Direct Marketing Tips

Direct Marketing is just one element of an integrated marketing campaign. Below we list a range of tips that will prove useful in your next direct marketing campaign.

Direct Marketing is used as part of an integrated marketing approach to achieve specific measurable results from an unsolicited target audience.

Effective Direct Marketing: An effective direct marketing campaign will allow you to:

Direct Marketing Tips

o Focus limited resources into areas that can are the most likely to generate the highest results
o Measure the results and response rates
o Test your market before developing a full campaign
o Increase sales to existing customers
o Develop customer loyalty
o Re-establish lapsed customer relationships
o Generate new business and/or client base
o Develop a personalized message to your target audience

Direct Mail Campaign: A direct marketing campaign takes on various forms incorporating:
o Mail merging (post box) direct mail campaigns (both business to business and business to consumer)
o Unspecified mail box delivery
o Email campaigns
o Catalog and leaflet distribution
o Mailing list management

DIRECT MARKETING TIPS
1. Test the market in specific regions with redeemable vouchers or incentive offers specific to each area along with a call to action to measure the response. Regions my be based on demographic or geographic structure.
2. Have a defined campaign objective and ensure that the campaign is timed to coincide with your other integrated marketing strategies. This may include other promotional opportunities, special purchases, other media placements or perhaps a website launch.
3. The best results often come from those customers that are familiar with your brand and/or service. Communicating with you existing customers on a regular basis will be rewarded with loyalty, even during periods of economic downturn.
4. Utilize third party endorsements. Great results can be achieved when a third party sends a direct mail recommending your service
5. Never send mail to those that have opted out of receiving any form of direct mail, including e-mail campaigns. An opt out is an essential element of ANY campaign involving email or sms content.
6. The mailing list is a key factor in a successful direct marketing campaign. Ensure that your list is relevant to your market and include an offer.

Direct Marketing Tips
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Marketing World Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia
Website: http://www.marketingworld.com.au
Blog: http://www.marketingworld.com.au/blog/

The 5 Most Effective Real Estate Marketing Tools

Ask ten different real estate agents what the best tools for marketing are and you will get ten different lists. So perhaps the title of this article should have "in Brandon's experience" tacked onto the end.

What I've created below is a list of what I feel are the best ways for real estate agents to promote themselves (and their listings) in the modern economy.

Item #1 - An Effective Website

The 5 Most Effective Real Estate Marketing Tools

These days, a real estate agent without a website is an agent who will lose a lot of potential business. Aside from referrals (see item #5), most home buyers and sellers find their real estate agents online.

Maybe they do a Google search for agents in their area. Maybe they stumble across an online article that links back to the agent's site. Or maybe they "stumble across" the agent's website when researching the local real estate market. But for any of this to be possible, a real estate agent needs a solid website filled with useful content, tools and resources.

Here are some of the things you should build into your real estate website:

Listing data of some kind Consumer education resources Plenty of original, keyword-rich content Lead generation systems Regular updates, perhaps through a blog Basic website usability and organization
Secret to Success: The number of real estate websites has exploded over the last few years. You need to work hard to make your website better than those of your competitors -- more organized, more informative, and better designed. It takes a lot of time, energy and money to get it right, but the rewards are ever lasting.

Item #2 - Internet Visibility / Web Presence

A few years ago, an agent could publish a 5-page website to generate business. People would eventually find the site, because there weren't many of them competiting for attention. Obviously, that has all changed. In order to be found online today, you need more than a basic real estate website -- you need a highly visible multi-part web presence. This might include the main site, search engine optimization (SEO), a blog, online articles and press releases, and other publishing strategies.

When you increase your online activity in this way, you are capitalizing on something that is already occurring. People are already going online by the thousands to conduct research into their local real estate markets. So when you improve your web presence, you are tapping into an online marketplace that already exists.

Secret to Success: Of course, all of the web traffic in the world won't do you any good unless you convert some of that traffic into leads and inquiries. So while your Internet visibility is certainly important, you also need to focus some of your energy on developing effective lead-generation systems for your website.

Item #3 - Direct Mail (When Used Properly)

A lot of real estate agents waste their time and money on postcard marketing, but only because they go about it all wrong. I know this for a fact because I've worked for more than one direct mail company. But with postcards, it's not the marketing medium that's broken -- it's the flawed technique that many agents use.

One of the primary benefits of this strategy is that you know where your direct mail pieces are going. You can choose certain neighborhoods, a zip code, or your entire city. You can get a list of people who live in apartments and send them a targeted message about moving up to homeownership. You are practically guaranteed that everyone who receives your postcard in the mail is going to at least glance at it (more than you can say for other forms of marketing).

Secret to Success: You need a really good reason to send a postcard out to a large audience. "I'm a new real estate agent in town" is not a good reason. Start with a big idea, an event, a unique product or service, and build your direct mail campaign around that.

