What Marketing Is and Why You Need a Marketing Plan

Dib define marketing to be your business plan for getting your message to the target market, causing people to enjoy the product you offer or services and then turning customers into loyal long-term customers.

He claims that out among all business functions, marketing gives you the most leverage, or the greatest impact as it increases the number of customers, marketing directly drives business growth

Strategy vs. Tactics

Many companies mistake tactics for strategies. A strategy is your highest-level strategy for gaining new customers. Tactics are the methods you employ. Your strategy dictates your tactics.

Dib warns that small business owners are often enthralled with the new digital marketing strategies, such as the use ofSEO or video or pay-per-click ads– even before they’ve developed an entire strategy. They assemble a variety of random methods in the hopes to attract customers, only to beg themselves why they’re not achieving results.

Or, they believe having a top-quality product or service is an effective marketing strategy. They believe that if their product is excellent it will attract customers. But, a good product keeps customers. Once they purchase something they like and are satisfied, they’ll purchase from you in the future. However, first you need to getcustomers by marketing.

Direct-Response Marketing

Small-scale business owners frequently try to imitate big businesses by making use of “mass marketing” to increase the general public’s awareness of their products or create an image of goodwill. But, Dib contends that this kind of marketing is ineffective because small businesses have to target specific groups of potential customers , rather than a vast number that includes people majority of whom will not buy.

He believes that that the most efficient marketing strategy for small business owners can be direct-response marketing.  Dib appears to be using the words marketing and advertisement interchangeably and refers to advertising as an approach and tactic. AMA define marketing as the act of identifying, predicting and addressing the needs of customers. Advertising, on the other hand, is a specific strategy (paying to promote your business’s message or logo in particular media.

Direct Response Marketing targets those who are most likely to become attracted to your service or product. advertisements focus on solving their particular issue, and are designed to provoke an immediate reaction by enticing individuals to take an step. For instance an accountant might be aiming to convince parents of teenagers to join the college finance webinar. Some other “calls to action” include visiting a website and signing for a newsletter or report, signing up to the email mailing list or purchasing.

Contrary to mass marketing to create brand awareness, direct-response ads generate sales leads (potential potential customers you can reach out to). Further, Dib states that for every $2 that you invest in direct-response ads you earn around $10 in profit through sales. Therefore, it’s an effective and cost-effective option for small companies to get their message to potential customers. It is possible to argue that there are some disadvantages to direct-response marketing which include the difficulties in creating a distinct message from numerous others, as well as laws that regulate mass emailing as well as direct mail, which are the most common media used for direct-response marketing.)

The Decline of Mass Marketing

However some experts do not agree they believe that that the efficacy of mass marketing is declining even for the largest companies. This could be all the more reason small companies need to concentrate their efforts on direct response marketing as well as its instant, quantifiable benefits.

The reasons for this decline are the fragmentation of media, the emergence of new devices and platforms as well as changing consumer behavior like multitasking and “switching off” or skipping advertisements. As an example, according to one estimate, TV advertising was just 35 percent as effective than it was in the year 1990.

In addition to the the pressure on mass marketing will be the capacity for technology companies to just target certain consumers but also to target specific actions. A CEO within the Wall Street Journal that as technology becomes seamlessly interspersed into our lives through connected cars , coffee machines as well as health trackers and on, ads will more often capitalize on tiny moments of trust throughout the journey of a user.

While big tech provides advanced options for specialization marketing but for small-sized businesses, the most cost-effective choice could remain “old school”: direct marketing through email as well as directly (snail) mail that Dib’s one-page Marketing Plan concentrates.

Three Phases of Marketing

Direct response marketing is a vast subject which you can spend a lot of time researching. The 1-Page Marketing Plan can help you create and implement a direct-response strategy for your company without needing the ability to be an expert. Dib’s marketing plan is based upon three key customer-focused marketing phases:

1. awareness in the Awareness phase: You’re working with potential customers. It is important to make potential customers aware of your service and encourage interested in responding request for take action or an invitation to act, for example, downloading a report for free.
2. Familiarity In this stage there are potential leads or prospects that have made it to Phase 2 through showing interest and taking the next step. You should follow up on leads by offering additional deals and convince them to purchase from you.
3. Enthusiasm 3rd stage, you’re dealing with your customers. They’ve become customers because they purchased something. At this point you need to create confidence so that they continue to purchase from you, grow to be superfans and will recommend your services or products to friends and family.

