Simple Marketing Plan Guidelines for Designers and Service Folks

Friends, classmates, and peers regularly ask how I acquire my clients.  I've developed a loose marketing guideline that has worked for me.  Below is a working document to start with... this is constantly evolving.  I appreciate any feedback and ask that you share your thoughts and/or suggestions. 

Marketing is a management process that focuses on strategy, processes, positioning and tactile elements of a product or service. The marketing guideline allows me to stay focused on whom to contact and how often, recognize opportunities and measure results. 

1. Determine Budget

Average spending is usually 5-10% of gross revenues
• ie. Revenue: $500,000 = $25K to $50K budget/ year

2. Determine Position

Are you specialized in a vertical or horizontal market?
• Vertical: by industry (only action sports industry)
• Horizontal: by skill set (only corporate identity design)

3. Determine Target
Pre-qualify your leads with the following questions
• Do they outsource?
• What type of projects?
• How much do they spend per season or year?
• How soon do they expect a need for your services?

Joven's Taboos (Try to avoid clients that are...)
• Spending their own money
• Smaller than your company
• Not in your industry or skill set
• Have no outsourcing experience
• Doesn't understand your company must profit

4. Determine Fit
Where are they in the buying stage?

Star System (determine how often to touch base and how much to spend)
• 3 star: Aware of you & have a need LESS THAN 6 months
– Touch base at least every other month or more frequent
– Receives the more elaborate promotions
• 2 star: Aware of you & have a need MORE THAN 6 months
– Touch base at least every quarter
– Receives the less expensive promotions
• 1 star: Unaware of you
– Touch base once a year

– Receives the less expensive promotions

5. Determine Vehicles
There are core vehicles essential to market your company
• Cold/warm calls:  most successful (plan 1 day a week to call)
• Networking:  cheap and effective
• Corporate Brochure:  discuss process, customer service (doubles as a sales tool)
• Website:  determine if site is a closer (used to confirm the sale) or opener (used to open the conversation). Keep it simple.
• Mailers:  (Promotion or E-Newsletter)
– Promotional (postcard, poster, mailer, etc.) Remember to budget printing & postage
– E-Newsletter: content is king, be compelling, do it right, and don't get on spam list
• Press Releases:  cheap, great exposure and helps with natural search
• Add others:  events, speaking gigs, networking, contests, etc.

6. Determine Monthly Budget
Take budget and spread throughout calendar year
• You should be touching base with your leads every month or so

– $25K = est. $2K/month
– $50K = est. $4/K/month

7. Determine Plan of Action with Calendar 

See Example:  spaces have been filled with goals or what's slated for that month (ie. goal: send 40 books) 

 – Your Plan will be customized to your own goals and promotions

 – Create a separate blank calendar and write in what happened at the end of each month

 – Remember to consider everything like postage, networking fees, etc.

– Remember you don't have to touch base with 2 & 1 stars that often 

– Spend more some months on a promo and send to ONLY 3 Stars

It generally averages a few years to land a large client.  The main goal of the marketing guideline is to stay consistent and branded so you stay “top of mind” with your potential clients and existing clients.   

Again, I appreciate any suggestions and/or feedback on the marketing guideline.  Other topics I'm working on is the freelancers’ transition to a firm, client base management and proposals.  Please advise if you want me to write on other topics.