Download How to Write a Marketing Plan

Julia Gammon
Head, Acquisitions Dept.
Marketing Manager
University of Akron Press
Bull’s-eye: Hitting Technical
Services’ Target Audience
How to Write a Marketing
Plan
Thinking Beyond the Book
What is Marketing?
• “the process or technique of promoting,
selling, and distributing a product or
service”
• Webster’s
What is Marketing?
• The application of common sense to the
business of proving a product or service
for your customers
• “For” customers vs. “To” customers
• Marketing anticipates and meets customer
demand
Writing a Marketing Plan for a Book
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Print Run
Budget
Potential Audience
Author’s Fame & Interest
Topic
Endorsements
Interviews
Press release
Publicity
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Review Copies
Ads
Brochures
Book Signings
Events
Conference Exhibits
Prizes
Organization sales
What is a Marketing Plan?
• Road map for what
you are going to do.
• Details the actions
necessary to achieve
marketing objectives.
• Can be product or
service
What Marketing Is Not
• Marketing is not selling because you have
identified a need
• Marketing is not advertising—it can be a
method used in marketing
• Marketing is not just for Marketing
Departments—it is everyone’s job to help
the organization adapt to the needs
• Marketing is not about making money
(unless you want it to)
Marketing Plan
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Prepare a Mission Statement.
Conduct Market Analysis.
Identify Goals & Objectives
Spell out Marketing & Promotional Strategies.
Identify & Understand the Competition.
Establish Marketing Goals that are Quantifiable.
Monitor your Results Carefully & Evaluate.
Do you have a mission statement?
• Does it communicate the most important
thing you want people to know?
• Does it convey the unique benefits you
offer?
• Does it inspire enthusiasm?
• Simple? Memorable? Would it pass the
tee-shirt test?
• Does the tone match your image?
Technical Services Mission
Statement
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Information with a Smile!
Information Before you Need it!
We put the “Service” in Tech Services!
We Aim to Please!
Linda K. Wallace
“Libraries, Mission, & Marketing:
Writing Mission Statements that
Work”. ALA, 2004
Market Analysis: Who are your
Potential Customers?
• Market segmentation—what market are
you trying to reach
• Critical success factors (CSFs)
• Identifying non-customers is important
• Satisfying your customer’s needs is not
enough: you must help them solve their
problems.
Goals and Objectives: What are
they?
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What do you want to accomplish?
Are there new services you want to add?
Are there problems that need fixing?
Do you want more staff or $$$?
Do people know what you do?
Brainstorming Your Plan
• What are aims and
objectives?
• Which are you
currently meeting and
how?
• Assuming you are not
meeting them, how do
you propose to do
so?
Marketing & Promotional Strategies
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What will you do?
How will you do it?
Action Plan
Memo?
Meetings?
Workshop?
Ads?
Newsletter?
Website?
The Publicity Message: What to
Say & How to Say It
• Branding
• Language—direct, no jargon, everyday
vocabulary
• KISS
• Use Power Words
• 15 second test
• What do they do next?
• Try before you fly!
Power Words
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New
Professional
Reliable
Proven
Free
Safe
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Service
Convenient
Cost effective
Special
Flexible
Valuable
What’s the Competition Doing?
• Talk to other
libraries
• Check the
literature
• Search the web
Measurement & Evaluation:
Should you do it?
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If you don’t someone else will!
Build in measurements
Is there an error in your plan?
Mistakes = Corrective action = Improvements
Objections to Planning
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“There’s not enough time”
“There’s no money”
“It might not work”
“It might work”
“It will only show up our weaknesses”
“We’re so busy so we must be doing the
right things”
OhioLINK’s Marketing Toolkit
6 Reasons to Write a Plan
• Sets priorities
• Saves time
• Prevents missed
opportunities
• Promotes consistency
• Illustrates the big
picture
• Makes evaluation
easier
OhioLINK Marketing Toolkit
http://www.ohiolink.edu/ostaff/mar
keting/
Assignments; Write a Marketing
Plan For Technical Services
• Three Groups:
– Marketing TS to --Public Services
– Marketing TS to -- Director
– Marketing TS to -- Faculty