There are other experts who also break marketing planning into phases of three to five. However, unlike Dib’s model that focuses on customers, these strategies generally focus on the company’s internal processes that may be more complicated. For instance, the company’s process could comprise the mission, analysis of situations, marketing strategy/planning, marketing mix Implementation and Control.)

We’ll go over the various Dib’s marketing phases in greater specific detail in the coming sections.

Phase 1–Create Awareness

In the first marketing phase, you want people who’ve likely never heard of your business–prospects–to discover you and respond to an offer, thereby becoming leads and entering the second phase. (Shortform notation: As mentioned earlier the each marketing phase has three phases. To make your own one-page plan, you must fill in each step on the template of the author or your own nine-square template , as you go through this tutorial.)

The three steps needed to make contact with prospective clients are:

1. Find out the target market.
2. Create a compelling pitch to this market.
3. Send the message via a kind of direct marketing.

1. Identify Your Target Market

By choosing to focus your marketing on those who are most likely to purchase from your company, as per Dib the research, you’ll see an increased Return on Investmentor return on your investment in time and money.

As mentioned previously many small businesses are attempting using a mass marketing or branding strategy by broadcasting their brand name extensively and often hoping that a tiny percentage of the people who hear it will eventually become customers. But, this kind of marketing costs a lot of money and the results are not guaranteed. Dib suggests focusing on a specific area or specific segment of your target market at any given moment.

Dib says that you are able to continue providing various market segments However, he suggests to focus on focusing your marketing on one particular segment first–characterized by people who you truly enjoy to work with. People who appreciate the service you provide and will pay to get it and are present enough to allow you to earn a profit. After dominating your first niche, then target another niche.

You can also make niche profiles that include characteristics like gender, age education, income and even geographic place of residence. Additionally, you can dig into the deeper reaches of research and interviewing those in this industry.

2. Create a Compelling Message

After you’ve pinpointed your target potential customers, the second step of the awareness process is creating the message that attracts their attention (so they’re able to respond, “Hey, that’s just what I need!”) and makes them take action. Dib gives a number of ways to craft an effective message.

(Shortform Note: Dib stresses that the reason for direct-response ads is to create leads or prospective customers, not to make sales immediately, but Dib’s suggestions are aimed at creating content that is selling as well, and it’s possible that both purposes are interconnected.)

1) Create a distinctive selling point your ads must follow the unique selling point that is a succinct problem-solution declaration that informs potential buyers the reasons why they should buy from you, rather than an opponent. Dib says that your USP should be positioned in a way that your prospects can draw an apples-to oranges contrast between your company and its rivals instead of apples-to-apples. Your unique selling point might be your product or something else, such as packaging delivery, support, or.

How to Write a Unique Selling Proposition

Dib provides a straightforward method for writing a USP to describe the issue. Define your solution. Provide your proof/testimonial.

• Salons and hair stylistsFor [hair stylists and salons]
• Do you need top-quality styling products?Who needs top-quality styling products
• [Acme Beauty Supplies]
• is the leading retailer of brand name productsthe largest distributor of brand-name products
• Offering the broadest range of products that are popular and delivered in the morningwith the most extensive range of popular products delivered overnight.
• In contrast to other suppliers who use dubious sourcesand sources
• Acme Beauty Supplies the sole distributor of salon products across North America that guarantees our products are genuine and will be up to your standards.

2.) Make a compelling offer After you have identified your industry and USP it is important to create an offer that will attract your target customers. Do not make the mistake of offering a discount or your customers will be redirected to an apples-to-apples comparison. Dib highlights the key elements of a convincing offer.

