on your website. Every campaign should have a call to action that you can measure.

Are you ready to get serious?

MacInnis Marketing Minute – emails once a week with marketing quick tips

Free Marketing Tool Kit for Small Business – 8 weeks of information and training to help you understand marketing and the best tools as a small business to use.

MacInnis Marketing Coaching Packages – several packaged options to have me as a coach on line either email or email and phone correspondence to assist you with you marketing challenges.

Online marketing business survey – Even just reading this survey will help you know the right questions to ask when marketing any business on line.

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