Business Marketing and Sales Marketing

Internet Marketing Secret – How to Double Your Sales Overnight

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:12:59 +0000

What if you could double your sales overnight by applying just one Internet marketing secret? Smart direct marketers have a secret: They know exactly which ad or sales letter produced what results because the results. How do they know this? The secret is…What if you could double your sales overnight by applying just one Internet marketing secret?

One of the greatest secrets of direct marketing is that it is scientific. With many forms of advertising, you cannot tell which ad or marketing campaign produced the results. But smart direct marketers know exactly which ad or sales letter produced what results because the results are tracked and measured.

Direct marketers have a secret they have been using to double their income – or more – for a hundred years. And when this marketing secret is combined with the power and speed of Internet marketing, the results can be phenomenal. It is not an exaggeration to say that you could potentially double your sales overnight with this one Internet marketing secret.

What’s the secret? Split testing. This is done by using a “key” to associate a sale with the ad or sales letter that produced the sale so that you can measure the results. In a print ad, you might provide a phone number with an extension. The extension is actually the key. You would have two ads or sales letters, each with a different key, and would then track the results using their respective keys. Internet marketers typically use tracking software to associate a key with the resulting sales, although it can be done as simply as having two sales pages and tracking the sales from each.

For accurate results, you need a test that is big enough that you can rely on your statistics. For example, with a direct mail sales letter this is generally considered to be a mailing of at least 1000. Internet marketers can substitute 1000 page views. Either way, once you know what results you can consistently expect from an ad or sales letter, it becomes what direct marketers call your “control.” You always need to have one control that produces known results. Then you can test other versions against the control to see if you can consistently beat the results of the control.

Suppose that you have a Web sales letter that consistently produces an average of 10 sales for every 1000 times the page is viewed. This is a 1% response, a figure that is often cited as average for a direct response sales letter.

Now you need to test one variable at a time to see if you can increase the percentage of sales. For example, you may want to test the sales letter with a different headline, a different graphic, a different price, different bonuses, different text, etc. But always only test one variable at a time. Generally, the headline is considered to be the most important element to test first.

What you want to determine is whether any change in a single variable will consistently produce a higher response. The payoff can be quite significant. Imagine if a different headline was determined to produce a 2% response. That doesn’t sound like much of a change – only 1% more. But this would double your sales! Instead of making 10 sales out of a thousand, you would be making 20 sales.

This is a very realistic scenario, so you always want to test against your control. The better your control, the more tests will fail to beat it. But once you find a sales letter that consistently beats the control, then you make it the new control and continue with testing another variation of the headline or a different variable. Perhaps you might next test whether the color of the headline makes a difference. Suppose that changing the color of the headline resulted in another 1% increase in sales to a 3% response rate. This would be another 50% increase in sales and would be triple the number of sales averaged from the original sales letter!

It is very easy to be complacent with a working sales letter and not test further, but this can be a costly mistake. Any change in a variable. could result in higher profits. For example, suppose that you determined that you consistently had a 1% response rate when selling your product for $97 but a 2% response rate when selling the product for $67. For every 1000 page views, you would make $970 at $97 per sale but $1340 at $67 per sale.

Always track your response rate, always keep split testing against your control looking for a new control, and always consider the bottom line - your net profit. Many tests will fail - they will not beat your control. But once you have a successful test that consistently beats your control, you will likely have significantly increased your income. Without split testing, you will never know how much money you are losing. But with this Internet marketing secret, you can potentially double your sales overnight.

Intranet and Extranet Software for Non-profit Organizations

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:12:10 +0000

Intranets and extranets are growing in popularity among non-profit organizations for improving the efficiency of team collaboration.Public charities and other not-for profit organization can now make use of the latest tools for team collaboration. The most popular, collaboration intranets and extranets, are used by businesses of all sizes to improve communication and collaboration, and are now showing up in the not-for-profit arena.