• Increase the value of your customers by bundling bonuses and benefits (the like infomercials do).
• Simply justify your offer (for instance an overstock) so that potential buyers don’t think that it’s too good to be true.
• When a buyer is in the market for buying consider adding something with a high-margin value, like an agreement for service.
• Offer payment options with no hassle that are beneficial to the consumer.
• A unique warranty that eliminates customers’ chance that the product will not satisfy their expectations.
• It suggests that there is a shortage (for instance, a finite quantity or sale expiration).

3. Choose the Right Medium for Your Message

The third step of the phase called awareness in marketing is choosing the appropriate medium for advertising to deliver the message you want to convey to target potential customers.

Since advertising is the most costly part that you can use in marketing, Dib recommends choosing and managing it in accordance with the ROI, or the number of leads and customers it brings in as compared to the cost. Through tracking the results, you can eliminate advertisements that aren’t working and improve those that do work. Tools for tracking the response of ads include toll-free numbers or web analytics. You can also track coupons.

When choosing the appropriate medium or channel (such like direct mail/print radio/TV, email, social media and web/SEO) determine and decide to the places where your target customers are spending in their lives. Dib warns that marketing through social media, despite being popular, comes with a few drawbacks: It’s time-consuming to keep track of and you’re in the hands of the company that is the owner of your profile on social media and pages.

Small-scale businesses need to think about: What do I intend for this marketing initiative to achieve What is my target market, where can my target customers go to find details, what information will I need to communicate and when and what is the budget for this?)

To be cost-effective and efficient Dib’s preferred media for small-scale businesses marketing include email as well as the direct (snail) mailing.

Email Marketing

Email is a low-cost direct, personal method to contact customers and prospects and can also become automated. Dib states that with email you are able to:

• Get all email names of website visitors using an email opt-in form. Those not yet ready to buy, but are interested in knowing more are potential customers that you can cultivate.
• Build relationships with your clients (so you can ensure that your email database increases by value).
• Launch and test new services and products.
• Create a cash-flow-generating offer that has a response mechanism, send an email to your contacts, and you’ll receive a prompt response.

Dib recommends using a professional email marketing software such as Convertbloom, MailChimp, ConvertKit, or ActiveCampaign (rather than attempting use these tools to send mass emails through Outlook as well as Google emails). They comply with the standards of compliance and enhance delivery. They also automatize sending.

How to Create an Email Campaign

As per marketing experts, the most important questions you need to be able to answer before planning the design of an email marketing campaign include:

• Determine the result you would like to achieve.
• Find the niche of your target.
• Consider what’s important to them and how you’ll approach it (what is the value you offer).
• Set a date of the project.
• Make sure you plan your follow-up emails and email addresses.
• Write subject lines that encourage clicks (by offering value and personalizing).
• Include a strong appeal to the action.
• Offer a means for recipients to choose not to,
• Check your email across multiple devices to make sure that it is correct.
• Keep track of your metrics.

Snail Mail

Despite the appeal to social media as well as email, Dib recommends that regular or snail-mail should also be part the marketing plan. Direct mail can be used as a marketing medium due to:

• People are emotionally connected to tangible objects. In contrast to emails, people keep USPS card and letters.
• Direct mail is able to last for a more lengthy lifespan and requires longer to get rid of than emails, which can quickly be erased and forgotten.
• Mailboxes for postal mail are getting less full (allowing the message you send to be noticed) as email inboxes become overflowing, despite a variety of ways of sorting.

The most effective way to communicate is to make use of a variety of mediums that are appropriate for your target audience. be able to reach. Avoid using too much of particular channel, such as social media to create leads and monitor the return on investment.

The results of surveys continue to confirm the fact that Direct mail receives a better responder rate over email (4.4 percent against 1.12 percent, as per the Direct Marketing Association). A study conducted by The NPD Group Inc. found that 30percent of those who received it were able to read email as well as 16% took action in contrast to 47% who opened direct mail and 27% who purchased things due to it. Particularly 44% of the millennials who participated in the Valassis survey indicated that snail mail was their preferred method of receiving offers, while a smaller percentage (40%) cited mobile. This highlights the importance of combining strategies, such as mailing direct mail.)

