49 Top Marketing Tips
Put power into your marketing by checking out the following:
Marketing Planning
1. Quantify your marketing objectives
2. Budget for time and finances to achieve them
3. Identify what else you need to know
4. Manage the process all the way
5. Review and adjust on a rolling basis
“Management by objectives works-if you know the objectives. Ninety percent of the time you don’t.” Peter F Drucker
Advertising
6. Do it for response or awareness, and always make it easy to respond
7. Measure before and after to see if it works
8. Avoid one-off advertisements- a series works better
9. Check what your customers/prospects actually read before booking space
10. Bigger is not better- go for an early right hand corner
Direct Mail
11. Use a clean list- business lists change by 30% each year, consumers by 20%.
12. Make a good offer- give them a reason to contact you
13. Use AIDA in your letter, and have more “yous” than “mes”
14. Attract attention by a question/ challenge/statement/lumpy envelope
15. Be aware of the best time for a positive response
Customer Newsletters
16. Give your customers more information about you, in an easy to digest format
17. Tell happy customer stories – they are more credible than simple claims
18. Introduce your people- people buy people
19. Re-cycle PR stories
20. Use involvement techniques like competitions and response to your website
Exhibitions
21. Plan using cost/benefit matrix
22. Quantify other benefits- list gathering, competitor information, awareness
23. Think of your exhibition stand as combined stage/retail shop
24. Use involvement devices
25. Train staff to identify level of interest/competitor promptly and follow-up
Seminars
26. Use to demonstrate new products/ services
27. Mix clients/prospects
28. Link with trade magazine for more publicity
29. Invite hands-on interaction
30. Develop your networking skills
“The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.” Peter F. Drucker
Brochures
31. Think carefully how your brochure will be used
32. Consider your target audience
33. Apply the “30 second attention” test
34. Check out what brochures the competition have
35. Clever printing saves money (and is environmentally responsible)
Sales Promotion
36. Use when product/service is mature or a commodity
37. Use when competing for market share
38. If using competitions, make it look easy to win
39. Even sophisticated business people like appropriate free gifts
40. BOGOF- “Buy One, Get One Free” helps move stock to your timetable
Public relations
41. Worth up to 5 times the credibility of advertising
42. Identify your key publics and influencers
43. Tailor the message to your reader
44. Planned and consistent works harder for you
45. Apply the yawn factor -would you read it if it were not about you?
Putting it all together
46. Log sources of enquiries accurately
47. Use most cost effective first, least cost effective last
48. Measure everything in term of return
49. Call Insight Marketing Services to help – 01425 276303 or ideas@i-marketing.uk.com