A collaboration extranet is internet based and offers greater security than email. Moreover, it allows users to organize their communications in ways that aren’t possible with ordinary email. A good extranet requires no complicated installation and training process. It can be installed in a few minutes and can be taught to inexperienced computer users in less
than twenty minutes.

National and regional charities make use of secure extranets to communicate accurately, in real time, with their installations away from home offices. They also use extranets for working with members of their boards of directors and with major contributors.

According to a high-level executive in a well known Community Service Organization, “Our extranet is very helpful because it allows us to work much more effectively with our Board of Directors. Many of our Board members live far away from our headquarters and cannot spare the time for frequent meetings or even for phone calls. With our extranet, we are able to keep them up-to-date on all of our challenges and opportunities.”

She continued, “Because the extranet allows for instant feedback, and because every person with a password can see everyone else’s comments, our communications are faster and more accurate. The result is better guidance for us in management.”

Extranet software and intranet software can be “rented” from outside providers, who host the extranet or intranet solution and make it available to the non-profit organization’s users via any web browser.

This can be a good solution in that it reduces the burden on an organization’s technical resources. Storage capabilities are seldom a concern.

Many intranet and extranet providers create special rates for charitable organization. The discounts are often significant, sometimes less than 25% of their usual commercial rates.

Introduction And Scope Of Public Domain Content

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:11:23 +0000

Public Domain consists of all inspired work and other information (Music, invention, artwork, writing, technology, etc.,) on which no one i.e. Person or Organization claims an ownership. Such information is considered to be part of Public’s inheritance and anyone can exploit them for their needs without any restriction.

Public Domain can be General information which includes facts, ideas, templates, etc. which could be used by anybody for their needs. Public domain may al…

Public Domain can be General information which includes facts, ideas, templates, etc. which could be used by anybody for their needs. Public domain may also be works that may be donated for Pubic Domain. Some of the works by Government also falls under Public Domain.

Copyright was designed to get a financial spur to the owner while works in public domain are present for the public to use them without any financial constraint. Copyrighted works fall under public domain once their copyright period is expired.

Not all the information available on the internet fall under Public domain contents. But all works published in US before 1923 are in the Public Domain. The classic examples would be Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Bookstores utilize the public domain by reprinting works that are public domain.

The public domain is a space where intellectual property protection does not apply. When copyrights and patents expire, innovations and creative works fall into the public domain.

They may then be used by anyone without permission and without the payment of a licensing fee. Publicly owned national parks are also considered by many to be public domain lands. Because of the extensions of the terms of both copyrights and patents, and the privatization of lands and other resources owned by the Federal Government, little is now entering the public domain.

Since the public domain is a treasure trove of information and resources to be used by future generations, many advocates are concerned that its stagnation will make it more difficult for future generations to find creative inspiration.

Copyleft is a way to make program free software and require those who distribute improved versions of it to make them free also.

The Copyleft principle is simple. When one programmer creates program, he has a copyright in that software. Legally, he has the power to control its use, redistribution, and modification. By releasing it under a copyleft license he makes the software available to the public in freedom, while requiring every released program that reuses his code to be free in the same way.

Copyleft encourages the user community to contribute to the improvement of the free software, by closing off the temptation to make those improvements proprietary. Meanwhile, companies are free to use, improve and redistribute the software, just like individuals.

Internet Marketing Vs Network Marketing?

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:10:34 +0000

Which one do you want to venture into?
Internet business? Or, network marketing business?
In my opinion, you have to find out what you really want (money, good contact, getting new knowledge etc.). Then learn and investigate. Yes, you might fail in either one of both – be it in network marketing or internet marketing. But sometimes, you don’t really fail but you’re actually progressing towards your goals.

Let me give you an analogy. You build a website and do lots…

Which one do you want to venture into?

Internet business? Or, network marketing business?

