Grow your Business · CONTENT & SOCIAL STRATEGIES IS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY UNIQUE? Social...

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Marketing Plan

Workbook

Grow your Business

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Look to the Marketing PlanAS YOUR ROADMAP

Use this workbook to create a strategic marketing plan that defines your goals and the activities neccessary to reach

those goals. While it may take time to complete, having a plan prevents you from wasting time on marketing that doesn’t bring results. Look to your plan for laser focus on

what to do and when.

Planning doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process. Block time on your calendar every week to think through the key areas. Significant change only happens when you

make time for forward thinking and planning. Get started today!

THE BEST MARKETING PLAN IS THE ONE THAT’S

IMPLEMENTED

BENEFITS OF A STRATEGIC PLAN

ProvidesClarity

CreatesTo-Do List

MaximizesBudget

SavesTime

Without a plan, marketing is random — doing a little of this and that and hoping for the best.

Instead, create a roadmap to grow your business!

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STEP 1: BUILD YOUR FOUNDATION

START WITH YOUR WHYBefore you start any strategy work, it’s important to first understand your WHY - the reason you

started the business, your passion and what drives you. This forms the basis of your mission statement. Then the next step is to know WHAT makes you different. To better articulate how

you’re unique and exactly how you help others, answer the questions below. Pinpoint your unique value to build the foundation of your strategic plan.

Why did you become a financial professional? What’s your inspiration?

What problems do you solve for clients? hoW do you make their life easier?

What motivates clients to Work With you? hoW do they say you’ve helped them?

hoW do you provide more value than others?

Keep it short and interesting without technical terms or industry jargon. Use analagies to help people quickly understand what you mean.TIP

What are your keyWords? (important for Website traffic and marketing your firm)

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Don't spend too much time on the past. Establish a baseline of what worked, what didn’t and what you need to do differently.TIP

REVIEW PAST MARKETING INITIATIVES

ACTION TARGET AUDIENCE TIMING RESULTS

TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT THE PAST For greater results next year, it’s important to understand where you’ve been. Review your key

marketing activities and reflect on what happened. Did these activities lead to sales? And at what cost? Next, look at website performance to see where people go and how they’re finding you.

And, review your social media engagements to see what resonates with your audience.

Look Back to Move Forward:REVIEW INITIATIVES

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Website Analytics

Go to: AUDIENCE > OVERVIEW to review overall user activities across the site. Compare traffic spikes to marketing activities.

Google Analytics provides detailed website data. While you could spend hours reviewing this information, focus on a few key areas to identify trends.

Go to: AQUISITION > OVERVIEW to see where traffic comes from. Click on Direct, Social and Organic Search for more specific details.

Go to: BEHAVIOR > SITE CONTENT and note top pages on your site, time spent, etc. Adjust time periods to view campaign performance.

Also review your Bounce Rate: This is the number of people who visit only one page of your website and then leave A high bounce rate can indicate that your pages are not relevant to what your visitors want and Google considers important for SEO.

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STRENGTHS Where has your growth ccome from? Why do clients choose you? Identify what sets you apart from competition and list the specializations that you offer?

S W O TWEAKNESSES Why do clients leave? Are you receiving great referrals? If not, why? Do you fall short in marketing, sales or operations, etc,? How much time is spent on non-revenue generating activities?

OPPORTUNITIES Where do you see potential for market growth? Can you further specialize within your niche? Where can you outsource to save valuale time? Will new technology help streamline activities?

THREATS What factors could impact your business? This may include staffing or regulation changes, lack of new clients, competitive pricing changes, etc..

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

Evaluate Your Practice:SWOT ANALYSIS

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Explain what you want to accompish this year and why Think SMART to create goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable,, Realistic and Timely.

ResourcesBefore you can decide on specific

marketing initiatives, it’s important to understand what resources will

be available.

√ Decide how much time YOU can commit to marketing.

√ Evaluate your internal TEAM and/or firm capabilities.

√ Determine if you can OUTSOURCE tactics to agencies, consultants or freelancers.

DEFINE GOALS

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WHO ARE YOUR BEST CLIENTS? It’s critical to know your audience so you can communicate effectively and build deeper

relationships. Use this information to craft strong messages. The more specific you define your ideal client, the better your marketing, sales and ROI.

IDEAL CLIENT PROFILE: COMPILE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR FAVORITE CLIENTS

AGE, GENDER, LIFE STAGE

OCCUPATION, INDUSTRY

NET WORTH, TYPE OF INVESTABLE ASSETS

CORE VALUES, BELIEFS

PASSION, HOBBIES

ORGANIZATIONS, GROUPS

PRIMARY FINANCIAL CONCERNS AND GOALS

WE HELP "X". CREATE YOUR TARGET MARKET STATEMENTS

Using your ideal client profile above, write a short description of your target market(s). This statement refines your brand and helps prospects determine if it’s a good fit. When considering tactics for your marketing plan, ask yourself if it resonates with your ideal client. Ideally you want

potential clients to see your messaging and think "That’s exactly what I need".