Item #4 - The Yard Sign (An Oldie But a Goodie)

Aside from basic word-of-mouth marketing, I would say the real estate sign is the absolute oldest from of real estate marketing. As long as properties have been bought or sold, there have been people putting up signs to direct traffic toward the sale. Okay, so they're not as glamorous as a brand-spanking-new website or a glossy brochure. But they have been getting the job done for decades!

Secret to Success: Don't over-think the process of procuring real estate signs, and don't overspend when purchasing them. All you really need is a professional looking product with basic information on it. Don't waste valuable sign space with slogans or other useless items. Keep it simple.

Item #5 - Great Service Toward Clients

For many real estate agents, referrals still generate more business than any other real estate marketing technique. People are more willing to trust those they know. So when a friend or family member says good things about a real estate agent, it does more to persuade the person than anything the agent might say.

The key to getting referrals, of course, is to provide great service. By being proactive during the real estate transaction, and by keeping your client informed along the way, you will have a better chance of getting referrals later on down the road. Of course, it also helps if you can help them buy or sell a home effectively!

Secret to Success: Don't be afraid to follow up with clients after the sale either. This is a good way to stay in their minds, which can lead to even more referrals. There are many occasions where you can send a brief email or postcard to past clients -- on their birthdays, around holidays, on their one-year home buyer anniversary, etc.

The 5 Most Effective Real Estate Marketing Tools
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Brandon Cornett publishes a number of websites related to real estate marketing, mortgage lead marketing strategies and more. For more marketing tips, visit the author online at http://www.smartmortgagemarketing.com

Massage Marketing Made Easy: A Simple Nine Step Marketing Plan for Therapists and Bodyworkers

Marketing is actually very simple. It involves telling people what you do...over and over and over. The key to successfully marketing your massage therapy business is consistency.

So, first, let's take a look at the difference between marketing a service and marketing a product.

Products are tangible... you can touch and feel and see them before you buy. However, when a prospective client is considering coming to you for a massage, until they actually work with you they don't know for sure if you are the right person to help them with their specific situation or challenge.

Massage Marketing Made Easy: A Simple Nine Step Marketing Plan for Therapists and Bodyworkers

It is for that reason that the first thing your prospect has to buy is YOU, before they decide to become a regular client or patient. It is important to remember this in all of your massage marketing endeavors.

Secondly, I would like to talk about the difference between advertising and marketing, because all too often when I ask therapists about their current massage marketing plan, they tell me about a classified ad in a local newspaper, or a display ad in the yellow pages.

Advertising is just that...the placement of an ad, whether on the radio, print or web-based, in the hope that a prospect will call you as a result. Marketing, on the other hand, is relationship based. It is about building a relationship between you and your prospective client or patient over time. It is about building rapport, confidence and trust.

So let's look at the 9 elements of a simple yet effective massage marketing plan.

1. Define Your Goals

In order to put an effective marketing plan in place you first have to ask yourself, where are you now, and where do you want to be 6 months, or one, five, or even ten years from now.

2. Measure Your Progress

You have to decide how you are going to measure your progress. You could measure:

Your total number of weekly massage sessions.
The number of new clients or patients that schedule appointments.
The dollar amount actually deposited in your bank account.
The dollar amount invoiced to massage clients and insurance companies.
Or some other measurement that you choose.

3. Who Do You Want to Work With?

Who is your target market or ideal client? What are their ages? Are they male, female, or both? How much money do they make? What are their hobbies? What is the biggest challenge or problem that they face? What are the qualities that your ideal massage client possesses?

For Example: I work with female executives between the ages of 28-50, making ,000.00 per year minimum. They enjoy athletic activities, but want to experience less stress in their life. They are interested and willing to pay for regular wellness care.

4. What Specifically Are the Benefits That Your Massage Services (or products if appropriate) Offer?

Remember, benefits are different from features. Benefits tell the prospective client how your massage services (and products) are directly useful to them or how their wellbeing will be improved if they come to you for a session.

A feature is a characteristic of your service, like the number of years you have been in practice, or the massage techniques and modalities you use. While features are important, people do not buy based on features. They buy based on benefits. They want to know "what's in it for me". A good way to know that you are focusing on benefits is to finish the sentence, "You get..."

Examples of Benefits: I help tri-athletes reduce risk of injuries, enhance concentration and increase flexibility. I work with executives to relieve stress and tension and to increase concentration and productivity.

5. Your Uniqueness

What makes you unique from the other massage therapists and bodyworkers in your area? What is your "signature style"? What do you do differently from your competition?

For example: "I do energy healing with people in hospice who want emotional and physical support through their final life transition."

6. Choose Your Strategies and Massage Marketing Tools

In choosing which marketing strategies to focus on it is essential to choose things that you enjoy doing, otherwise you will find ways to sabotage yourself. So if you are terrified of public speaking, don't pick that (unless you plan on doing some work in that area).

Think about your strengths and passions and take those into account when you are choosing your strategies. This is a time to have fun and get creative!

Strategies can be divided into a number of key areas:

Direct follow up and contact (such as sending personal letters, making phone calls)
Networking and referral building (such as working with key strategic partners like a Chiropractor)
Public speaking (for example, a brown bag lunch talk for busy professionals on stress reduction)
Writing and publicity (putting a press release in a local paper)
Promotional events (like chair massage at a sporting event)
Advertising (putting a display ad in the good ol' "banana pages")
7. Create a Budget.

Many excellent massage marketing tools are free. Instead of money, all that is required is some time, creativity and imagination. But some tools will require that you spend money. It is important to decide up front what your massage marketing budget will be and how you will spend it.

8. Develop Your Action Plan

Your Action Plan involves the specific marketing and sales actions you plan to make, for example, how many calls a day, how many personal letters or invitations a week. Remember, marketing is about simple effective things that you do consistently. It is a good idea to map out your massage marketing action plan on a calendar, and commit to it.

9. Have a Tracking System

It is important to have a system in place to track your efforts as well as your results. Having such a system in place gives you a clear sense of direction as to where you and your business
are going. It also helps you to stay focused and on task.

A tracking system also gives you the evidence that what you are doing is actually working. This will motivate you to stick with it until you reach your desired goals. It also lets you know when things are not working so that you can make the necessary course corrections to get your marketing back on track.

You may choose to keep a record of:

The exact source of each prospect.
How many new prospects each massage marketing strategy produced.
How many of these prospects became regular clients.
The actual monetary value that these new clients produced.

Remember to periodically evaluate the results you are getting, and make any adjustments to your plan as necessary until you reach and maintain your client or patient goal, and the massage business of your dreams.

Adapted from the free 28-page workbook, 8 Steps to an Outrageously Successful Massage Practice.

Available from the web site below.

Massage Marketing Made Easy: A Simple Nine Step Marketing Plan for Therapists and Bodyworkers
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Elizabeth Fletcher Brown LMT, and Certified Success Coach is the founder of the Massage Business Center, dedicated to supporting massage therapists in creating finanical freedom through business success. Do you really have what it takes to build the massage business of your dreams? Take out free online assessment at http://www.MassageBusinessCenter.com and find out.

Direct Mail Marketing For CPAs And Accountants

In the accounting industry, direct mail marketing can be very cost effective. CPAs and Accountants are fortunate to be in an industry where they are able to purchase a database, which provides precise information on potential clients. This makes marketing with direct mail a very cost effective approach to develop new clients.

The first thing a CPA Accountant will need to do is purchase a list of businesses that meet the criteria a CPA Accountant establishes to qualify a client for his or her firm. There are many criteria a CPA Accountant may choose, but the most common are, location, number of employees, sales volume, and industry. Some list companies will even provide limited credit information. It is best to generally select locations closest to your office. Most compiling companies use databases with zip codes to establish locations. Accordingly, the CPA Accountant should start by providing the zip code for his or her office working a radius outward until the desired number of businesses on the list is reached.

Once the criterion is established, the Accountant is now ready to purchase a database. Info USA and Dunn & Brad Street are perhaps two of the largest companies that compile and sell database information for resale. It is recommended the list be purchased from one of these two companies. They are reliable and have been in business a long time. Unfortunately, there are many companies selling list information that are not reliable and that have high error rates. Many other companies are basically just list brokers who purchased a list wholesale from one of those two companies and then resell it to you. It makes sense to always purchase your list from a database compiling company, which has a proven reliable record.

Direct Mail Marketing For CPAs And Accountants

With the list purchased, the Accountant now has a defined target market of potential business that could be good clients for his or her firm. Direct mailing to the defined target is cost effective. The CPA Accountant is not incurring costs of marketing outside of his or her target market. Radio, television, and newspapers all broadcast or publish to the general public. Advertising in these forms of media would subject the CPA Accountant to incurring cost communicating outside of his or her target market. Direct mail focuses the cost of communication to his or her defined target market.

There are three basic rules the CPA Accountant must follow in direct-mail marketing. The first rule is always use professional letterhead and envelopes. Many times Accountants generate "in house" their own business stationary giving it a "home made appearance." The CPA's direct mail piece is the first representation of his or her firm's work that a potential client might experience. The CPA desires his or her marketing piece to be of the highest quality. A professional appearing CPA Accountant direct mail marketing letter to a profession or business will be opened while a low grade appearing letter is often just discarded.

The second rule is never use bulk mail or mailing labels. When unsolicited mail is received, the business owner will look at it and make a decision. Does this look like something he or she should open? The decision is then based on visible attributes of the CPA's direct marketing envelop labeling. If the labeling of the envelope was with a pre-printed mailing label accompanied with a bulk mail stamp, most likely the letter will never be opened and will be discarded. However, if the Accountant directly labeled the envelope with postage paid via a metered or regular first class stamp, the envelope will appear important influencing the decision to open the letter.

After the business owner decides to open the Accountant's letter, he or she will always scan the piece to discern quickly if it is of interest. The third rule is to always keep the letter short and to the point. The prospective client will quickly determine if it is interesting and short enough to read while not consuming much time. A common mistake CPA Accountants make is attempting to write long lengthy letters to "sell themselves". This is a very costly mistake. The objective of the letter is to initiate a positive response. Once a prospective client responds positively, he or she will be provided an opportunity to convey those things in subsequent conversations and meetings enticing him or her to use the CPA Accountant's services.

In addition to the three basic rules, it is always recommended the CPA Accountant include a business card with the direct mail letter. This will allow the prospective client to locate the CPA Accountant's contact information and retain it for future reference. It is also recommended that the CPA Accountant refrain from using postcards in direct mail marketing for the accounting industry. They have a commodity appearance diminishing the perception of the quality of the CPA Accountant's firm. Finally, always use industry-specific direct mail pieces whenever possible.

In summary, direct mail marketing for CPA Accountants can be very cost effective. The use of target markets avoids spending advertising dollars outside of the target audience. It is important to always follow the three basic rules for direct mail marketing for CPAs and Accountants. The costs of violating those rules can be enormous. Marketing for CPA Accountants does not have to be expensive but can be very cost effective if implemented correctly.

Direct Mail Marketing For CPAs And Accountants
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For more information, please visit: www.accountantsmarketing.com

Frank Salman, CPA

What's the Difference Between Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Publicity, Etc.

There are key things you need to understand in order to run a successful business. It doesn't matter if you have a small home based business, where all you have is a computer and a table in the corner of an apartment, or if you have a multi-billion-dollar corporation with thousands of employees. You need to understand what the difference is between advertising, promotions, marketing, sales, publicity and public relations.

Advertising

Every business has a product, be it a service or an actual physical item. Advertising basically, is bringing your product to the current customer or potential customers attention. Advertising is very specific. You have a targeted audience for each specific product. Within the same company one advertisement for a product can be very different from another advertisement of a different product. This can easily be done with brochures, commercials, direct mailings, e-mails, personal contact, etc.

What's the Difference Between Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Publicity, Etc.

Promotions

Using advertising, promotion basically keeps the product in the minds of the customer. With an ongoing advertising campaign the customer will continually see the product and develop a relationship with the item or service. Public relations is also considered a part of promotions.

Marketing

Within marketing you have two parts. You outbound marketing includes promoting, advertising, public relations and sales. Your inbound marketing includes your market research, competition, research and product positioning. A marketing plan can differ from product to product. The concept remains the same in that the needs of your customer or consumer has to be met as well as your company getting value in return.

Sales

When we talk about sales. We include all the aspects leading up to the closing. We start from cultivating prospective buyers or accumulating leads within a specific market. Once contact is made we convey the features of an item, also mentioning the benefits of our services or products to the prospect. When the prospect is satisfy, then coming to an agreement or closing on pricing and or the services provided. Sales plans are specific like advertising, and the plan can differ from product to product.

Publicity

Publicity is usually not under the control of the company. This is the mentioning of your brand or product within the media. These are articles or news campaigns, written by reporters. These are other peoples opinions on how they feel about your brand, item or service you provide.

Public relations

Public relations by definition, are all the ongoing activities that are related in order to ensure the company has a strong public image. You want to make sure the public understands what your company provides, why it provides your product, or services and how it provides it. Through the media, newspapers, television, magazines, etc. your company helps the public understand the benefit you can offer them.

What's the Difference Between Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Publicity, Etc.
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Is Vemma a Scam Or Just Good Marketing?

In reality the majority of Multi Level and Network Marketers do not make money, this does not mean that it's a Vemma Scam, it's just the nature of the business. This is an amazing new Home based business opportunity with exciting new things to come. All of you who are seasoned MLMers know for a fact that being on the ground floor is the ideal place to be in any network marketing opportunity.

Vemma

Vemma is an authentic business with products that are purchased through the network marketing home business model. Vemma is a nutritional health supplement multi-level-marketing company. Vemma is deferent; their products are simple but every effective. Vemmabuilder is a marketing system designed specifically for Vemma distributors. I have noticed that most of the people that have done well with Vemma were already making really good money with their current jobs, they just wanted something else so they could spend more time with family. You may not have heard much about Vemma because it isn't advertised in the standard format. The recommended supply of Vemma costs per month. The Vemma Nutrition Program Provides the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants needed for your body to perform at optimal levels Bio-available (body ready) and easy to take because it taste so good Verve Energy Drink Known as the 'insanely healthy' energy drink An all natural fast acting energy drink with premium vitamins and minerals plus powerful mangosteen and aloe juice phytonutrients.

Is Vemma a Scam Or Just Good Marketing?

Business

The business is very similar to, and in direct competition with, XanGo since both have products derived from the mangosteen fruit. I have been working with a program that provides legitimate information on how to start your own home based business. Like any other Business owners, it always take some time to see your business grow, depends on your efforts. The best way to promote Vemma or any other business opportunity is by effective internet marketing.