In my opinion, you have to find out what you really want (money, good contact, getting new knowledge etc.). Then learn and investigate. Yes, you might fail in either one of both – be it in network marketing or internet marketing. But sometimes, you don’t really fail but you’re actually progressing towards your goals.

Let me give you an analogy. You build a website and do lots of traffic generations, and you are spending your hard-earned money for two months now. Results – no sale. No income.

Then you quit, put down your website and look for other avenues of income.

What you didn’t know was…

If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you will make your first sale on the third month, fourth month and so on. You will be generating income from your internet business. But, this all will never happen if your story was written only until month 2.

You might think that this story is fictitious and yeah, a story to make you feel good but nothing more than that, but what if I said that this actually happened to me? To tell you the truth, it really did happen to me and I hope it can be an inspiration to anyone reading this article too.

I made my first sale only after three months on the internet and by that time, I have spent lots of money powering up the business. But, it all is worth it now – knowing that I’ve got more than I invested before.

Back to internet marketing vs. network marketing…

My take is… find a way to do both.

I got a chance to read an ebook by Daegan Smith ( www.NetMLMProfit.com ) and I believe it will be a good start to know more about doing network marketing on the internet.

Daegan talks about lead generation from the Internet and building an effective website to drive quality prospects to your network marketing program. All of this can be setup once and can passively attract prospects over and over again. For some of you, these are not something new but it works for him and it will definitely work for you too.

If you study carefully, there are many other internet marketers joining or considering to join an internet based network marketing program. I know that they already make lots of money from their internet business, but why are they still looking into network marketing?

Probably it’s not money they are looking for.

Probably it’s because of the value in the network marketing program itself.

Probably because they are having fun just to be around successful people in another business field.

Whatever it is, you can have both internet and network marketing as your income generator.

In summary, I hope you’ll consider internet marketing and network marketing at the same time. Entrepreneurs are always open for new ideas and new business ventures.

Find out what you really want.

Interesting Preliminary Results On Headlines

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:09:37 +0000

Soon, I’ll do a large study on headlines using a list of profitable and unprofitable sites. However, I have been running some split tests and have seen some interesting results in the last week or so. The sample size is small (3 sites), but all three split tests agreed on the following factors:

1. Blue (#000080) is winning over black by a small margin on all three sites. I hadn’t expected that. I use dark blue just because I like it and the large study showed that any dark…

1. Blue (#000080) is winning over black by a small margin on all three sites. I hadn’t expected that. I use dark blue just because I like it and the large study showed that any dark color was fine as long as it wasn’t red. Green just never appealed to me and I wanted some color in my sales letter, so I’ve been going with that dark blue. Because darkness was important in the large study, I expected black to win over blue. It’s a nice result to see that I’m not doing the 2nd place thing in this case.

2. Serif fonts (Times New Roman in the tests) are winning over sans-serif fonts (Arial in the tests). That makes no sense to me. Everyone knows that headlines should be sans-serif and regular text should be serif; right? That’s just basic typography info. In fact, I think sans-serif fonts were specifically created for headlines. Well; it appears that isn’t the case for sales copy. Times New Roman is winning over Ariel in number of conversions in three different split tests.

3. I’ve been using size 6 fonts for headlines. It’s a fairly large size and it just feels right. Size 7 is just too large. Not so say the split test results. Size 7 has an average of 24% more conversions than size 6 in the split tests I’ve been performing.

I’ll eventually do a real study on a few thousand profitable and unprofitable sites and have a conclusive answer to all three of the above questions.

I thought you might find the results interesting as I did though, so there you go… for what it’s worth.

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:08:33 +0000

This article provides a basic introduction into trade show displays and related products such as banner stands, literature racks, and more.When it comes to displaying items at a trade show, you have many options from banner stands, literature stands and pop-up displays. You may choose to use more than one type of trade show display unit since each one can be used together to give a more full effect and useful information.

