Your 2012 Marketing Plan

Are you ready for 2012?  Here are some ideas to help your company market in 2012.  

Your 2012 Action Plan

A. How do you plan to keep an eye on the competition?

1. Shop them- Go into their business and act as a potential client.  Call and see how they answer the phone.
2. Work with them- Sometimes your competitor could be an amazing referral partner. 
3. Research- Check out their Social Media and website.  See what they are doing. What works for them and what doesn’t.
4. Continuing Education- Staying current and ahead of the Game.
5. Attend workshops- Have brain storming sessions, ask them what works, build relationships.

B, Effectively Using Social Media in 2012

1. Linkedin-  Effectively using groups.  Starting discussions and participating in group discussions. 
2. Facebook Fan Page- promote things you do in the community.  Have theme days on your page.  Start off with a couple.  When they take off incorporate another one.  What’s going on Wednesday, Tuesday Tip day, Favorite thing Friday.
3. Email Marketing- Be consistent.  Have fun with it.  The topics don’t always have to be about your company. Put fun things that will make your readers want to read it. 
4. Utilize Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Learn how it can draw more traffic to my website/ blog.
5. Workshops/ Classes-  Take more workshops and classes to be up to date on all the new things going on with Facebook, LInkedin, Twitter, Google+ etc.

C.  Events for your current clients-

1. Put on training events/ lunch and learns
2. Sponsor or co- Sponsor events/ charity events-
3. Bring in speakers
4. Have a in house client appreciation day- Family fun day, bring in spa services, wine tasting, etc.
5. Charity events- In house or at other locations. 

D.  Participate in your community-

1. Networking Events- Join business face to face networking groups.  Be active and go often.
2. Mentoring- Children/ Youth organizations,  colleges, networking organizations, charities, etc.
3. Non- Profits- volunteering, Board, Committees, Work in Kind, Sponsorships, Fundraising.
4. Sponsorship- Profits, non-profits, community events, business events.
5. Teach workshops/ classes- youth groups (Girl/ Boy Scouts), High Schools, companies that you are targeting the same clientele,  Trade Shows, Networking Groups. 

E.  Participating in Trade Shows-

1.      Business Card Drawing- Give away big prizes, bounce back promotion for everyone who participates. 

2.      Advertise Trade Show- Email your contacts, post on social media, invite connections on facebook and linkedin, post in your office.  Show value to you and the show by helping promote it.

3.      Give Tickets to the event- Have new/ current client promotion/ contest, Give tickets to your top clients in a nice hand written card.

4.      Guest Speaker- Along with having a booth. See if you can be a guest speaker.

5.      Sponsor- Sponsor the event or an award.

6.      Info- Make sure to have plenty of information to give the other vendors and people attending the event.

F. Face to Face Networking-

1. Attend Chamber Events- Good for meeting potential Referral partners/ sources.  Go with a game plan and meet new people.  Set up 1-on-1’s to learn more about them and their company. 
2. 1-on-1- Set up meetings with people in your networking groups.  Learn more about them and their company and see how you can help each other.  1-on-1’s are key to grow your company.
3. Join Networking Group- that the networking groups may have.
4. Set up workshops-
5. Attend more events- Charity, Business Mixers, Business Networking functions, etc.

G.Referral Programs-

1.      Clients- Bring a friend and receive_______.

2.      Employees- Sell a certain amount of product or services and receive.  Instead of having one big winner, it is good to have them be able to reach a goal.  Or top 5 people get________.

3.      Other Companies- Get with referral partners to do a referral program together.  It could be something were they have to visit both companies. Or the company gives you the prize for advertising them.

4.      Website- swap website banners.

5.      Social Media-  Refer a friend to our fan page, Share our page on your wall and enter to win, Refer the most fans and get_______, refer 10 friends and get_______.

What forms of marketing are you going to focus your energy?

Social Media                           Mobile Marketing

Blogging                                 Vlogging

Newsletters                             Newsprint

Email Marketing                     in house marketing

Newsprint                               Networking

QR Codes                               Sponsorships

Face to Face Networking        Referral Marketing

Social Media tools

Facebook                     Facebook Fan Pages               Twitter

Blogging                     Linkedin                                  BizMatchConnect

Google+                      Blogging                                 Youtube

Foursquare