5 TIPS FOR BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL MARKETING PLAN

1. KNOW YOUR TARGET MARKET
If you don't know who you're marketing your brand to, you're missing your mark. Developing a clear, concise list of who your target demographic is what's going to help you make those tough decisions about what marketing avenues you're going to choose. List everything from their gender, income and location to their age range and interests. And make sure you choose the right paths to market to that demographic. If you don't, you won't achieve the best ROI.

2. KNOW YOU'RE BUDGET
This is crucial for start-up companies. If you don't have a set marketing budget for the year, you're throwing money to the wind. Knowing what you can and can't afford is what is going to help you determine what marketing avenues to take, which to avoid and which to set aside for later (when you have a more substantial budget). It will also be a great indicator of just how mainstream or how creative you're going to have to get with your marketing. If you have a substantial marketing budget, you'll have more mainstream options to choose from (ie) print advertising, online directories, etc. If you have a less-than-desirable budget, you'll have to actively look for no-cost opportunities, network your butt off, be extremely mindful of where you do put your dollars and be strategic in your plans. And you will need a budget. (Remember that business cards, web sites, etc are all forms of marketing!)

3. INCLUDE AT-COST AND NO-COST OPTIONS
Developing a marketing plan isn't just about listing the marketing tactics and mediums that will cost money. It's about listing marketing tactics and mediums that won't cost money as well. And there are no-cost options. It's merely a matter of being creative, strategic, open to opportunities big and small and a ton of research.  Focusing all your time and energy on only the mediums that have a price tag won't necessarily get you ROI. At the same time, you must spend some money to effectively market yourself, so don't expect to be able to solely grassroots market your brand in a highly competitive industry like our beloved wedding industry with absolutely no funds at all.


4. INCLUDE A SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN
Companies across the globe are now incorporating a Social Media Marketing Sector into their Marketing Departments and for good reason. In this day and age, social media and mobile marketing is as important in marketing your brand as the more traditional methods. It's not just about print, online, direct mail and email advertising anymore. It's about real-time marketing as well. Be sure to add this  category in your marketing plans.

5. REVIEW, REDO OR TWEAK
So you did a marketing plan exactly one year ago today. Bravo. Now it's time to review it and decide what worked for you and what didn't. If you've spent a lot of money on a particular medium that didn't bring you at least one to three inquiries then it's time to change course. Marketing is expensive and if you're not getting the ROI that you expected you need to change your strategy and focus your dollars on another medium or strategy. In some cases you may have to simply tweak your marketing plan (ie) make your ad bigger, combine your ad with an online presence, increase your social media marketing or purchase more of the good stuff that got you leads. In other cases you may have to redo your plan altogether. Reviewing your marketing plan and adjusting it every year is what is going to continue the success that you achieved in the past year or save you from making the same mistakes twice.

I've said it time and time again. If you don't have a marketing plan you're essentially throwing money away. Draft a clear, strong marketing plan and keep on top of it.  It's not a waste of your time and it will take time. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day and a good, strong marketing plan won't be either.

HIDDEN MARKETING GEM: WHAT YOUR EMAIL SIGNATURE CAN DO FOR YOU

Unless you operate out of a cave, you have email. In fact, more than 50% of your business is likely conducted over email. So if you have email, you even more likely have an email signature. (If you don't, create one pronto!)

Now take a look at your email signature. What's in it? Hopefully you're seeing your name, title, phone number and web address that links to your web site. Yes? Good. Now what else do you see? ... Keep looking...Nothing? Then you've missed one of the simplest (not to mention FREE) marketing tools out there!

By simply adding a short sentence to your signature that references a special promotion you're holding, shares some exciting news about your product or service, links to a subscription to your newsletter or blog or heck, just reminding your email recipient about a special service you offer and linking to a specific page on your web site, you are marketing yourself.

And in the most subtle of ways. There's no spamming prospective clients. No money spent on flashy ads that just may not work. No double issue commitments. No sales calls. Just a simple one liner at the end of an email.

Simple. Effective. FREE.

PERSONALIZATION + STRATEGY = SUCCESSFUL WEDDING MARKETING

Let's face it folks, as wedding professionals we're always looking for the next "big thing" to launch us into wedding industry success. We look for that magical solution that will instantly make us visible to the hundreds of thousands of Brides and Grooms out there. We read countless blogs, magazines and twitter tips to find that equation that "works".

Yes, there are tried and true techniques in marketing and yes, every year a new way of marketing your business seems to come out of the woodwork whether it's that new Social Media platform, a new trade show concept or a new advertising option. However, there is no magical solution that will draw your target market. There is no simple equation that you can plug into your computer and voila! You have successfully marketed your business to the masses. If you have to remember any equation at all, remember this one:

PERSONALIZATION + STRATEGY = 
SUCCESSFUL WEDDING MARKETING

In the wedding industry there is one word that you hear over and over (and over...and over...and over...) and that is "PERSONALIZED".  Everyone under the sun offers some form of personalized service from florists and wedding planners to DJs and caterers. We all know that the wedding business is an emotional one and we all know that no two couples are alike. That said, just like you strive to personalize your clients' wedding, you have to personalize your marketing tactics. The most important thing you can do is KNOW YOUR TARGET MARKET and create a marketing campaign that will speak to them. We've all heard this countless times but for some reason or another so many professionals are quick to follow the latest marketing trend and forget that what may work for one wedding professional may not work for you if you don't have the same target market!

The next piece of the puzzle is Strategy. So often I'm asked by wedding professionals as to what marketing tool they can use to magically grow their business. And often my answer is the same: whatever marketing method you choose, make sure you're doing it right. Meaning, make sure you are being strategic and creative. And most importantly, you are not simply keeping up with the Joneses but are choosing and working your marketing tactics to your best advantage.

If you're putting together a marketing plan, the most important concept to remember is to personalize your tactics to your target clientele and be crafty in how you do it.