Banner Stands
Banner stands come in an array of sizes and designs. the majority of banner stands are portable are designed to be set up in very quickly and have a practical existence for several trade shows as long as they are treated properly. Deciding on which type of banner stand is best for you is to decide among the varieties available. The main types are retractable, spring back and telescopic.

Rollable banner stands are great for creating a floor standing photo mural. This type has hardware that allows the graphic image to be seen from the floor to the top of the image. The main selling point for this type is that from the front of the stand all your potential customers will see is the image. All of the hardware is either hidden or a small portion is at the top or the bottom of the stand. Therefore, the hardware is not what is noticed by visitors to your display. The rollable display can also be attached side by side with other rollable banner stands to create a much longer imager that can be as long as ten feet or more.

Retractable banner stands may be better if you are seeking durability. The graphic in this unit is rolled in and out of a metal housing, which is at the bottom of the display. With retractable banner stands, the lamination is on both sides this will aid in preserving and protecting the image from any type of damage.

Literature Racks

Literature racks also come in many different styles, designs and sizes that will enable you to fit all of the literature that you would like to offer to potential customers. Most of the time trade show literature racks are silver or black and have 3 to 5 pockets. A few larger ones are similar to a magazine rack that you commonly see at the grocery store holding comic books.

The most popular literature rack is probably the Zed Up. This great literature rack has a shelf system that can be folded down and put into its own bag for transporting. The main reason this type of literature rack is popular is that you do not have to remove the literature when you are ready to pack up. There are two sizes of the Zed Up, one with 3 pockets that will hold single brochures and another that will hold larger quantities of literature in each pocket.

You may desire a more sleek and modern design which would be the Slope literature rack. It is also very easy to transport by just folding the rack flat. It has 3 pockets that will hold literature 10 inches wide by 57 inches high and 16 inches deep. The slope has its own carrying bag as well for easier transport.

Pop-up displays

There are quite a few different types of pop-up displays that you can enjoy using for your trade show needs. There are five fashionable types that most people prefer which include the Standard Pop-up Displays, the Photo Mural Pop-up Displays, the Fabric Mural Pop-up Displays, the Commercial Pop-up Displays, and the 3-D Style Pop-up Displays. Each one has their own unique qualities and style to enhance your trade show experience.

The commonest is the standard pop-up. These are normally around 10 feet wide with a curved design. They are usually made with lightweight aluminum frame, PVC or steel channel bars, individual aluminum, or Velcro fabric panels.

The photo mural pop-up displays are pretty much like the standard pop-up displays except they use photo mural panels instead of the Velcro fabric panels. The photo mural pop-ups draw more attention because of the large format graphics that they use.

With the fabric mural pop-up display, you do not have to worry about set up as much. The mural is attached to the frame, which makes setting up faster and easier than with the standard or the photo mural style. This type also weighs less than most standard pop-ups on the market today. You can choose from a curved or non-curved design and most come with their own carrying bag.

Commercial Pop up displays may be what you need, but they are a bit more expensive. This type is sturdy and can take a bit more mistreatment or mishandling than other units can.

One of the newest pop up displays on the market today is the 3-D Style Pop-up Display. These are similar to the fabric mural displays in that the fabric image is attached to the frame, but you can choose from different shapes such as square or round. Set up is easy and quick.

Everything Displays, Inc. is the publisher of this article and is a leading provider of trade show displays, exhibits, booths and accessories, with one of the largest product selections on the web in the industry. Permission is granted to reprint this article, either online or in written publications, as long as this resource box and the link to www.EverythingDisplays.com are attached at the end of the article.

Introduction to Trade Show Exhibits

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:07:38 +0000

This article provides a basic introduction into trade show exhibits including truss exhibits and accessories such as light packages, backlit headers and more.When you are planning for your next trade show exhibit you should look back to when you were only browsing the many different booths, exhibits, and displays. Remember what type of exhibits got your attention. Your presentation should also draw the crowd.

