Below are five questions you should be asking yourself now as you prepare or review your company’s marketing plan.
1. How do your customers want to get information?
While the Yellow Pages, newspaper and television might have been great advertising venues for you five years ago, are they still the best use of your marketing dollars today? In order to answer this, you have to think like your customers. Where are your customers searching for information about your business?
2. What are your customers concerned about going into this year?
With growing competition, how are you addressing those concerns in ways your competitors are not?
3. Who is your target customer, why do they support you, and what can you do to keep them?
While this is a series of three questions, the answer to this is key to your marketing strategy. Imagine how big your business would be today if every customer who ever tried you still utilized your services today.
4. How can you utilize your current customer base to continue to grow your business through word of mouth and repeat visits?
The answer to this question involves looking at internal marketing strategies, customer service, staffing models, and even your company culture.
5. What is your brand and how are you incorporating that into your marketing campaigns?
When you look at your advertisements, do they truly differentiate you from your competitors? If your competitor could copy your ad and simply replace your logo with theirs, you’re not doing a good job differentiating yourself in the marketplace.