Kimberly Osborn, the governor's former press secretary, is interim vice chancellor for strategic communications at UNC Greensboro .
"I need a brochure" - marketers often hear from their customers. This strategic requirement can easily be fulfilled by any skilled graphic writer and designer. But what does the customer really need? Marketers are accustomed to answering the needs of their customers, such as: "What is the purpose of your brochure?"
As a brand marketer and PR specialist with 25 years of experience, I recommend a different approach: start by teaching clients the basics of creating a marketing plan and teach them how to talk about marketing and communications. As a result, marketers receive fewer strategic inquiries and can act faster for the customer.
Marketing plans can be powerful. Customers can learn the basics in a few easy steps. Five tips for educating your customers by creating a marketing plan:
1. "Tell me about your company." Ask the client to answer the following questions:
• Who are you?
• What do they do for customers?
• What makes you different from your competitors?
• What awards or recognitions differentiate you in the market?
2. The client must be ready to take a deep look at himself in the mirror. Remind the customer that every business has its strengths and weaknesses. which one is yours Where are the weak companies? What external factors represent growth opportunities? A marketer needs to build trust in a short period of time to understand the true image of the company and to be able to effectively meet the business objectives.
3. Then learn more about the company's customers. What data-driven insights does the company have about its customers? Shopping habits? Does the media spend? Visit the company's customer service department to find out what problems consumers are facing and how well the company is solving them.
4. Now let's move on to the questions that leave a mark on marketers' pockets:
• What does the company want to achieve?
• What should the company do to achieve this goal? (Be specific and measurable.)
• What action should be taken?
• What tools can help you implement the campaign and achieve the end goal? (This is where the brochure comes in.)
5. Where has the company reached today in terms of achieving its goals? In other words, if you want more annual sales, what are your annual sales today? Find out where the customer is right now to determine what metrics to measure to show ROI.
Often, clients focus on direct, strategic elements (brochures, TV commercials, etc.) to increase sales or build stronger relationships with their customers. By educating your customers and guiding them through these five steps, marketers will have the information they need to create a successful marketing plan.
By sharing marketing knowledge, language, and expectations, marketers can build better relationships with their customers, and their customers will be more willing to become strong, knowledgeable partners critical to the success of the marketing plan.
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