"49% of small business owners aren’t sure if their marketing efforts are effective, and 14% know they’re not. A distinct minority of small business marketers are using tactics that they know to be effective." - Leadpages

Introduction:

Think of your marketing strategy as the operational for Finding and Retaining Profitable Customers. It’s a document setting out how you will get your target audience to get to know who you are, like you enough to want to do business with you - so it should be clear and practical. The single most important thing to most business owners is how to get new customers.

The plan should include these 3 core things: 👊

1. Your target market - Who are they? Where are they? What's their pain point?

2. Your messages to them - What’s your message to them? Do they like what you have to say?

3. The media - This is how you get your marketing messages to your chosen target market.

Your market plan should also include a technique for getting to know your audience and keeping in touch with them - nurturing techniques. What will you measure and how? Where to advertise? 

Picture this: You're standing on the deck of your business vessel, gazing at the vast sea of possibilities. Your mission? To find and retain those elusive treasure chests—profitable customers. But how, you ask? Fear not, my mateys. I've got the map to the X that marks the spot. Let's dive in!*

First off, your marketing strategy is like the ship's operational manual. It's the compass that guides you through treacherous waters. Imagine it as a love letter to your potential customers—a way to introduce yourself, flirt a little, and get them smitten enough to do business with you. Clear and practical, savvy?

Now, let's hoist the anchor and explore the three core gems:

1. Your Target Market: Ah, the mystical creatures who crave your booty—oops, I mean your product or service. Who are they? Where do they dwell? What keeps 'em tossing and turning at night? Unearth their pain points like a savvy pirate hunting for buried treasure. Know 'em better than your favorite sea shanty.

2. Your Messages: Imagine you're at a bustling tavern, surrounded by chatty sailors. What's your message? Is it a siren's song that lures 'em in? Or a dull monologue that sends 'em to sleep? Craft your words like a seasoned rum-maker—smooth, intoxicating, and impossible to resist. And hey, if they don't like your grog, tweak the recipe!

3. The Media Voyage: Picture this: You're a radio pirate, broadcasting your message across the waves. Social media? Billboards? Smoke signals? Choose your cannons wisely. Aim for the heart of your chosen target market. No more firing blindly into the abyss. Be the sharpshooter, not the scattergunner.

But wait, there's more! Nurturing techniques—our secret stash of mermaid tears. Get to know your audience like a ship's log knows the tides. Measure, test, and adjust your course. And remember, wasting doubloons on the wrong crowd is like throwing gold coins into a whirlpool.

So, document your marketing plan like a seasoned cartographer. Be specific, measurable, and testable. No more blindfolded dart throws.

And here's the hidden treasure: Focus your firepower. Target your marketing cannonballs at the chosen few. Forget the "spray and pray.