Some people have a talent for acronyms. A few days ago I overheard a person tell his friend, “You know what the word ‘job’ really means? Just over broke.”

Who could blame the person, or the joke? It’s true that a growing number of people these days have to juggle between several jobs just to make ends meet. Some people who had saved up a little invest their money on business, which is a good thing. But let’s not forget the world is going through a financial crisis. Your dream business could fall apart before it’s even begun if you don’t have a marketing plan in place.

For small- to medium-sized businesses, a solid marketing plan is vital, almost crucial, in both the short-term and the long-term. Take a long hard look at your marketing plan, and ask yourself these questions.

1. Does it define my customer base?

Every business has a market niche. A few businesses claim they intend to serve everyone. But we all know better than to take those kinds of statements seriously.

Your marketing plan should focus on a specific market niche, a customer base. Are you going for a lower service fee than your competitors? Or are you aiming for the “high end” neighborhood side of town? Your marketing plan should tell you this and how you should go about it.

2.Does it define my product/service?

The marketing plan should describe your product/service in great detail. It should also explain how your product/service relates to the market. What are the needs of your market niche? What similar product or service are they using right now? How is your product or service better than your competitors’ and why should your market niche make the switch over to you?

But don’t be discouraged. In some cases competition is actually a good thing. Brian Graham has this to say about product competition.

“Competition creates better products, alliances create better companies.”

3. Am I being innovative in a business sense?

There’s one too many businesses out there trying to sell the exact same thing. If you want to stand out, if you wish to stand out, you need to push the boundaries a little bit and see where that takes you.

“Businesses need to realize that marketing isn’t an expense, it’s a legitimate business building activity,” Cecelia Haddad says, director of Marketing Elements in Sydney.

A good marketing plan serves as your guide so you don’t overextend yourself. And this marketing plan should be revised periodically. You can’t afford for your marketing campaign to go stale.

4. Does it promote a brand?

The brand is the tangible form of the company’s promise to its customer base. When you create a brand, you are making a promise that customers can expect the exact same experience from their previous visits, which goes a long way into retaining patrons and increasing repeat business.

So you wish to create and promote a brand to give yourself that much-needed business edge. Question: is your marketing plan doing the same?

Taking the time to research your market niche and investing on a solid marketing plan is definitely to way to go. You’d be surprised how many small business owners think they could get along without any sort of plan whatsoever. By writing up a good marketing plan, you put yourself in the position to be more successful in the long-term, and secure a brighter future for both you and your business.

Author Bio: Jon Orana is a Canada-based internet marketer and social media specialist who writes informative blog posts on the subject during his free time. You can visit his website at Calgary Internet Marketing for more info on his services. You can also visit his website Calgary Internet Marketing for more articles and tips on internet marketing.

Category: Marketing
Keywords: calgary internet marketing, marketing plan, customer base