We all have dreams and aspirations to grow our business, acquire more customers and make more profits, right? But the issue is not in dreaming, but in achieving. And the first step to making any achievement is to plan.
As simple as that sounds, you’ll be surprised at how only a few business owners and marketers take the time to plan for their business growth. Do you have a written business promotion plan for this year? Its not that difficult to create. Here’s how Fatima, a restaurant owner in Abuja created hers.
Set Clear Measurable Goals
Fatima wanted more customers to dine at her lush and classy restaurant. She knew that in order for her to take steps to achieve her goal, she needed to get more specific and state clear, measurable goals.
So instead of her saying ‘’I want more customers’’, she stated the following goals on her business promotion plan:
‘’To host 12 business meetings and networking events at my restaurant’’
‘’To add 40 more regular tabs to my restaurant account’’
See what she did there? Her goals were specific, clear and most importantly, measurable. The importance of this is to keep her challenged and able to track progress through the course of the year.
SWOT Analysis
Next, Fatima identified both internal and external factors that would affect her goals either favourably or otherwise. Here is her
SWOT Analysis.
| Strengths |
Weaknesses |
| Location in the heart of Abuja’s business district
Fantastic customer service
Good relationship with vendors and suppliers
Great ambience |
No equipment for conferences and business meetings
Small sales and marketing team
Parking space for customers |
| Opportunities |
Threats |
| Use of online marketingHigh demand during holidays and festive seasonsUse of a jazz band to attract more customers
Introduction of continental dishes to the menu |
New entries into the marketHighly competitive market |
Brand Positioning Statement
A brand positioning statement is necessary to guide your promotional and marketing efforts, and to differentiate your business from your competition.
Fatima used the following template to create her brand positioning statement.
State target market
State target market’s problem
State the benefits your product/service provides
Differentiate your product from the competition
‘’We provide the
best dining experience for
business professionals with an eye for
comfort and class. Our
service is unbeatable and our
cuisines are delectable.’’
As you can see, Fatima is targeting business professionals who are looking for comfort and class. Her restaurant provides the best dining experience, and she differentiates her restaurant by unbeatable service and delectable cuisines.
Identify Your Channels
Finally, Fatima decided on the marketing channels and activities to use to promote her restaurant and attract more customers.
Because she targeted business professionals with a high disposable income for her lavish restaurant, she decided to use the following marketing channels
Social Media: Fatima created a LinkedIn company page as well as a Facebook page. She hired a social media professional to keep the pages active and to generate leads.
Online advertising: As a
ConnectNigeria client, Fatima had captivating banner ads designed for her for free, which she went on and placed on the
information portal and other online platforms. From her investment in online ads, she created more awareness for her restaurant.
Email marketing: Fatima also invested in some email marketing. As a ConnectNigeria client, Fatima sent out targeted emails to businesses and professionals around Abuja, which yielded fantastic leads for hosting business conferences at her restaurant.
Now it’s your turn.
About the author: Mason Frederick Chegwe shares useful information you can use to achieve your marketing goals. Connect with him on
Twitter and
LinkedIn
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This article was first published on 27th January 2015
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Set Clear Measurable Goals
Fatima wanted more customers to dine at her lush and classy restaurant. She knew that in order for her to take steps to achieve her goal, she needed to get more specific and state clear, measurable goals.
So instead of her saying ‘’I want more customers’’, she stated the following goals on her business promotion plan:
‘’To host 12 business meetings and networking events at my restaurant’’
‘’To add 40 more regular tabs to my restaurant account’’
See what she did there? Her goals were specific, clear and most importantly, measurable. The importance of this is to keep her challenged and able to track progress through the course of the year.
SWOT Analysis
Next, Fatima identified both internal and external factors that would affect her goals either favourably or otherwise. Here is her SWOT Analysis.
Brand Positioning Statement
A brand positioning statement is necessary to guide your promotional and marketing efforts, and to differentiate your business from your competition.
Fatima used the following template to create her brand positioning statement.
State target market
State target market’s problem
State the benefits your product/service provides
Differentiate your product from the competition
‘’We provide the best dining experience for business professionals with an eye for comfort and class. Our service is unbeatable and our cuisines are delectable.’’
As you can see, Fatima is targeting business professionals who are looking for comfort and class. Her restaurant provides the best dining experience, and she differentiates her restaurant by unbeatable service and delectable cuisines.
Identify Your Channels
Finally, Fatima decided on the marketing channels and activities to use to promote her restaurant and attract more customers.
Because she targeted business professionals with a high disposable income for her lavish restaurant, she decided to use the following marketing channels
Social Media: Fatima created a LinkedIn company page as well as a Facebook page. She hired a social media professional to keep the pages active and to generate leads.
Online advertising: As a ConnectNigeria client, Fatima had captivating banner ads designed for her for free, which she went on and placed on the information portal and other online platforms. From her investment in online ads, she created more awareness for her restaurant.
Email marketing: Fatima also invested in some email marketing. As a ConnectNigeria client, Fatima sent out targeted emails to businesses and professionals around Abuja, which yielded fantastic leads for hosting business conferences at her restaurant.
Now it’s your turn.
About the author: Mason Frederick Chegwe shares useful information you can use to achieve your marketing goals. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn
