The “Belong Subscribe And Engage” Marketing Plan

A sound and holistic marketing plan has always  combined these areas:

• Advertising: any paid form of communication through  mass communication
• Sales promotion: any short term incentive to encourage trial purchase
• Events and Experiences: sponsored events or activities
• Public Relations and Publicity: non paid ways to promote image and reputation
• Direct Marketing:  one-to-one  communication such as mail, telephone, e-mail and Internet selling
• Personal Selling: face-to-face interaction with one or more prospective customers

Answer these three simple, but important, questions first:

1) What do you do?

2) Who is your core customer?

3) How do you reach them where they hang out and engage?

Applying those answers to these areas will help you know what you need to belong to, subscribe to and engage in.

Belong To The Right Organizations

What’s your networking in person plan? Pick a chamber, be a member of a professional organization, a union, networking or hobby group, or meet ups. Be willing to go to them and get to know others who can become valued peers, colleagues and friends. Be out consistently, show your face and bring your personality.

Subscribe To The Most Important Content

Who are the leading voices and experts in your field and related fields? Subscribe to their blogs, newsletters, white papers, news feeds, and tips. This will keep you on the forefront of relevant and current trends and information.

Engage Where Your Customers Or Followers Are

Wherever your customers, fans, friends, peers and colleagues are is where you should be. Get more active on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogs, YouTube, selective chat rooms, online groups, Tweet/Facebook chats. Choose the activities that are best for you and build in time to be on them.

Who are your best playmates, playgrounds and games? The business world is just a big park, playground and party.  Get into the conversations and be apart of the discussion.  When you put yourself out, in a targeted, focused way with a brand and branding plan that makes sense to reach the best people for you, you create a natural self marketing plan that will reward and return.

Mix and match, use and try media, marketing and promotion until you find the best ROI and RON (return on networking).  Stay curious and be proactive in trying new things that are on top of consumer trends that impact you.  Here are 10 ways to stretch your marketing budget from author Mark W Bly from his book The Marketing Plan Handbook.  If you’re using social media for marketing your business, you should be measuring it, according to Union Metrics founder Jenn Deering Davis.

Be brave, bold, adventurous and follow a game plan, when it comes to marketing yourself! Be willing to adjust, tweak and adapt.

What’s your personal marketing plan?

Marketing Plan Photo via Shutterstock