STEP 2: KNOW YOUR IDEAL CLIENT

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Buyer PersonasBuyer personas are detailed profiles that represent typical clients. To create personas go beyond the ideal client on the prrior page to also include emotions and behaviors.

Use personas to guide the steps you take to reach these very distinct client markets.

√ Values: Identify common beliefs and character traits

√ Goals: Define hopes & dreams, wish list, future wants, etc.

√ Questions: What do they ask, areas of concern, sales barriers,

√ Sales Process: Typical entry points, steps to convert, etc.

BUSINESSES WITH MULTIPLE CLIENT MARKETS CAN BENEFIT

FROM CREATING BUYER PERSONAS

Stand-Out with Targeted Messaging

FOCUSING ON EVERYONEOFTEN MEANS YOU'RE

CONNECTING WITH NO ONE

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Reach Ideal Clients UsingCONTENT & SOCIAL

CREATE A PLAN TO MAXIMIZE YOUR CONTENT MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA Have you heard the saying: "Content marketing is the fire and social media is the gasoline"?

That's a great summary for two critical elements of marketing. Think about the digital spaces where your ideal clients live and what information they want for decision-making. Use these

insights to craft your content and social strategies. Start by answering the questions below in the context of your client's buying process.

AWARENESS CONSIDERATION DECISIONBUYER'S STAGE:

What topics and information will answer your most frequently asked questions?

What type of content (email, blogs, videos, etc.) will resonate best with your ideal clients?

Content Marketing A MARKETING STYLE FOCUSED ON CREATING

RELEVANT INFORMATION THAT ATTRACTS AND RETAINS A DEFINED AUDIENCE AND DRIVES REVENUE

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DEFINE YOUR CONTENT STRATEGY:

STEP 3: CONTENT & SOCIAL STRATEGIES

IS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY UNIQUE? Social media is the ideal platform to share content and connect with your clients and prospects.

Determine the best way to leverage each social platform organically. Consider paid advertising for greater visibility to drive leads and reinforce your brand identity.

Keep in mind, each platform is a powerful way have conversations and drive deeper engagement so it's important to take a unique approach with each channel. And, it's much more effective to

have laser focus on 1 to 2 platforms rather than dabbling across everything.

CREATE STRATEGIES AND GOALS FOR YOUR KEY SOCIAL PLATFORMS

FACEBOOK

LINKED IN

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

YOUTUBE

PINTEREST

OTHER

OTHER

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Evergreen PersonalTopical

CREATE CONTENT THAT BUILDS RELATIONSHIPSMake a connection with clients by providing the information they want in a way that speaks to them. Create your own content to weave in the qualities and beliefs of your value proposition

along with important financial education. Always keep your ideal clients in mind: What do they want to know? What questions or concerns do they have?

INCLUDE 3 TYPES OF CONTENT

Post relevant news articles

& thought leadership insights to reinforce

your expertise

Create informative

articles & videos explaining key concepts. This content holds

value over time

Share your hobbies, activites,

family & team events, etc.

to give a sense of who you are & who you value

√ Blog Posts to elevate expertise

√ Brochures & Flyers to persuade

√ eBooks, Articles & Listacles to convert

√ Emails & Newsletters to build relationships

√ Infographics to standout online

√ Pay Per Click Ads that grab attention

√ Presentations to enhance meetings

√ Social Media Posts to build credibility

√ Videos for higher online visibility and engagement

√ Website updates to keep your site fresh and optimized

√ Webinars that showcase thought leadership

Educate, Engage & Empower

STEP 4: IDENTIFY IDEAL CONTENT

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Consider outsourcing content development to an expert who’ll utilize the creative and technical aspects necessary to build client relationships, improve search rankings, drive site traffic and grow your online presence.

TIP

Detail your content ideas. Keep in mind, a strong marketing strategy includes a variety of content types.

New IdeasReview your marketing library for

existing content and resources that can be reused, updated or repurposed.

AUDITEXISTING CONTENT

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USE CONSISTENT LANGUAGE & TONE

If formal language works for your audience, great — but there's a difference between formal and technical. Stay away from industry jargon. Also, use your tone or brand voice to convey your personality and values. This is why your words, themes and feelings expressed are all important. Ensure consistent language and tone across all media.