Marketing

Vemma is owned by a company with over 12 years experience in health supplement manufacturing and marketing. Vemma is a newer network marketing nutritional company backed by parent company New Vision. Although you're better off using attraction marketing principals and generating your own leads online.

Network

Some network marketing companies have products that get amazing results, but at the same time the products are very hard to explain and prospects have a hard time comprehending the concept behind them. If there are doctors out there, or if someone out there that knows of a drug or technique that I haven't tried yet or if you're with a home based business, MLM, network marketing, pyramid scheme, direct sales, traditional business, online business, whatever you want to call it then this might be what you are looking for.

Money

Most people don't dedicate enough time, enough of their own money, enough energy or a combination of all three,. You know it sounded perfect at the time but you have to invest a lot of money and maybe after your first year you will be coming out ahead and become successful.

Sales

Is the plan you choose going to require you to make thousands of sales in a multi-level arrangement where the person who makes the sale earns a few dollars and everyone above them makes a small sliver as well? The MLM industry, as a whole, is about building downlines, buying leads, generating leads, holding sales meetings and generally getting your information out, typically through Google, about your product and service. Most unsuspecting newbie marketers want nothing to do with learning the art of sales. But think about it: what we really have is a network of other salespeople who are buying the products simply to play the money game and allow them to earn commissions. This means educating yourself on topics such as niche selection, website creation, sales letter writing, and opt-in list and relationship building.

Compensation

Vemma's compensation plan is what they call a dual line income plan. Oh yeah, another cool thing about the Vemma compensation plan is the fact that it pays weekly not monthly.

However, there is really nothing to warrant people calling Vemma Scam. A note about this Vemma review: This Vemma review is not intended to make you want to run out and quite your other network marketing company and start promoting Vemma and Verve. But if you are looking to start your career in network marketing and mlm I do recommend you look further into the Vemma opportunity.

Is Vemma a Scam Or Just Good Marketing?
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The best way to promote Vemma or any other business opportunity is by effective internet marketing. I have searched for a home based business opportunity that would fill those needs. Vemma has since inspired me to not only start a lucrative home based business but also prompted me to focus on myself, my diet, health and life style. So if you would like to learn more about building a real business on the internet and stop wasting your time and money. Then by all means comes see me at [http://vemmabusinessopportunitys.com]

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Marketing Plan Template: How to Quickly Create Your Marketing Plan

Your marketing plan is a key document that you will need to have assembled in order to successfully get new customers profitably and grow your venture.

You can quickly create your marketing plan if you understand the 12 key components of a successful marketing strategy. So in this article I'm going to walk through those 12 key components for you to follow so that you can quickly create your plan.

The first section is to identify your target market and your target customers. If you haven't pinpointed the ideal target customer, for example, it may be females age 20 to 39 living in Kansas City that are in households with an annual income of over 0,000 per year. You just need to really identify who your target customers are.

Marketing Plan Template: How to Quickly Create Your Marketing Plan

The second part is going to be for you identify your USP or Unique Selling Proposition. Your Unique Selling Proposition defines why customers should buy from you. What makes your product and services unique versus the competition?

The third part is your pricing strategy where you must figure out what is the ideal pricing for all of your products and services. This includes possibly your regular versions of your products and also a premium or discounted versions.

The fourth section is your distribution plan. Your distribution plan is how customers buy your products. Do they buy it directly from you via your storefront or your website? Do you have partners that also distribute your products, etc?

The next section is your "offers." What are the offers that you're going to be making your customers to compel them to buy? For example, an offer could be we have a buy nine get one free, or that we guarantee our product for 90 days or your money back. You need to think through what is it that you're offering your customers that's going to compel them to take action.

The sixth part is to think through and put together your marketing materials. What marketing materials are going to be required for you to successfully execute on your marketing plan? Do you need brochures, business cards, flyers, a website, etc? You need to develop those materials.

The seventh section is your promotion strategy. How are you going to promote your products and services to prospective customers? There are tons of different ways. Are you going to do television advertising or radio or newspaper advertising? Are you going to use direct mail? Are you going to use telemarketing? Are you going to go door to door? There's a host of ways you can promote your company.

The next step is to think through how you're going to increase your conversions. Once you get those leads you need to have strategies in place to convert those leads into customers. You can do this through better sales scripts, etc.

The next step is to think through and identify joint ventures and partnerships and think through what other companies could you partner with to get more customers. Ideally you can think of the companies whose products or services your customers buy before they buy your products or service, and work with them.

The tenth section is your referral strategy. How will you get existing customers to refer more business to you? The eleventh part of your marketing plan template is figuring out how to increase your transaction prices and look at bundling products so that you can generate more revenue per transaction. Finally, the twelfth and final section of your marketing plan is your retention strategy. That is, how are you going to get customers to become customers for life and keep paying you and buying your products and services over and over again. If you can accomplish this, you can leverage all of the marketing costs and expenses that you incurred trying to attract those customers in the first place.

Marketing Plan Template: How to Quickly Create Your Marketing Plan
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Are you struggling to create your marketing plan? Download this marketing plan template and start growing your business today!

