Day 4 – Marketing 101: The SWOT Analysis

SWOT: Strengths. Weaknesses. Opportunities. Threats.

Strengths and weaknesses are internal. Meaning they are about your business. Become clear about the strengths and you become clear about your value to the buyer.

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Identify the weaknesses and you identify the risks that cause buyers to be reluctant to purchase from you. You also identify what your competition can use to sell against you. Find the holes before the competition does.

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Day 3 – Marketing 101: The Company Differentiator

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Differentiate.

Embrace.

Lead.

Activating those three words will enhance your brand and provide a powerful platform for marketing your business.

Differentiate. Get very, very clear on whom you are and what makes your business different. Dig deep because that differentiator may be something very personal to you.

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Day 2: Marketing 101 – The Market Analysis

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Is a crowd clamoring to buy your stuff?

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average consumer spends $49,638 a year on a range of expenditures. Are they spending their money on your stuff?

This article will help you develop a market analysis (B2B or B2C) so you can answer the most important business question you should ask everyday…does the market want what you’ve got? Use the worksheets below to completed a through investigation of your prospective buyer. Then identify trends, buying habits and potential opportunities that will lead you to smart business decisions.

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Day 1: Marketing 101 – The Budget

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Budget.

My advice, nail one down.

The thought of defining a marketing budget sends most business owners into hiding. However, creating a budget you can live with and one that supports the company goals and objectives is easier than you think. It is also a relief to be clear up front about what you will and won’t spend on marketing.

Some people cringe at the thought of allocating revenue to marketing. Expecting that you can develop a business without a marketing budget is like opening a storefront business on Michigan Avenue and leaving the windows covered in brown Kraft paper. It makes no sense to think you will attract customers.

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The Twelve Days of Marketing 101

How To Create A Power Marketing Plan That Inspires Others To Buy What You’re Selling

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Starting tomorrow, and for the next twelve days, we’ll take a deep dive into the detail behind a marketing plan that drives business. There’s never been a better time than now to create a killer plan with a rock solid strategy.

Each day will follow a specific aspect of the classic marketing plan as outlined in Marketing 101. You’ll understand the method behind the marketing madness, cost cutting tactics and find additional resources to develop a power marketing plan that inspires others to buy what you’re selling. Best part is…if you tackle a section a day, you’ll have that killer plan in just twelve days!

Before we go to far, let’s take a look at what marketing really means. As you embrace the “Twelve Days of Marketing 101″ series you’ll quickly learn what it takes to create a powerful marketing plan.

theVisionaryAgency’s Definition of Marketing

“Everything you do that creates an emotional impact and causes someone to part with their money to purchase your product or service.”

Bottom line…marketing is about the buyer (that person who spends their hard earned money) and not about you! When you embrace that concept you harness a key element for success.

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