Marketing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You just need the right structure—and the right guide.
Plans
If you were to build a house, you would NEVER start without a plan. Why should your business be any different?
A good set of Plans includes: Business Plan, Marketing Plan, Budget, and Action List.
Your plan doesn’t have to be long or complicated. Answer these questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How
What happens if you don’t have a plan?
No plan? Be prepared to overspend or completely run out of money, miss your target audience, and/or have poor results.
Foundation
A solid Foundation includes things like your Brand (logo suite and brand guidelines), collateral materials (business cards, letterhead, etc.), messaging, website, SEO, Google Business Profile, and your Social Media profiles.
These are the items that make your program stand strong across all of your strategies, tactics, campaigns, events, printed materials, media, apparel, and promotional products. It is your company identity and usually the first impression a prospect has of your company.
What happens if you don’t have a solid foundation?
A weak foundation for your Marketing Program translates into a poor brand image, mixed messages (or even the wrong message), poor results, and a low return on investment of your marketing dollars.
Framework
Think of the Framework as all of the elements you will need to build your “house”: strategies and tactics, sales materials, advertising, and lead management.
Your Framework sits on top of your Foundation – they are the things you use to generate new business and communicate with your customers and prospects: email marketing, newsletters, trade shows, offers, free downloads, VIP programs, speaking engagements or presentations, networking, professional memberships, video, etc.
What happens if you don’t have a sturdy framework?
Weak Framework? You may miss opportunities to make a strong connection with your target audience and generate leads, you will not be able to react quickly to changes in business or economic conditions, and your results will be disappointing.
Finishing Touches
Your Finishing Touches are the things that make your house a home – promotional products and branded apparel. Your house won’t fall down if you don’t have these things, but – if you can afford it – finishing touches go a long way to reinforcing your brand and making a memorable first impression.
Toolbox
Just like building a house, building a marketing program requires the right tools for each step of the process. From planning and design to execution and measurement, having the right tools in place makes your work more efficient, your message more consistent, and your results more measurable. The right tools don’t just save time—they help you build a stronger foundation, avoid costly mistakes, and scale your efforts as your business grows.
Want to see which tools I recommend? Click here to explore the Toolbox.