The Mastermind Success Group

The ‘marketing mix' can be defined as the resources and tools you use to create brand awareness, target your market, and promote your brand. Advertising and marketing do go hand in hand, and your small business will benefit from finding just the right balance of media channels and distribution networks. Sound complicated? It isn't when you have a plan!

Your customers are bombarded with advertisements of all types every single day. Think of how many ads cross your path in a given day; from online banners to driving by an outdoor billboard, messages and logos are everywhere. Devising the best marketing campaign for your small business will take some planning and strategy, but your investment will be worthwhile. The five key components of an effective marketing campaign will include:

Choosing two key channelsCreating a memorable messageMaintaining brand consistencyKeeping customers moving through a cycleBecoming familiar from the customer's point of view

Choose just two key channelsMany small businesses make the mistake of advertising anywhere and everywhere. Not only does this lead to ineffective budgeting, but it can wreak havoc on your brand image. If you are starting out, the best way is to focus on just two mediums. This can be one print advertising (e.g. a coupon) and one television commercial that is consistent and rotated for variety. Your new customers will be more likely to identify your brand, and you won't be wasting money on ineffective mediums. As your business grows, you can start to branch out, but two will give you a strong start.

Create a memorable messageYou may need to hire a copywriter for this portion, but you'll definitely want to take time to refine your message. This is usually a combination of your mission statement, a key product or price offer, or a memorable tag line. Whatever this may be, it's important to take the time to make it a memorable, unique, and creative as possible. Remember, you want to be on the top of every customer's mind after they've received your message.

Maintain brand consistencyThis is important for businesses of any size, and when you are starting out, creating, nurturing, and developing your brand image is vital to your long-term success. When customers are receiving direct mail pieces with your logo, and then seeing the same logo on your website, they can easily make the ‘mental connection.' The smoother this connection is, the easier it will be to create future marketing campaigns and strengthen your brand in as many outlets you pursue in the future.

Keep customers moving through the cycleYour sales cycle needs to be outlined in detail before any marketing campaign is initiated. It can be as basic as 2-3 steps, or as involved as 5 or more. This is simply an outline of how a customer is introduced to the idea or concept, and what steps they take to complete the sale. Once you've identified the main areas, you can create a marketing campaign at every single step of the way, ensuring that each customer moves through the cycle in the appropriate amount of time.

Becoming familiar from the customer's point of viewHave you ever felt loyal to a company, simply because they are ‘always there' for you? This is brand familiarity, and you can create this with a high level of customer service at all times. This is difficult for most startups, but once it is initiated effectively, it can lead to lifelong customers, and even better; referrals to their social and business networks!