Have a plan to make the best use of your marketing dollars.

I recently presented at a small business professional development seminar sponsored by the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce on the topic of marketing on a small budget. Attendees crossed many industries: financial, nonprofit, media, education, healthcare and retail. The first question most people ask is, “We have a small marketing budget, so where should we best spend our money?” My response is always, “What’s your goal?”

Start with What You Want to Accomplish, Not What Tool You Should Use

Before any marketing professional can answer the question of where to best spend your dollars, it’s important to start with what you want to achieve from a business perspective. Try to determine 3-5 measurable goals. For example:

• Increase membership/enrollment by X% in one year
• Acquire three new clients in XX months
• Increase revenue by X% in XXX product in six months

Once you know what you want to accomplish, then you need to determine how you will get there.

Key components of a communications plan typically include:

• Business Objectives and Strategies (These are the measurable goals.)
• Key Drivers (What internal or external barriers exist to meeting your goals?)
• Brand Character and Tone (What makes your organization unique?)

Hint: Your brand is not the best people, best service, best products.

• Target Audience and Insights (Who are you trying to reach, and what do you know about them?)

Hint: Your audience is not everyone. You need to be selective.

• Competition (Who are they, and how do you differ?)
• Key Messages (what’s the one thing you want people to know)

Hint: People don’t want to hear everything you want to tell them. It’s about what they want.

• Communications Objectives, Strategies and Tactics (This is how you will reach them and what tools you will use – brochure, billboard, social media, website, print ad, etc.)

Simply put: The best way to ensure you are using your marketing dollars wisely, regardless of budget size, is to make sure you are targeting the right audience at the right time with the right message. Your plan may be two pages or 20. It’s not the size that matters; it’s having a plan based on concrete goals.