The e-Marketing Plan - Brief Overview and Working Scheme

I. Summary of a marketing plan

The marketing planning (concretized in the marketing plan) is an essential organizational activity, considering the hostile and complex competitive business environment. Our ability and skills to perform profitable sales are affected by hundreds of internal and external factors that interact in a difficult way to evaluate. A marketing manager must understand and build an image upon these variables and their interactions, and must take rational decisions.

Let us see what do we call a "marketing plan"? It is the result of the planning activity, a document that includes a review of the organization's place in the market, an analysis of the STEP factors as well as a SWOT analysis. A complete plan would also formulate some presumptions on why we think the past marketing strategy was successful or not. The next phase shall present the objectives we set, together with the strategies to achieve these objectives. In a logical sequence, we will further need to evaluate the results and formulate alternative plans of action. A plan would consist in details of responsibilities, costs, sales prognosis and budgeting issues.

The e-Marketing Plan - Brief Overview and Working Scheme

In the end, we should not forget to specify how the plan (or plans) will be controlled, by what means we will measure its results.

We will see how to build the marketing plan, what is its structure: after we will see how to build the traditional marketing plan, we will take a look at the e-marketing plan and see how the unique features of the internet will require some changes in the approach of writing a marketing plan.

But, before we continue, we must understand and accept that steps of the marketing plan are universal. It is a logical approach of the planning activity, no matter where we apply it. The differences you meet from a plan to another consist in the degree of formality accorded to each phase, depending on the size and nature of the organization involved. For example, a small and not diversified company would adopt less formal procedures, because the managers in these cases have more experience and functional knowledge than the subordinates, and they are able to achieve direct control upon most factors. On the other hand, in a company with diversified activity, it is less likely that top managers have functional information in a higher degree than the subordinate managers. Therefore, the planning process must be formulated to ensure a strict discipline for everyone involved in the decisional chain.

II. The general marketing plan

The classical marketing plan would follow the following scheme of 8 stages:

1. Declaring the mission: this is the planning stage when we establish the organizational orientations and intentions, thus providing a sense of direction. In most cases, this is a general presentation of the company's intentions and almost has a philosophic character.

2. Establishing current objectives: it is essential for the organization to try to determine with preciseness the objectives to be reached. These objectives, in order to be viable, must be SMART. SMART is an acronym and stands for "Specific", "Measurable", "Attainable", "Realistic" and "Timed". The objectives must also convey the general organizational mission.

3. Gathering information: this stage is based on the concept of marketing audit. After performing the audit of the macro-environment by analyzing the STEP factors (social, technologic, economic and politic), we should turn the focus upon the immediate extern environment (the micro-environment) and analyze the competitive environment, the costs and the market. Finally, we will conclude with the SWOT analysis, by this way we will have a general view upon the internal environment compared to the external one. The SWOT analysis combine the two perspectives, from the inside and from the outside, because the Strengths and the Weaknesses are internal issues of an organization, while the Opportunities and Threads come from the outside.

4. Re-formulating objectives: after the close examination of data gathered in the previous stage, sometimes it is needed to re-formulate the initial objectives, in order to address all the issues that might have come up from the previous stage. The distance between the initial objective and the re-formulated objective will be covered by appropriate strategies. We must ensure the re-formulated objective is SMART as well.

5. Establishing strategies: several strategies are to be formulated, in order to cover the distance between what we want to achieve and what is possible to achieve, with the resources at our disposal. As we would usually have several options, we should analyze them and chose the one with more chances to achieve the marketing objectives.

6. Plan of actions: consists in a very detailed description of the procedures and means to implement the actions we want to take. For example, if the strategy implies a raise in advertising volume, the plan of actions should establish where the advertisements will be placed, the dates and frequency of the advertising campaigns, a set of procedures to evaluate their effectiveness. The actions we plan to take must be clearly formulated, measurable, and the results must be monitored and evaluated.

7. Implementation and control: consist in the series of activities that must be performed in order to run the marketing plan in accordance to the objectives set by the marketer. At this stage, it is critical to gain the support of all members if the organization, especially when the marketing plan is due to affect the organization from its grounds.

8. Performance measurement: constitutes the last but not the less important stage of the marketing plan, since we can achieve only what we can measure. In order to measure the performances achieved through the marketing plan, we need to constantly monitor each previous stage of the plan.

The marketing plan that has a feedback cycle, from 8th stage back to the 4th. That is because sometimes during the planning process, we might need to perform stages 4 to 8 several times before the final plan can be written.

III. The e-marketing plan

The e-marketing plan is built exactly on the same principles as the classical plan. There is no different approach, but there might be some formal differences given by the uniqueness of the internet environment. Many of these differences come from the necessity to ensure a high rate of responsiveness from the customers, since the e-world is moving faster and requires faster reaction from its companies, compared to the traditional offline marketplace.

