52 Weeks of Plan, Do, Track - Week 19: Marketing

Week 19 Focus – Marketing
Focus Question: What do you want to do to get the word out about your work or business?

Description 
Marketing is often one of the biggest question marks for new (and experienced) business owners. It’s also a significant area for virtual professionals who may be representing an organization in a specific geographic area. In this light, marketing may be referred to as advocacy, positioning or representation.

Taking time to focus regularly on marketing/advocacy communication and related tasks is key.

This aligns with the Daily Steps + Consistent Action = Momentum tagline of the Coaching Business Builder and PlanDoTrack books.

What are the daily steps and consistent actions you are currently undertaking around marketing? How is it starting to add up?

For many years as I was starting my own business, I taught marketing studies and other business subjects to post-secondary students. As different as we might think that marketing principles vary, they are quite similar across industries. Likewise, while the vehicles have changed over the years, many of the principles remain the same.
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In marketing, whether we are selling shoes, an idea, or a service, we talk about the 5 Ps. Each product, service or idea typically is shaped by these five things (all starting with P):
Product/Program -What are you offering? Be specific about what it entails.
Price - Consider what is included in the pricing. What is the market rate? Are you above the market? Below the market? At market pricing?
Place - Where are you offering this? Is this a physical or digital product?
Promotion - What promotional strategies do you want to use?
Refer to the 9 Promotional Vehicles I cover in the Coaching Business Builder and PlanDoTrack.
People - Who do you need support from in order to make this happen? What resources do you need?
Take notes around these five areas.
General questions to consider around marketing:

• What do you like to do?
• What will leverage your strengths?
• What can help you?
• Who can help you?
• What can you do consistently?
• What can you automate?
• What will resonate – articles, sources, topic?
• What vehicles will work best?
• What frequency will work best?

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Connection to the Workbook and Planner
Review Section 3 of the PlanDoTrack and Coaching Business Builder. Marketing is important for external professionals to engage with. If you are an internal professional working for an organization, marketing is often referred to as positioning. We may be building a business case for new budget or approval of a new project or program.

Take time to review section 3 of the planner, particularly the different promotional vehicles we can use to get the word out about what we offer.

Download a one-page copy of this week's 52 Weeks of Plan, Do and Track here.

Best wishes, 
Jennifer

Read and download the initial weeks of the 52 weeks of Plan, Do and Track

Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Author of PlanDoTrack (2019),  Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013). Pick up a copy of any of her books at Amazon
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