Phase 2–Build Familiarity

Second marketing phase following the initial phase of creating awareness is focusing on creating or cultivating leads for sales prospects–people who have expressed an interest in responding to your messages, and then convert these leads into buyers.

The three steps that Dib recommends to increase leads’ exposure to the company so that they purchase your product include:

1. Take leads and store them in the database.
2. Increase leads’ interest by introducing promotions that add the value.
3. Turn them to clients (get them to trust or like your brand enough to purchase from you, thereby moving to the third stage of your marketing method).

1. Capture Leads

The first step to increase the amount of time a lead has with you is to capture their contact details in a database, so that you can follow-up.

This is crucial because only a tiny percentage of people who show initially interest in such things as downloading the report for free or watching a video are likely to purchase the item immediately. If you don’t record the names of those who express interest and their contact details and contact information, they’ll be forgotten about the company soon after they’ve seen your advertisement, and you’ll be unable to convert them into buyers in the future.

Dib says that keeping them in a database will allow you to increase their interest over time, and the sale will naturally follow.

It is important to remember that your marketing infrastructure (direct-response advertisements and databases) can be an engine which will continue to generate sales in the future. Dib says that although only 3 percent of leads purchase today 40% of leads could purchase in the near future.

To oversee the management of your marketing system, the author suggests the purchase of a CRM software or a software for managing customer relationships that lets you organize the tracking, analyze, and analysis of information about your customers.

2. Cultivate Leads

Once a prospect has expressed an interest, and you’ve enrolled the lead on your list, the next stage of the familiarity phase is to keep growing their enthusiasm. It is important to take them from being curious about your product, to actually wanting it and looking to purchase directly from the company. You can accomplish it, Dib says, by making a series of contact with the lead, in which you:

• Increase the value of your HTML0(for example, a magazine book, seminar or even a an audit for free).
• Make yourself known to be an authority in your subject.
• Establish a trusting and positive relationship.

The contacts you make will help lead prospects to purchase from you before you even attempt to convince them. Salespeople typically follow up with leads only a couple of times. However, Dib suggests a multi-step process that involves contacting them at least 10 times. Your CRM can assist with the follow-up by sending monthly automated emails to leads, notifying you that it’s time for an appointment to follow up or follow-up call, etc.

In the traditional way of selling Dib states that one dozen people would not be welcomed. However, when you have a relationship that is built on trust and worth leads will appreciate your contact, instead of being irritatedor angry. You’ll sell easily and ethically.

(Shortform note: In the lines of establishing confidence, many sales specialists recommend a consultative approach to selling that is, the salesperson will ask questions regarding the customer’s needs and issues and assists in determining solutions to the customer’s issue. This method is explained within the SPIN selling.)

3. Convert Them to Customers

In the third step of the familiarity phase–conversion–turn interested leads into paying customers. Dib believes that the key to conversion is to position yourself in properly to make buying the natural reaction.

He says that the majority of salespeople who don’t have the trust of their customers and credibility, portray themselves as beggars or enemies selling by employing closing techniques that are high-pressure. But, these tactics will only increase suspicion. (Shortform note in the book “To Sell Is Human”, Daniel Pink argues that since the majority of people have negative perceptions of salespeople right at the beginning, pressure sales tactics that follow the ABC as well as the “always be closing,” approach are no longer effective..)

However, because you’ve used this type of marketing to create trust and credibility, Dib says conversion should be easy. Additionally, he provides these tips on how for converting leads into customers:

1. You should be an educator, advisor and problem-solver. The first step is creating leads in which you provide something, like the free report or webinar which teaches them about an issue they are facing. Dib mentions that maintaining contact, even if it delays the sale, also increases your standing in the role of an advisor and expert working in the best interests of the customer to assist her in solving the issue. (Shortform notation: The Challenger Sale strategy makes salespeople appear not just as experts, but also as educators by challenging their perception of their industry and giving customers new insight into their challenges.)