Even though it is perfectly acceptable and is a common practice to use the 8-stage classic model for the e-marketing plan as well, you might want to consider the simplified version proposed by Chaffey, who identifies four major steps to build the e-marketing plan:

1. Strategic analysis: consists in continuous scanning of the macro- and micro-environment. The accent should fall on the consumers' needs that change very rapidly in the online market, as well as on surveying the competitors' actions and evaluating the opportunities offered by new technologies.

2. Defining strategic objectives: the organization must have a clear vision and establish if the media channels will complement the traditional ones, or will replace them. We must define specific objectives (don't forget to check if they are SMART!) and we must also specify the contribution of the online activities to the organization's turnover.

3. Formulating strategies - we do that by addressing the following essential issues:

- develop strategies towards the target markets;

- positioning and differentiating strategies;

- establish priorities of online activities;

- focus attention and efforts on CRM and financial control;

- formulate strategies for product development;

- develop business models with well-established strategies for new products or services, as well as pricing policies;

- necessity for some organizational restructuring;

- changes in the structure of communication channels.

4. Implementing strategies: includes careful execution of all necessary steps to achieve established objectives. It could refer re-launching of a website, promo campaigns for a new or rewritten site, monitoring website efficiency and many more.

Note: a common strategy to achieve e-marketing objectives is the communication strategy. The steps to built a coherent communication plan will be presented within a further article.

IV. The e-marketing plan (sample titles)

1. Executive Summary

a. overview upon present conjuncture;

b. key aspects of the strategic e-marketing plan.

2. Situational Analysis

a. characteristics of the e-market;

b. possible factors of success;

c. competitors' analysis;

d. technological factors;

e. legal factors;

f. social factors;

g. possible problems and opportunities.

3. The e-Marketing Objectives

a. product profile;

b. target market;

c. sales objectives.

4. The e-Marketing Strategies

a. product strategies;

b. price strategies;

c. promotion strategies;

d. distribution strategies.

5. Technical Issues

a. website content;

b. website "searcheability";

c. logging security (for customers and staff);

d. customer registration procedure;

e. multimedia;

f. autoresponders;

g. order forms and feedback forms;

h. access levels to online resources;

i. credit card transactions;

j. website hosting;

k. website publishing;

l. technical staff (size, requirements)

6. Appendix

7. Bibliography

The e-Marketing Plan - Brief Overview and Working Scheme
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Otilia Otlacan is a young certified professional with expertise in e-Marketing and e-Business, currently working as independent consultant and e-publisher. She developed and teach her own online course in "Principles of e-Marketing" and is also a volunteer Economics teacher.

You can contact her via her personal website at BRAINmarketing.net [http://www.brainmarketing.net] or check out her developing Marketing, e-Marketing and e-Business resources portal at TeaWithEdge.com

25 Tips To MLM/Network Marketing Business Success

Here are 25 tips to success for anyone who is starting their own MLM/Networking Marketing home business. These simple, easy-to-use tips will help you get your business off to a fast start, and put more money in your pocket.

1. When you first get into your network marketing home based business, write out your plans and goals! I'm sure you've heard it said many times before..."Most people never plan to fail, they simply fail to plan". Take the time to write out your plans and goals. Be realistic, but be tough on yourself. Push yourself. One of my favorite quotes is "What your mind can conceive, it can achieve".

2. Get started immediately. Don't wait for everything to be perfect before you start. That will never happen. Jump in and get started.

25 Tips To MLM/Network Marketing Business Success

3. Treat your mlm/network marketing business as a serious, full-time business, and it will quickly become one.

4. Don't focus your attention on trying to sponsor the "big hitter" who tells you that they are going to bring in 120 people. Sure, it would be nice, but don't get caught up in the hype and emotion. It takes a team effort.

5. Know that rejection will happen. Not everyone is going to want what you have. There are some people that you could put a huge pile of Gold in their front yard, and they would still walk right on by it. Or, they simply will not believe it's Gold. Don't get discouraged. There are literally MILLIONS of people wanting what you have.

6. Follow up! This is the single most important factor to your success. You have probably heard that the fortune is in the follow up. People will rarely call you back, but they will join you if you follow up and show them you care about their needs. Call them and ask how things are going...or at least email them. By following up with everyone, you will sponsor new business partners in your network marketing business.

7. Have patience. Big incomes never happen overnight. And this is especially true if you are also working a full-time job somewhere. It may take you a year or two to obtain your income goal and quit your current job. If you knew that you could be doing your home business full-time in only a year from now...would it be worth the wait?

8. Don't give your new reps wild expectations. Let them know what to expect. Always be honest with them.

9. Realize that your mlm business is going to require an investment. Just like a brick and mortar business, your home business is going to require an investment in marketing supplies and tools. Thankfully, network marketing doesn't require you to take out a 2nd mortgage to operate.

10. Don't let anything knock you out of your home based business and cause you to quit. You can only fail in this business if you give up on yourself.

11. Don't mail out samples and materials to a few people and then expect big checks to suddenly appear. Most likely, it will take you a few months to have a steady income coming in.