DEMONSTRATE CORE VALUES

Use your core values as a set of guiding principles to shape every aspect of your business. Define your values and weave them throughout your brand messaging. .

REPRESENT CLIENTS IN PHOTOS

Photos are so important and represent your brand Don't settle for the free photos that are all over social media. Instead, choose dynamic photos that mirror your ideal clients.

STEP 5: MAXIMIZE YOUR BRAND

GO BEYOND YOUR LOGO AND TAGLINE Your brand is your identity and includes everything in your business — from your marketing

messages to customer service experience and even your staff is part of your brand. Fine-tuning attributes like language, tone, imagery and purpose are key to how prospects and clients perceive

you, your business and your brand. Look across the entire business so everything (and everyone) delivers your unique value.

Look across your entire business so everything (and everyone) delivers your unique value!

Notes & Ideas Capture thoughts on enhancing your brand

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TIPCreate and share brand guidelines with your entire team to ensure consistency. Use free graphic design resources like Canva or Spark to design quick social media or blog post graphics that reinforce your branded look

WHETHER BASIC OR SIMPLE, DEFINING YOUR BRAND HELPS IT GROW Brand Guidelines (also called brand standards, style guide or brand book) are essentially a set of rules that define your brand and explain how it works. Some guidelines are very detailed,

including information such as the brand's history, vision, personality and content examples. But, it's also effective to simply define the elements: logo, tagline, fonts, colors, language, etc.

Create a Strong Identity:BRAND GUIDELINES

BRANDGUIDELINES

Nexa Bold: 36pt, 4-6pt Tracking

Roboto Slab Bold: 33pt, 75-100pt Tracking

t = Kaushan Script: 36pt

APPLE GREEN

DIANA PURPLE

GREY DAY IN PA

CMYK: 85, 22, 100, 8RGB: 30, 137, 67

HEX: 1E8943

STEM GREEN

STEM BLUE

CMYK: 82, 49, 3, 0RGB: 47, 1119, 184

HEX: 2F77B8

CMYK: 41, 0, 95, 9 RGB: 149, 189, 60

HEX: 95BD3C

CMYK: 51, 80, 0, 13RGB: 126, 72, 144

HEX: 7E4890

CMYK: ,0 0, 0, 60RGB: 128, 130, 133

HEX: 808285

Font:PRIMARY: MONTSERRAT FAMILYSECONDARY: Drina

610-462-3107

[email protected]

DIANA STEM MARKETING

Tagline:Helping Financial Firms Educate and Empower

Call to Action:GROW YOUR BUSINESS

LEARN MORE: WWW.DIANASTEM.COM

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Costly monthly SEO contracts are not necessary. Use Google Analytics, Search Console, etc. for insights and information to improve organically. TIP

www

email

videos

social

referrals

webinars

newsletters

ads

EVERYTHING COMES BACK TO YOUR WEBSITE While social media gets alot of attention — your website is STILL your most powerful marketing tool. All communication channels link back to your website, making it the central hub of the

business.. If it’s been awhile since you’ve updated your site, chances are a refresh and SEO enhancements should be part of your marketing plan.

STEP 6: MAKE YOUR WEBSITE THE CENTRAL HUB

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Resist the urge to overhaul your entire website unless it's truly time to do so.Here's ways to maximize performance:

√ Refresh photos, colors, font,

taglines, etc for stronger branding.

√ Reduce photo and image sizes to optimize loading time.

√ Update copy to reflect client and market specializations.

√ Review headlines to include keywords along with unique and ulta-specific copy.

√ Use Google's Mobile Website Auditor to check mobile usability and Google Search Console to monitor your site's presence in Google Search results

√ Ensure high-quality, valuable content on every page that's loaded with your keywords.

√ Review meta titles and

descriptions to not only contain keywords but help with click-thru rates and user engagement.

√ Have one, clear and concise call-to-action placed above the fold and again towards bottom of each page.

Detail your site refresh ideas here. Small changes can go a long way

to improve client leads, conversions, build relationships and SEO.

New IdeasTIPS TOSTRENGTHEN SITE

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MARKETING INITIATIVE 3

TACTICS/IDEAS

TARGET MARKET DETAILS

TIMING & COST ESTIMATES

KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS

STRATEGY/GOAL ADDRESSED


TACTICS/IDEAS






TACTICS/IDEAS





STEP 7: BUILD OUT YOUR TACTICS

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TACTICS/IDEAS






TACTICS/IDEAS






TACTICS/IDEAS





Implement less campaigns with greater impact

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TACTICS/IDEAS






TACTICS/IDEAS






TACTICS/IDEAS





STEP 7: BUILD OUT YOUR TACTICS

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Additional NotesUse this space to capture ideas and next steps for amazing campaigns.