2. Take the risk out of the equation every purchase comes with an element of risk or losing money from a purchase that doesn’t work. Giving an exceptional guarantee removes the chance. Dib says this guarantee should go beyond a simple refund to something specific and truly attention-grabbing–you’ll deliver the promised results or else. Consider the fear of the customer–for example the possibility of leaving their home in a mess when making repairs. Then, promise to not only address the issue for the duration of time as well as leave the home cleaner than you found it or have to pay for cleaning. Another method of reducing the chance of risk is to permit the buyer to test before purchasing.

3. Offer a higher price. The majority of businesses set prices based on the competition or calculate their costs and then add the markup. This makes your product appear as a commodity, requiring you to make a price-based decision as well as an upward spiral. In contrast, Dib argues you should be able to stand out from competitors by offering a higher price. This can help buyers purchase in multiple ways: A small number of customers will be willing to pay for the highest quality, thus increasing your profits and attracting more premium customers while a premium cost for your primary item makes other products appear reasonable in price.

Phase 3–Build Enthusiasm

The last marketing stage after establishing awareness and establishing a brand’s reputation is focused on turning customers who’ve purchased from at least once, into avid superfans who will continue to buy from you and refer others to you.

Three steps Dib recommends to turn customers into superfans include:

1. Provide them with an unforgettable experience.
2. Encourage them to buy more from you and increase their value to your company.
3. Ask them to recommend a friend.

Dib observes that most companies cease marketing to customers when she has purchased something. However, this approach limits growth for businesses. Making customers into superfans creates an ongoing income and helps to launch new products since they will test your products and promote them.

1. Give Them an Extraordinary Experience

The first step to build customer loyalty is to provide an exceptional experience that will transform the customers into superfans. Dib offers a number of suggestions:

• Make sure that the client gets outcomes of the item. Many customers don’t use the product in the manner they were was intended, only to conclude that the product isn’t working and they will not purchase from your company again. To ensure they remain satisfied customers, guide them through the product’s setup and usage; anticipate issues they’ll encounter and offer solutions. For instance, you can help them setup a new laptop, and install the software and teach them how to use the most important features.
• Create a new way to make your product or service enjoyable. Customers are looking to be entertained and served, which is why Dib suggests innovating on an aspect of customer service, such as the method of delivery, packaging or marketed. For instance, if customers purchase a brand new car, she can take pictures or videos of her driving that she can post via social media.
• Implement effective business processes put in place to ensure that you can meet your promise of an outstanding customer experience. (Shortform note in Traction, Gino Wickman discusses how to develop procedures and systems that will help your business run when you are not there and make it more valuable when you decide to market it, as it can perform consistently and consistently.)
• Make use of technology to smooth the experience for customers instead of causing frustration. For instance, the process of making an online purchase paying for it, as well as receiving confirmation and delivery details should be smooth and seamless. (Shortform notation: Technology problems with customer service can be a major cause of frustration for customers. They can be caused by confusing menus on phones and long wait times and dropping calls.)

Creating a Customer Experience (CX) Strategy

To develop a CX strategy:

• Create an “customer journey map” of the customer’s interactions with your company.
• Find out what expectations customers have.
• Discover how to fix issues for the customer.
• Offer self-service services.
• Training your customer service personnel.
• Continuously take note of feedback.
• Keep track of your performance.

Customers who are satisfied will be more willing to forgiving an organization in the event of a hiccup they are also more likely to purchase more frequently, and enjoy more faith in the business. To help Small Business provide top-quality customer service, Convertbloom comes integrated with Helpdesk ticket management software Knowledgebase/FAQ management software along with chatbot chatbot. It is also possible to upgrade to get a voice-based inbound outbound service using Twillio as well as a full-blown Helpdesk software for customer experience with a cost-effective prices.