Before you just rush out and purchase displays for your trade show exhibition you must take into consideration many different aspects of how you desire your presentation to look and feel. You know you want it to speak to the potential customers that are passing by and hopefully bring them over so you can speak with them. Your exhibit must get their attention so will they walk over, and then you can get their undivided attention.

You must first decide which type of exhibit will be the best to present your products, services and your company image. You should also consider your budget. No matter what your budget you can find the perfect trade show exhibits that will convey your message with the image that you want others to see.

The size of your trade show exhibit can either make or break you. If you have one to large, the exhibit will be overwhelming and if you choose one to small it will look overcrowded and cluttered. The most common sizes for trade show exhibits are 10 feet by 10 feet, 20 feet by 20 feet, and 10 feet by 20 feet. Within this size limitation, you must also choose from pop-up designs, panels or complete Truss trade show display booths.

In the 10 feet by 10 feet size, you can find some great displays in various styles and designs. With the Clever 10 foot panel, you can choose from Backlit Header, lights, the color that you prefer for the lower panel and a different one for the upper panel. The benefits of using these panels are that they are sturdy and durable but very lightweight and easy to transport. The average weight of these panels is around 130 pounds. The Genius I 10 foot panel you can also choose whether you want lights, the counter base color, Counter Laminate Color, the color of the lower panel and the upper panel. The features of this type of panel is that it is a folding panel display system, has 6 upper hinged panels, 6 lower hinged panels, 1 backlit header and lights, 1 alcove counter top and 1 alcove counter base. This wonderful panel is very impressive for all types of displays and normally weighs around 200 pounds.

If you prefer a larger size like the 20 feet by 20 feet, you should like at the features that are included with pop-up displays and Truss display booths. The best pop-up display of this size is the Trilogy 20′ x 20′ Island Pop up Trade Show Display. The features of this unique display are that it is in actuality three trade show booths in one. It has the 10-foot wide back-to-back exhibiting area that creates a triangular or star shape. If gives you the ability to present your products or different aspects of your company all the way around the display. You will also be able to choose the color and fabric that you desire along with a case to counter conversion kit and the colors and fabrics of this kit, lights, shelf package, Backlit Header Package and Reconfiguration Panels. 20 feet by 20 feet Truss booths come in a few unique styles such as the Cassiopeia, which features a steel construction; high shine silver color, 4 tabletops, and the ability to assemble with just four screwdrivers that are included. The Centaurus features the same quality steel construction, the high shine silver color, 24 silver spotlights, and the ability to add tabletops in either lightwood or silver in color. The Neptune is sure to grab attention with features like a modular system that is quick and easy to assemble. The Jupiter is another modern and innovative display which gives you great features such as high shine silver color, quality steel construction, 6 tabletops in either light wood or silver, 8 silver spot lights, and easy to assemble with screw drivers that are included. The Vega is similar to other Truss booths but is an eye catching and appealing booth with options for tabletops, colors, and design.

The 10 feet by 20 feet size of displays gives you styles and designs to choose from such as pop-display’s, panels, and Truss booths. All of these also have many unique styles and designs that are sure to aid you in presenting your products, your company, or your services in a manner that is not only unique, stylish and original, but with prices within your budget.

Everything Displays, Inc. is the publisher of this article and is a national leading provider of trade show exhibit solutions, with one of the largest selection of trade show exhibits on the web. Visit their website to view the numerous trade show exhibits available including a wide selection of pop up displays and literature racks. Permission is granted to reprint this article, either online or in written publications, as long as this resource box and the link to www.EverythingDisplays.com are attached at the end of the article.

Introduction to Trade Show Booths

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:06:39 +0000

This article provides a basic introduction into trade show booths including truss booths such as the pluto, mars or cygnus models, in addition to accessories that go with trade show booths.Trade show booths come in an array of styles and designs that will show off your products, your services or your company in an unforgettable manner that offers a unique appeal, which is intelligent, chic and contemporary. Most trade show booths are very easy to assemble and transport to make your experience a more enjoyable one.

