Use This Marketing Secret Weapon to Get Magical Results
As a marketing professional, I'm always singing the praises of
having a marketing plan. It's not only because I was trained in
the traditional ways of marketing.
After all, I believe that just because you're taught something,
doesn't mean you should blindly follow. I think you need to try
it on for size, test it and see how it works.
I've done this over and over again with marketing plans, both
for my clients and my own businesses, and they never cease to
amaze me.
But recently, I've begun adding a special ingredient to my
marketing plans.
And, with this new, one-two punch approach, I have to admit I've
started experiencing magical results.
Here's how it works ...
First, you create your marketing plan for the year. You
know, set some goals, identify some strategies and develop an
action plan.
Second, decide on a "theme" for the year. That theme
should totally support your marketing plan. In fact, I often
come up with the theme first, and then develop the plan.
The theme is what keeps you focused.
For example, in 2004, I established a theme of learning. I set
out to be a total sponge that year and learn as much as I could
about growing a small business and growing myself.
My focus on this theme brought me some incredible learning
opportunities that I totally credit for enabling me to
successfully launch 10stepmarketing, an Internet-based training
business, when I previously had NO experience in this area.
This strategy worked SO well, I decided to try it again in
2005.
So, I again created a marketing plan, with goals to grow
10stepmarketing's web traffic and my email list.
My theme? Learn everything I could about marketing online,
especially how to generate traffic and grow my email list on a
shoestring budget.
Once again, this focus led me to learn about strategies like
publishing an ezine and article marketing. I got to meet and
consult with Ali Brown, The Ezine Queen, and Christopher Knight
of www.ezinearticles.com, the premiere article directory on the
web.
By the end of the year, I had grown my list of subscribers and
my web site traffic substantially by using these no- and
low-cost marketing strategies.
Now I'm convinced this "theme" thing works!
So I once again created my marketing plan, this time with a goal
to dramatically increase the reach and profitability of
10stepmarketing.
My theme for this year? Partnerships.
And guess what? I'm once again amazed at the power of
establishing a theme and setting an intention to make it happen.
So far this year I have met several incredible people who are
already helping me create more partnerships and grow my business
in ways I couldn't have imagined.
The best part is, I couldn't have dreamed-up that I would meet
some of these people ... I didn't even know who they were ...
but they are exactly the right people to help me get where I
want to go.
Talk about working the EASY way! I LOVE it! :-)
By creating a plan with goals and focusing on one main theme I
have been able to achieve magical results.
The people, events, and information I need to attain my goals
just seem to magically appear when I need them most. My job? To
be open so I recognize them when they do show up, and to simply
allow them to come into my life.
This is the power, and the magic of having a marketing plan
and a theme.
Why? Because where attention goes, energy flows and things grow.
I'd like to leave you with three questions:
(1) Do you have a written marketing plan for this year?
(2) What is your theme, or major intention for this year?
(3) What three steps can you take in the next three months to
support your plan and intention so the magic starts happening
for you?
I challenge you to make this the year you start taking steps and
focusing your intentions on making your dreams come true.
About the author:
Debbie LaChusa created The
10stepmarketing System to make marketing your own business
as simple as answering 10 questions. Learn more about this
unique, step-by-step system and get a free 10-week Marketing
E-Course when you subscribe to the free, weekly
10stepmarketing Ezine at http://www.10stepmarketing.com
Written By: Debbie LaChusa, 10stepmarketing