TACTICS/IDEAS





Identify the activities neccessary for more leads

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ESTIMATE STAFF/RESOURCES AND TOPLINE COSTS OF EACH MARKETING TACTIC

RESOURCES NEEDED COST ESTIMATES

INITIATIVE 1

INITIATIVE 2

INITIATIVE 3

INITIATIVE 4

INITIATIVE 5

INITIATIVE 6

INITIATIVE 7

INITIATIVE 8

INITIATIVE 9

INITIATIVE 10

TOTAL MARKETING COSTS

TIPThe Small Business Administration recommends spending 7 to 8% of gross revenue on marketing & advertising. Recent surveys show that advisors typically spend 1 to 2%.

STEP 8: BUDGET

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Stand-Out with Targeted Marketing

BUDGETS & METRICS MATTERWhile you don’t need to spell out all the details in your initial plan, it’s important to understand who’s doing the work, what it’s going to cost and what success looks like. Budgeting is critical

to achieve return-on-investment. Keeping a keen eye on anticipated expenses forces you to fine-tune your tactics to achieve the right balance of risk vs. opportunity.

Identifying your metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) in advance is also critical for success. KPIs quantify your progress and helps improve operations. Plus, staying on top of KPIs makes

ongoing planning easier. Be sure to define your KPIs and analyze performance regularly.

Use Marketing to show how you’re different23

Grow your business with a strategic plan

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Your Firm 2020 Business Snapshot

Unique Value Proposition ‘

Firm History / Past Marketing Initiatives

Core Values

Key Benefits / Your WHY / What Makes You Different

Goals

Target Audience Specifics

SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

Long-Term Goal(s)

Tone

Tagline

Your Firm 2020 Marketing Plan

1rst Quarter Focus: Theme/Tactics - Topline Info Goes Here - Social: - Custom Content: - Email: - Website: - Video: - Events: - Blog:

Strategy

Objectives

Competitive Advantage

Relationship Building & Email Campaigns (Topline Goals)

Social Media & Advertising (Topline Goals)

Website & SEO (Topline Goals)

Networking & Events (Topline Goals)

Content & Storytelling (Topline Goals)

2nd Quarter Focus: Theme/Tactics - Topline Info Goes Here - Social: - Custom Content: - Email: - Website: - Video: - Events: - Blog:

3rd Quarter Focus: Theme/Tactics - Topline Info Goes Here - Social: - Custom Content: - Email: - Website: - Video: - Events: - Blog: 4th Quarter Focus: Theme/Tactics - Topline Info Goes Here - Social: - Custom Content: - Email: - Website: - Video: - Events: - Blog:

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs will vary based on planned activities)

Ongoing Key Activities - Topline Info Goes Here - - -

CREATE YOUR MARKETING PLAN Now it’s time to synthesize all the key elements into your marketing plan. While there's a variety of formats you can use, the one-page summary documents below can become your marketing

roadmap. Use the quarterly planning pages for efficient implemenation. Share these documents with your team to ensure everyone is working towards the same goals.

Complete and print as a two-sided page. Use as a reference

to implement campaigns and help

withbusinessdecision making.

STEP 9: BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

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Quarterly Social Media Plan

January February March 1 New Year's Day 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 9

10 10 10 11 11 11 12 12 12 13 13 13 14 14 14 15 15 15 16 16 16 17 17 17 18 18 18 19 19 19 20 20 20 21 21 21 22 22 22 23 23 23 24 24 24 25 25 25 26 26 26 27 27 27 28 28 28 29 29 (2020, 2024) 29 30 30 31 31

Quarterly Content Plan Details

January February March

Plan Your Roadmap With:ONE-PAGE SUMMARIES

Create an annual

master plan. Then, each

quarter focus on the tactics and

details. Review

analytics often and

fine-tune as needed.

For editable versions of these documents, Email: [email protected]

Think big picture then get tactical quarterly

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About Diana StemDiana Stem is a virtual marketing

director and content strategist with

over 20 years of marketing expertise

including campaigns for top brands

such as Johnson’s Baby and Band-Aid,,

Diana specializes in helping financial

firms reach their most important

goals. She takes a strategic planning

approach to create a customized

marketing roadmap full of dynamic

content.

Diana partners with each firm and

takes the time to learn their unique

business details. This approach brings

greater value and sales results than

typical marketing agencies..

Grow Your Business

LEARN MORE: www.dianastem.com

610-462-3107

[email protected]

Grow your Business · CONTENT & SOCIAL STRATEGIES IS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY UNIQUE? Social...

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Transcript of Grow your Business · CONTENT & SOCIAL STRATEGIES IS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY UNIQUE? Social...