Choosing the perfect trade show booth to accommodate the products that you wish to display will be very easy once you know just how much room you will have at the trade show and how much material you will be presenting.

A bit of flash and sophistication never hurt a presentation. You only have a few minutes to grab the attention of a potential customer, client, or buyer. As they walk past your trade show booth, you must have something that will draw their attention, whether it is your personality, the products themselves or a very unique design displayed to entice.

To begin with, you should choose a trade show booth that will fit properly with the allotted space you have been assigned. You can choose from 10 feet by 10 feet, 10 feet by 20 feet or 20 feet by 20 feet Truss trade show booths. Each one has a compelling appeal that with the right graphics will draw a crowd to your booth. Be sure to get a trade show booth that will hold everything you wish to present without your visitors feeling claustrophobic, clutter will definitely turn them away. They should be able to walk around and through your display without bumping into items and knocking items off counters and shelves.

Remember most people will notice items that are eye level. This is where the main attraction should be. You want the area to be well lit, colorful, and maybe even add some music. You must attract attention just before they get to your booth. If they notice a pleasant, stylish, elegant trade show booth, they will at least stop and look around.

Now, you should start to think about what trade show booth you should purchase. In the 10 feet by 10 feet style, you can choose from the Carina, the Pluto, the Mars, Mercury, Cygnus, Lyra, Castor, and Sirius. All of these styles offer durable steel construction, 2 or 3 tabletops in either lightwood or silver in color, 2 or 3 silver spotlights, and the tools for assembly.

If you believe a 10 foot by 20 foot trade show booth will present your products better then you can decide on some quality and professional looking booths such as the Andromeda which comes complete with 4 tabletops and 5 silver spotlights, the Hydrus with 2 tabletops and 5 silver spotlights, the Venus with 5 tabletops and 4 silver spotlights, the Saturn with 2 tabletops and 5 silver spotlights, the Polaris with 4 tabletops and 5 silver spotlights, and the Arcturus with 4 tabletops and 7 silver spotlights. Each one of these trade show booths will have potential customers clamoring to your display to see what you are offering.

Next, in line to consider are the 20 foot by 20-foot trade show booths. You may believe these are just too big for your company. Nevertheless, remember you do not want any clutter and you want your guests to be able to walk around and feel comfortable while they are eyeing your products. This size may be the perfect size to display everything you wish without any worries about missing something you believe is an important selling feature. You can choose from Truss trade booths in this size and style that include the Cassiopeia, the Centaurus, the Neptune, the Jupiter, the Vega and the Orion. All have wonderful features that you desire with steel construction and easy to assemble.

Prices for trade show booths may seem a bit expensive, especially if this is your first time being involved in a trade show. But, you must remember trade show booths are an investment. You can use them time and time again and with the quality steel construction, they can last for years to come. Spending the money now to make a statement for your company is a wise decision that can lead to more money and loyal customers in the years to come.

There are also many different accessories that you can add with your trade show booth that will give your company many more options when presenting your services or products to the world. Enjoy setting up your booth and bring in more customers with the perfect trade show booth with a style of elegance, innovation, and style.

Everything Displays, Inc. is the publisher and owner of this article and is a national leading provider of trade show display solutions, with one of the largest selection of trade show booths on the web. Visit their website to view the numerous trade show booths available including a wide selection of pop up displays and banner stands. Permission is granted to reprint this article, either online or in written publications, as long as this resource box and the link to www.EverythingDisplays.com are attached at the end of the article.

Invite the Media to Tell Your Story

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:05:51 +0000

With preparation and diligence, you will overcome almost all media relations challenges.People often ask me how I managed to get a major newspaper like The New York Times to write my story. My response is, “Nineteen years of growing a successful business.” You have to lay the groundwork before you can expect national media attention. The heavy hitters won’t call you until your name is well known in your industry.

