Monday, January 03, 2011

Create The Right Marketing Plan. Grow Your Practice in 2011

A laser-focused marketing plan is a first step toward a more profitable and successful year.  Have you created one for your practice? If not, you are like many other professionals who spend most of their time – as they should! – delivering excellent client service.

A marketing plan does not have to look like the business plan you submit to your banker – I used to be a banker and I never read business plans I got from clients (unless I wanted to fall asleep at my desk). 

As a marketer, I don’t think I would find time or see value in writing a plan that long because clients that take priority, and spending time writing pages and pages of plans is not a good use of time.

How about a one page marketing plan, or a marketing snapshot, that will help you focus on the most important activities to grow your practice while also serving your clients?

Of course, you can elaborate by including a SWOT analysis and pretty pictures, however, if you have not created your plan yet, I recommend you start by focusing on these three goals:

1. Generate More Client Referrals:

·        Write a monthly newsletter

·        Host value-add client events and address a topic of interest

·        Schedule annual client reviews

2. Expand Your Professional Referral Network:

·        Meet other professionals that serve your target market

·        Host a continuing education event and invite them to attend and bring colleagues or clients

·        Distribute monthly newsletter to deliver value and stay top of mind with referral sources

3. Leverage Your Online Presence:

·        Create or update your website

·        Set up or update your blog

·        Create or update your social network profiles and connections

·        Advertise on search engines and social networks where your prospects network, acquire and share information

Here is a marketing plan matrix that you can use to create your plan:

If you are considering creating a customized marketing plan for 2011, don’t hesitate to ask me for a complimentary marketing consultation.