3 key areas where marketing can be your guide.

Shepherd (verb): to guide or direct in a particular direction.

Marketing is so much more than the ‘pretty ad’ you see. When you bring marketing to planning discussions, you have a shepherd that can shine the light on areas you may never have even considered, or you may have considered but were looking at in a completely different way.

Let’s walk through it. You’ve got your strategy in place. You know what you want to achieve in your business this year - be it increased revenue, a stronger brand presence, growth in a particular area or a stellar event – and are ready to move forward. But wait, where to start?

• You’ll need to make sure your people are on board with what you are trying to achieve.

Retail team. Check.

• Is your technology in place to meet your needs?

IT team. Check.

• Is there employee support needed?

HR team. Check.

• Do you have the products or services in place to sell or support?

Supply and admin teams. Check.

• Have the financial projections been complete?

Finance team. Check.

What’s missing? The answer is marketing. This is often an overlooked area of business that doesn’t always get the light it deserves, or it is brought in well after the ball is rolling.

Marketing can help to shepherd the direction to meet success with your goals by uncovering responses to three key areas:

1. How can we look at the data we have, to inform if the area of focus/targets are realistic?

   1. If we don’t have the data, where can we get it? At what cost?

   2. What story does the data unfold?

2. Who is our audience?

   1. What do we know about them?

   2. What do we need to know?

   3. Are they in the areas we serve?

   4. What is the best way to reach them?

   5. Do they want what we are offering?

   6. Should we look at a new audience? What opportunities might that uncover?

3. What do we know about the market?

   1. Is there research you need to undertake to better understand the marketplace?

   2. Are there opportunities you haven’t considered yet?

   3. Who are we competing against?

Marketing should never be an afterthought, an ‘oh right we need to tell people about this, let’s bring in marketing’.

Marketing should be brought in at the planning stage to help shepherd the goals and direction to help meet the success your business needs.

Keep on being amazing,

Lyanne

Whether you are interested in learning more about how blue dragonfly can help your business, are interested in joining or learning more about Mastermind groups, would like to chat about a speaking engagement, or just want to meet with me, this is a great way to get started. https://www.bluedragonflystrategies.ca/contact

Cheers to the beginning of a great relationship.