The Marketing Plan

It is the end of the year a new year is fast approaching. As a new calendar year starts so to should your new marketing plan.

You may have different sorts of marketing you need, however I'm looking today at the calendar for marketing to current customers and generating new leads for new customers.

A customer is the result of a lead and with good marketing you can have great conversion rates. (to be discussed another time)

Plan and prepare how you will market to customers. Will this be with flyers, twitter, facebook, newspaper, yellowpages etc. This goes in your business plan.

Your marketing calendar maybe split into months or seasons, but should include some of the below to current and past customers.
- Send out Happy New Year cards to all existing customers present and past.
- Letter/Newsletter to current customers
- Promotion to a friend/referral rewards
- Thank you notes to customers
- Easter and Christmas gifts to customers
- Offer gift cards

To generate new leads you will need to look at your marketing methods and maybe include.
- Targeting special areas: schools, medical centers
- Introduction letter to real estates
- Spring Cleaning flyers to neighborhood
- Door knocking
- Car Signage
- Signs at jobs
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Search Engines

Plan your marketing plan according to the season. For example:
January (New Year)
- Send Happy New Year Card to past and present customers
- Advertise on 'True Local'
February (School starts)
- Request referrals from current customers
- Advertise in local school newsletter
March
- Promote value added services to customers, oven cleans, window cleaning.

Once you've written your plan be sure to work the plan.

The importance of systems

Systems and check lists are required in business. The more systems you have in place the more the company will one day work without you. What a thought!

Systems are great for payments form customers and suppliers. There is no point doing all the work and not getting paid or knowing who has paid.
You require a system to pay the staff or sub-contractors as well as a system for purchasing, rosters and updating records. There are many more systems needed as your business grows. The work now putting these systems into place will pay off later.

This week I've been caught out with not having a check list read at one of the cleaning properties. On expection I had to call the cleaner and advise of the missed cleaning. Than note this down for future reference should it be needed.

A simple check of the list would have the cleaner realise that something was missed.
Ensure you have a system that checks the system is being followed.
If customers are suddenly not happy - find out why and fix it. It is cheaper to keep a current customer than find a new one.