It's go time, and you need to get a marketing plan together, now what?
One of the first questions out of the mouths of 95% of the prospective customers I talk to is, "Can I get a marketing proposal?"
No matter how many times I hear the question on the first call, it catches me off guard every time, and I find myself stumbling all over the place. It's easy to get overly excited, because it seems like you're serious when you ask it, but giving in to a proposal at this stage is the kiss of death. You will never take me seriously if I put a plan in front of you without knowing more about why you are here to begin with.
It should capture your goals, plans, and challenges.
It's quite simple, really. Your marketing proposal is essentially the first stage to building out your executable marketing strategy, so the person who puts it together for you should know quite a bit about your pains and goals. That's the only way for them to know how to accurately depict what's necessary to move the needle.
1. GOALS
Have you determined what your actual marketing objectives are? This is where your call should go first. Identify what exactly you're looking to accomplish, and then let's detail how we're going to help you get there.
I like starting at the end-game and walking it back from there (more ideas). What's the ULTIMATE goal? Revenue. Of course, it is. But how much? And in what time frame?
Let's lock in on something solid and go from there. $100,000 in 12 months? $1,000,000 in 24 months? Maybe more? Maybe less?
This is helpful because A) Marketing agencies are businesses too, and we have certain parameters that must be met in order for the project to make any sense. Sometimes budget constraints means bringing in a marketing consultant for small project work, not an agency that's going to put out a full-scale strategy with a team of professionals touching it. And B) When it does make sense, we need to see what the end game is, so we can start laying out the proper path to get there.
Calculate your marketing objectives with this free workbook by Orange Pegs Media
2. PLANS
Now let's take a look at what you're doing to get there. My agency specializes in inbound marketing, so I'm going to ask you about digital tactics, like social media, blogging, content downloads, and white-hat SEO. We are typically shopped against other types of marketing, such as straight SEO or companies that sell leads.
The point of this part of the discussion is to figure out what you're doing, where your interests are, and what's ultimately missing from your master plan. Maybe it's a certain marketing tactic, like social media. Maybe you have everything else, but need somebody who understands how to make businesses social, and generate sales from it.
3. CHALLENGES
Goals are great. Plans are great. But there's something stopping you from achieving your marketing objectives. What. Is. It? Or, more accurately, what are they?
See what an inbound marketing plan would include with this free playbook:
At last - your marketing proposal! or... no?
I know this seems like a roundabout way of answering the question, and at the end of it, I still don't have a marketing proposal in your hands. But this is actually a good thing. Why? Because at this point we're helping you take a more serious look at your existing strategy, and we're pre-assembling your full-scale strategy in a manner that will fit your business... at this specific point in time.
When it's finally time to actually put that marketing proposal in your hands, you'll have a much clearer idea of what you should expect, and you won't have those lingering questions of how we expect to translate your marketing investment into actual revenue for your company.
Interested in learning more about inbound marketing and how it may contribute to the growth of your business? Schedule a free inbound consultation with Orange Pegs today!
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