12. Help the people you sponsor as much as you can. Help them get started. Help them sponsor their first two people by doing 3-way calls with their prospects. Let them know you're there for them and you support them. Teach your new reps the importance of doing the same. That's how you build a team.

13. Don't do things for your reps that they should do themselves. There is a fine line between being helpful, and doing the entire business for them. Understand your downline is going to do what you do. Lead by example. Do all the things that you want your reps to do. Be sure the example you are setting is one that you would want to follow if you were in their shoes.

14. Don't waste time on cynics, or non-motivated people. They will NOT succeed in this business, or any other business for that matter. Trying to drag someone into your business is only going to drain you of all your energy and beat you down. Let them go and move on.

15. Don't whine and complain to your upline every time you have a problem. No one wants to spend time with constant whiners and complainers.

16. Always operate your business in a professional and ethical manner. Don't make false claims about your mlm / network marketing product, or exaggerate your income. Give your prospects the facts and you will build trust. People can be smarter than you think. Most can sniff out if you're being dishonest quickly. Then you have lost your credibility, as well as your prospect.

17. Learn all that you can about your home based business. Stay up to date with everything that is going on. Learn a little about your competitors so that you can answer simple questions about the differences between them. But don't put them to your prospect, no matter how you feel about them.

18. Think BIG! Think big dreams. Set BIG goals. Small thinking producing small results. Live life without putting limits on yourself.

19. Keep in close contact with your new people you sponsor into your network marketing business. Let them know you care and are there to help. Praise your new people who are doing good things. Always at least send an email to them when they sponsor someone new. Let them know they're doing a great job!

20. Always be ENTHUSIASTIC! Smile when you're on the phone. Enjoy yourself and let others feel your enthusiasm for what you're doing. It quickly becomes contagious.

21. When you discover new ways of building your mlm home business, share them with others on your team. Remember...duplication is the key to success in this business.

22. Keep organized with your business. Have a system in place to keep track of those who are testing your product, or thinking about getting started, even if it's just a notebook to write their names in.

23. Listen to tapes, or read books on network marketing and personal development. It will pay BIG dividends as the months go by. Ask any leader in your business about the importance of personal development and they will all tell you the same thing.

24. Don't allow small problems and rejections that arise throw you off and upset you. Think about the positives, and always keep focused on the big picture.

25. Have FUN! People want to be around others who are having fun, be it in everyday life, or your business. Have fun with your home based business. Enjoy yourself, and watch how many others want to be involved in what you're doing.

25 Tips To MLM/Network Marketing Business Success
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FTHM Scam Business Review - Is Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing a Scam Or Legit Business Opportunity?

With the massive success of the online marketing industry, there are always companies out there that will spark new curiosity and trepidation when a person is searching for the right opportunity to invest with.  One of these many companies includes a company by the name of Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing, a company that many people have heard may be a scam.  But is Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing really a scam?  Here is my FTHM scam business review:

Company:

Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing is a multi-level marketing company that was founded by Paul Orberson.  After years of success and enjoying a few years of retirement, Orberson decided to come back to the business world and create his own network marketing company to give people the opportunity to achieve the same level of financial success that he already had.

FTHM Scam Business Review - Is Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing a Scam Or Legit Business Opportunity?

Products:

The FTHM product line includes weight management, health and beauty, internet services, satellite tv, long distance phone services and wireless phones and phone plans.

Business and Compensation:

It costs 9 to sign up and get started with the Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing company.  As with any other network marketing company, a person must recruit new people into the company and their personal downline in order to make money and have success.  Members are paid a commission of 2-20% on the volume that comes through their downline or team.  The downside of the FTHM compensation plan is that they use what is called a "stair-step break-away compensation plan", which means that once a team member in their downline reaches a particular level, they "break away" from their sponsor and become their direct competition.

FTHM Scam Conclusion:

While Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing does not appear to be a scam, it does have a business structure that will be difficult for the majority of people to achieve long-term and significant success.  But if you don't mind spending the majority of your time recruiting new members and would enjoy the challenge of literally creating your own direct competition than maybe this business is for you.  From my observations, the amount of work involved and recruiting that is required in this particular business for generating a significant income is much beyond what many other opportunities require, so for many people it would be advisable to continue their research for a more automated and duplicatable online business system with professional and extensive training that will provide the road map for attaining tangible, permanent success and financial freedom!

FTHM Scam Business Review - Is Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing a Scam Or Legit Business Opportunity?
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To learn more about what to look for to choose and start your own Online Business and protect your financial future, as well as which Online Marketing Tactics You can Start Using Now to Make Sure Money Online, go now to http://www.make1kaday.com

Shawn Stoik is an accomplished Entrepreneur, Top Internet Marketer and International Team Mentor who trains both Total Beginners and Seasoned Pros to achieve Financial Freedom by creating wealth and prosperity online! For more information on the Top Internet Marketing Tactics that you can use Now to build the most successful online business, please visit http://www.make1kaday.com