Marketing for Small Businesses

Marketing 101

Energize your business in a BIG way on a small budget.

 Objective
Enhance your understanding of marketing
principals that when implemented, will increase
awareness of your company and will help
increase sales without breaking the bank.
 What is Marketing?

Simply stated, marketing is everything you do to

place your product or service in the hands of
potential customers.
What is Marketing?
Marketing includes:

The commercial
processes involved
in promoting and
selling -- and
distributing a product
or service.
What is Your Product or Service?

Know what you are selling.

If your customer requires a
hole be clear on the type
of hole required. What is
the need and how will you
meet that need.
 Who is Your Customer?
Think about who are the gatekeepers, influencers and what role they play.

BUYING ROLES DECISION-MAKING PROCESS

• Initiator • Need Recognition
• Influencers/Evaluators • Information Search
• Gatekeepers • Evaluation of Alternatives
• Decider • Purchase
• Purchaser • Post-Purchase Behavior
Political,
• Users economic , social
and technological
parameters apply.

P.E.S.T.
 Be Where Your Customers are

• Association Events
• Chamber Events
• Social Events
• Social Media
• Internet
• Trade Shows
• Business Publications
•Webinars
•Seminars
 Brand
Your brand is your promise and your customer’s
experience with you.

All these movie posters are selling a family entertainment experience but their
promises are different. They are designed (or branded) to reflect their
promises. Can you identify the promise of each brand? How do they differ?
 Logo vs. Brand
Your logo or mark is not your brand. However, it should reflect your brand
(or promise).

http://www.sporcle.com/games/corplogos.php

Click to test your logo recognition.

When you think about a logo you can use the letters in your name creatively
to keep it simple, clean. It doesn’t require an elaborate or expensive
graphic.
 Marketing Tactics

LISTEN TO YOUR THINK SPEAK IN

CUSTOMERS ABOUT WAYS THAT
WHAT YOU RESONATE
HEAR
 Listen

Research
Observe
Ask questions
 Listen- Research
• Primary Research Surveys for
little or no $
– Focus groups for little $
– Interviews/1-on-1
• Anecdotal Information
– Customer Informally delivered
feedback
•SurveyMonkey – using the internet is cheaper, faster,.
• Focus groups - Treat your potential customers Starbucks. Pick their brains to learn
about their needs, projects, develop relationships.
• Pick up the phone and talk to people..
• There is a value to anecdotal information, it is not scientific but in the beginning it
may be all you have and it’s free.
 Listen- Research
• Secondary Research - Use tools available.

– Competitive data online

– Bureau of Labor Statistics
– Internet
– Annual reports
– Association’s data
– Analysts data published in mags, blogs, newsletters
 Listen
• All of you have an idea of
who your customers are.
If you did not, you would
not have succeeded this
far.
• Understanding your
customer is important for
speaking to them in ways
that resonate and
ultimately convince them
to buy from you.
 Marketing

Don’t Waste Your time and Your money

A plan created in a vacuum, based solely on your
perceptions, may not advance your agenda.
 Marketing
• The marketing plan is your strategy for
allocating resources (time and money) in order to
achieve your objectives (a fair profit for supplying a
good product or service).
• Without a plan, your entrepreneurial dream is really
wishful thinking. While a marketing plan can be a
map for success, remember that the map is not the
territory. A strategy that ignores the customer isn't
an accurate reflection of the landscape.
• That's why market research, however simple or
sophisticated, is important.
Think
 Think
 You know your niche/core
business/product,
 You know who your customers are,

WHAT’S NEXT!
SWOT
The Marketing Plan
Marketing Mix
 Think

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

THREATS OPPORTUNITIES

You must be honest about professional and environmental issues

effecting your business. List them under the headings above.
 SUBMITTED SWOT LISTINGSThink
• STRENGTHS • WEAKNESSES
Examples: Examples:
Experience/knowledge Lack of marketing
Winning attitude/values Cash flow
Ability to learn Lack bonding capacity
Innovation Gaps in capabilities
Financial reserves Accreditations
Competitive advantages Competition
Pricing Processes and systems
 SUBMITTED SWOT LISTINGSThink
• OPPORTUNITIES • THREATS
Examples: Examples:
Government ops Lackluster performance
Public sector ops Economy
Economy improving Competition
Partnerships Political effects
New markets Market demand
Information/Research Loss of key staff
Technological Seasonality/Adverse
developments weather
 Think
What are your
Measurable Goals?
What are your
Objectives?
What Marketing
Strategies will you
Implement?
What Tactics will you
use?
 What strategies will help you…
• take advantage of the strengths?
• minimize, address or eliminate weaknesses?
• take advantages of opportunities and turn
them into revenue growth?
• minimize, address, eliminate threats OR turn
them to a positive?

THINK!!!!
 Think
The Marketing Communications Mix - Tactics
PROS CONS
Advertising + control - cost
+ impact - credibility

Sales Promotion + sales volume - profits

+ trial - long-term loyalty

+ credibility - control
Public Relations + cost - frequency

- cost (most expensive)

Direct Marketing + impact
+ complex products - reach
 Think
Advertising – Paid communication that is created and
controlled by the advertiser.

Sales Promotion – Is an exceptional offer that lowers the

price or provides a special incentive to drive trial and usage.

Public Relations – Is a mass-communication method that

promotes a person, product or company via non-paid
editorial coverage.

Direct Marketing – Is a one-on-one approach to marketing

that primarily relies on a sales force or targeted direct mail.
 Think
Differentiate between goals and objectives. Goals are
measurable. (I will generate $50,000 in sales ,over last
year, by year’s end.) Objectives may not be measurable.

Strategies tell “how” at a high level. (I will get my company

name, messaging and brand in front of 20 new viable
prospects per month.

Tactics are the “whats” or actions. (I will make 10 direct

calls, hold a coffee networking event, attend an association
meeting each month and optimize my website and run ads
in a newsletter.)
Speak
 Speak
Positioning
Branding
Messaging – Key messages
Marketing Channels
Social Media
PR/Communications
Awards
Internet
Networking
 How Did You Do?
• Measuring ROI • Did you use clean, crisp
• Measure Brand graphic design?
Awareness • Did you use concise
• Count Leads Generated verbiage that educates?
• Count new • Did you have consistent
Relationships messaging and limited
• Count Proposals type faces?
• Count Awards • Was it the branded look
• Calculate Web Traffic and feel consistent?
 Q&A

Do you have questions? Call your marketing director at Nourse Marketing,

at 214 906-8314 or email me at pnourse@mymarketingdirector.biz
 Resources & Assistance
• Books • Social Media
Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most - www.linkedin.com
Practical…(Paperback)
by John Jantsch
• Pick an accountability partner
• Web sites to visit • Pick up the phone and call me
for free consulting
– marketingprofs.com
– marketingpower.com
• Network, Network, Network
• Register for Free Webinars
• Google articles and white
papers
• Engage your entire support
team