It took me 19 years to build the kind of professional presence that would attract the interest of a national media outlet like The New York Times. But you don’t have to wait that long to see your name in print. You can start right now enticing local and regional media to tell your story. Unlike advertising and many other forms of marketing, you don’t pay for this type of publicity. It comes from the media free of charge, but in turn requires more effort than advertising.

Media relations is also riskier than paid advertising. When you pay for an ad, the publication is committed to running your ad just as you designed it. The same is not true for media relations. There are no guarantees that just because you gave an interview the media will include a story about your company and, more importantly, that the story will say exactly what you want it to say. You have no control over who else they might interview or how they’ll slant the story. Don’t expect to see, much less approve, a copy of your story before it runs.

However, when a positive article about your business does run in the media, you get a big pay-off. The public perceives a news story as far more credible than any advertisement. A published article or broadcast news item is accepted as a media endorsement of your company. Also, even though the story might not match your expectations exactly, you can still benefit tremendously.

Vanquish 3 Myths
Before beginning a media relations effort, you’ll need to overcome the myths about media relations that could prevent you from creating an effective campaign.

Myth #1 – The media will discover me. False. You have to help them along. You must boldly and unabashedly offer the media a relevant, valuable, fascinating story about your business. Many of the stories published or broadcast about companies come directly from the companies themselves. The media needs and appreciates story ideas, but they’re not likely to come up with an idea about your company unless you give it to them.

Myth #2 – The media would never be interested in me. Not necessarily. Even a small company can grab the media’s interest. You can, too, by carefully developing the story of your business to speak directly to the media outlet’s audience. Think about how your unique experience on a specific case can be interesting and helpful to that audience. Look for ways the story of your success can educate or inspire others.

Myth #3 – I could never speak persuasively to the media. Of course you can. Calling on the media is no more difficult than calling on any new client. All it takes is preparation. Make notes before you make contact, practice what you want to say and be ready to catch a reporter’s interest in the first 15 seconds.

With preparation and diligence, you will overcome almost all media relations challenges.

Is A Marketing Plan The Same Thing As A Communications Plan?

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:04:35 +0000

How does a marketing plan relate to an organization’s communications plan? What are the differences? Is the marketing plan just one aspect of the communications plan? Should one consider combining them into a single document?.How does a marketing plan relate to an organization’s communications plan? What are the differences? Is the marketing plan just one aspect of the communications plan? Should one consider combining them into a single document?

A communications plan is a PART of your marketing plan. A communications plan is a focused strategy you use to get the word out about your business, product or service.

You may use a variety of communications tactics such as public relations, advertising and speaking engagements. Yes, it does identify who you are communicating to and what your message is, and where and how you will get that message out, and often has goals or objectives you are trying to achieve.

Here’s the difference between the two

A marketing plan starts by creating a strong, strategic marketing foundation for your communications plan. It addresses the goals and objectives for your business, not just for your communications activities.

It addresses how you package, price and sell your product or service, not just how you talk about it. It takes into consideration your competitors and helps you develop a unique selling proposition to ensure your product or service is uniquely positioned in the minds of your prospects and customers.

And it ensures you have a way to track all of your marketing activities to create the greatest possible success for your business.

You need a marketing plan FIRST

The messaging part of your marketing plan is where your communications plan comes in. Once you have created a strong, strategic marketing foundation (which you will do as part of creating a marketing plan) you can determine a message strategy and tactics – this is your communications plan. And it most definitely can be a part of the same document.

When I write marketing plans for clients, the communications plan is part of the marketing plan. The only time it is not, is when the client has written their own business and marketing plans. But in those cases, I make sure I either get to review their plans or that I completely understand their business goals and strategy so I can develop a marketing communications plan to support them.

The success of your communications plan depends on it

If all you have is a communications plan, you are missing an important part of what it takes to make a business successful. A marketing plan is essential.