Blog Entry

When it comes to ensuring your firm’s success, effective marketing is a must, whether in the VAR space or any other business sector. But contrary to what some small business owners some to believe, not every marketing effort is equally effective. In fact, there exists a broad continuum of possible outcomes, and depending on the strategy that your firm chooses to implement, your next marketing campaign could fall at any point along that spectrum, from ‘no discernible impact whatsoever’ to ‘runaway success.’

Although there are many variables that are involved in determining how effective your next marketing push will be, there’s one simple factor that a surprising number of firms tend to downplay or overlook—namely, arriving at a clear definition of what you’re trying to achieve through marketing. Whether you’re looking to push a particular product or bolster your brand image, it helps to know exactly what you’re aiming for when you devise and implement a marketing plan.

Are you ready to sharpen and refine your firm’s marketing goals? Use these guidelines to come up with a crystal-clear marketing mission statement that will significantly increase your chances of hitting the mark.

Who are you trying to reach?  What does your ideal customer look like? Among which groups is your firm underperforming? Are there any new markets you’d like to tap into?

What are you trying to communicate?  In as few words as possible, define the quality that sets you apart from your competitors. What do your ideal customers need to know about you? What is the core value proposition that will send hordes of new prospects to your front door?

Which messages and media will offer the best ROI?  How and where will you best be able to reach out to your ideal customers? What are the themes, stories, and “hooks” that will render your firm irresistible to potential customers? How do different marketing media stack up in terms of their abilities to deliver fresh prospects?

How will you measure success?  How will you be able to tell whether your next marketing push has been a blockbuster success or an epic failure? Try to name a variety of specific metrics that you’d like to improve through your next campaign. Later, use these measures to assess each marketing cycle and implement your findings to fine-tune future efforts.

Do you have a clearly defined marketing plan in place, or do you prefer to play it by ear and improvise as you go along? Chime in with your two cents in the comments.