2. Get Them to Buy More From You

After you’ve created an unforgettable experience, second step in the enthusiasm phase is to encourage customers to purchase more from your company. Dib reiterates a well-known study that shows that customers tend to be 21x more inclined purchase from a company they’ve previously purchased from than those they haven’t yet purchased from. Therefore, you’re not making money in the event that you don’t take advantage of the potential value of their products over time.

(Shortform notation: Dib recommends calculating customer lifetime value, also known as CLV. This is the amount of cash a customer is likely to bring to your business during their tenure as a paid customer. The fundamental formula is the following: average order value x the number of times a purchase is made x the average retention time over the years. But, there are different formulas and variations that make it complex. While Dib recommends the calculation of CLV, he doesn’t provide how you can apply the numbers to the context of your marketing strategy. Other strategists suggest knowing your CLV could aid in increasing profits by finding the most valuable customers for you, analysing them, and then making sure you are building the right group.)

Dib provides these tips to make more money from current customers (that is growing the value of their lives for your business):

• Prices increase Most companies aren’t able to raise prices. However, Dib believes that if you’ve established an enduring relationship, established your self as an authority and created a memorable customer experience, most clients will be willing to accept price increase.
• BundleBundle accessories that are included with your principal product. For example, if you buy the purchase of a new laptop, you can offer an accessory for your mouse, chargers keyboard protector, as well as an accessory case for your new laptop.
• Upgrade Upgrade existing customers to upgrade with more expensive, better-quality goods and/or services.
• Automation: Encourage customers to purchase more frequently with automated alerts to such things as car servicing. Think about a subscription service. You can also get the company to return by giving vouchers or freebies in exchange for spending a specific amount or purchasing a certain amount.
• Restart Customers who have been lapsed to return and purchase with a gift card , or coupon.

(Shortform note (Shortform note): There are several other methods to boost the value of a customer’s lifetime or the value of purchases such as: Make wonderful and unexpected surprises like birthday coupons, provide detailed product information (which increases the probability of purchasing) customize your shopping experience, offer various ways to return products or reward loyalty and develop frequent buyer programs and special offers.)

3. Get Them to Make Referrals

The final stage in building passionate superfans is to encourage referrals. Dib emphasizes that waiting for referrals isn’t enough. In order to be able to consistently get referrals, you must have an effective method of generating these. Dib suggests a variety of strategies:

• Get referrals from clients who have enjoyed working with you. Although businesses tend to be reluctant to request referrals out of fear of appearing insecure, Dib believes that people don’t think of them as an act of kindness to you. Instead, they offer referrals to their friends when they believe it’ll create a positive impression and make them appear good. Therefore, in addition to asking to refer a friend, consider offering customers the credit card, gift or voucher that you can give to an associate or friend. For a more structured approach and efficient, inform customers in the course of sales that they’ll enjoy a positive experience and that you’d love to encourage them to refer friends.
• Create a mutual referral system that is linked to a business–for example, if your business is the financial advisor, then an accountant or an insurance agent can suggest their clients to you, and reverse.

(Shortform notation: Additional ways to get recommendations include: Create an experience so appealing that people are compelled to share it with others make use of LinkedIn to find referrals that are effective and create a customer referral program and offer incentives to encourage referrals.)

Conclusion

In short the three phases as well as the 9 steps in the one-page Marketing Strategy are as follows:

Phase 1 (Create Awareness):

1. Find out who is your target market.
2. Create a compelling and persuasive message to this market.
3. The message will be delivered through a form of direct advertisement.

Phase 2 (Build Familiarity):

1. Capture leads
2. Grow leads
3. Convert leads into customers

Phase 3 (Build Enthusiasm):

1. Your customers will be treated to an unforgettable experience.
2. Ask them to purchase more items from you.
3. Request referrals from them.

Dib writes that , while the plan was designed to simplify and simplify marketing but its primary goal is to speed up the implementation process. However, many small-scale entrepreneurs fail to follow through with strategies or act because of analysis lack of clarity, inability to delegate, or the conviction that their company is different and a specific strategy won’t suit the company. Yet, knowing what to do isn’t much when you don’t take action.