A marketing plan seems to be one of the toughest aspects of a business plan to pull together. Somehow we seem to overlook both the importance and the method of creating a marketing plan for our home business. A marketing plan is not simply a list of strategies or compilation of places to advertise.

Your marketing plan starts with your mission statement and your vision for your business. Your mission statement is what the business will become. When we develop our business plan, we create a vision of what we intend for our business - what we want our business to DO and become eventually.

At the core of your mission statement is your target customer. Don't overlook what your business will become to your customers and clients. This is a critical part of your business plan.

A customer focused business plan will generate a strong effective marketing plan as well. Once you have developed a strong sense of what your business will become to your ideal customer, then it is time to create your marketing plan. Your ideal customer is your niche market.

Don't lose sight of the fact your target market are people. A mission statement focused on what your business hopes to accomplish for your clients will make setting goals and strategies easier and more effective. Writing out what you will do for your clients will take you down the right path - the literal path to your customers.

Once you have wrangled that mission statement into submission and have fine tuned what your business will DO for your customers. It is finally time to learn everything you can about your current and future customers. Remember, this is an ongoing process - knowing your customers. Your marketing strategies will depend on your expertise on who your clients are AND what they need.

Essentially, your marketing plan consists of "bridges” you will build that connect YOU to your customers. That is why you must know both your customer and what your business will do to meet your customers needs or wants.

For your business to be marketable, it must offer something your niche market needs or wants. Building your business based on what your clients need then delivering exactly what they were looking for will ensure repeat sales, visits even referrals as they tell others what your business did for them.

It's actually a critical step to develop a complete profile of your ideal client.

Why?

Because THAT person is who is at the center of your marketing plan. Every aspect of your business should be designed to ATTRACT that person you are trying to reach. Knowing that person you want to connect with will guide every one of your marketing strategies.

Think about it.

Your niche market is out there…looking for what you offer. Realize that each "strategy” is a bridge to your target market. Every word or image used in marketing will be geared toward that person you trying to convince to do business with you. Your marketing strategy? Build bridges specific to your niche that bring your business into their lives, such as…

Groups that your customers participate in - both online and locally.

Direct marketing from postcards to flyers - designed to SPEAK to your ideal customer.

Writing articles that focus on issues important to your target market.

Community events, trade shows and networking events - both in person and online.

Press Releases

Web site design and development - remember that your website is only effective if you are drawing targeted visitors.

So remember WHO you want to bring directly to your website then make every page reflect what YOU will do for your customers. Construct bridges that your customers will readily cross with faith in your ability to deliver what you offer.

Such bridges take PLANNING and you can only plan effectively when you KNOW your niche market. Engineer your own success ~ Start with your niche.