I need help with my marketing plan , anyone?

Question

I'm taking a marketing class, and I need help with my marketing plan because I've never done a marketing plan before. I would appreciate any help from any one

Answer 1

I've written numerous marketing plans and several business plans over the years and the answer you need is longer than what I can put in a post on Yahoo Answers. But here are a few points that might help you in your marketing class assignment.

I'm assuming that you already have a "product" in mind that you'll be "marketing."

The first thing you need to do is really figure out who the ideal customer for this product or service is. You want to know the demographics (age, gender, marital status, location, etc.) but you also want to know about the psychographics too - which are more like lifestyle factors and what makes people tick - so that you can know what benefits about the product will turn on your ideal customer.

Then you need to analyze the competition and figure out how your product can be positioned or niched as somehow different or unique - in a way that will appeal to your ideal customer.

Then you need to come up with some ways to get the word out about the product or service that appeals to your ideal customer. You advertise where they're hanging out online and offline. You do non advertising things like PR and and more. Most people who are new at starting a business will come up with one strategy - but to truly be effective you need a handful of them. That's what a true marketing strategy is - a bunch of different things all happening at ones to create critical mass - and what's known is marketing as "brand awareness" which starts to put your product in the public spotlight.

In a good marketing plan you also usually break down what the costs will be to implement it. Advertising space is a lot of this cost - if you'll be "buying" space ads. This means if you want to advertise on a radio station in your city - you have to find out what their advertising rates are by asking for their rate card. Developing a website and a web presence might be another cost you'll need to flesh out on your plan. That cost will be based on how extensive you want the site to be and what you want it to do for visitors.

You can get very detailed in a marketing plan right down to creating a marketing message and an ad layout for an ad - so that if you were a consultant presenting your plan in front of the CEO of the company - they can get the picture of it in their minds. It depends on the homework assignment you have and how deep you want to go with it. Obviously, in a real business situation - the deeper you're willing to go with it - the less surprises you'll have later on.

Keep in mind this is a broadbrush - there are other details to writing a comprehensive marketing plan - but these are the larger pieces - and I think should provide you with some structure and be helpful.

I wrote an e-book that's not about marketing plans - but it would help you out when it comes to putting together the ideal customer part and the creation of the marketing message. If that sounds like it might be something of value - check it out at the URL below.

All the best,

Denise Michaels
Author, "Testosterone-Free Marketing"
Author, "Secrets of Money-Making Sales Letters"
http://www.SalesLetterEbook.com

Answer 2

For small corporations, a marketing strategy and a advertising plan in most cases have wholly one-of-a-kind targets. Business plans, even as well for any trade, in most cases are created to acquire external investment from buyers. Marketing plans, however, are in most cases created while launching a brand new product. Business plans will in most cases have a abstract of the expertise contained within the advertising plan, however now not the entire main points on imposing the advertising plan.

Answer 3

To write your plan, or to get help from us, you need to know certain facts. What are you selling? Who is likely to buy it? Who is your competition? How do they sell? How will you get your product to the customer? How is your pricing versus your competitor? etc. Without some info about what you are trying to accomplish, its hard for us to help you.