5 min read ⌚ 

Make Your Mark, Communicate Your Message, Find Your Hook

Three variables create the “beginner marketer kit”: knowing how to create a proper image, finding the best media vehicle, and targeting and reaching your audience.

You will find this knowledge in Kennedy’s “The Ultimate Marketing Plan.” If we caught your attention, then you probably want to gather insight on marketing.

Continue reading to find out the details of what you can expect to learn in this book.

We promise you; you will thank us later.

Who Should Read “The Ultimate Marketing Plan”? and Why?

“The Ultimate Marketing Plan” is a solidly written guidebook useful for all markers. Author Dan Kennedy goes through the familiar marketing basics: finding your unique selling point, targeting your customers based on different criteria, utilizing testimonials and celebrity reviews.

The plan he presents is carefully created and based on his own experience in the field of marketing and sales, which reinforce the plan’s credibility.

We recommend “The Ultimate Marketing Plan” to novice marketing practitioners that are just starting out their careers, as well as people from other professions interested in a basic overview of marketing.

About Dan S. Kennedy

Dan S. Kennedy is the writer of a few books about sales and marketing. He is a public speaker and produces television “infomercials” with celebrity spokespeople.

“The Ultimate Marketing Plan Summary”

At the beginning of creating your marketing plan, think of the message you want to relay to your customers. The message should be easy to remember and promote and should represent your service, product, and overall business.

When you create your message, use the USP – Unique Selling Proposition.

What is the use of USP?

It differentiates your business from those of the competitors, and it communicates the primary benefit that your product has.

Okay, it sounds good. But, how can you find your USP?

Evaluate your products and services and find that one unique feature that makes them noticeable and different from the crowd. This feature can be price, color, size, location, ingredients or position in the market.

Now, ask yourself the question that each of your customers will ask themselves:

Why is your product or service the one that I should buy, instead of someone else’s?

Can you answer it?

If you can, then you are on the right path. If not, you are doing something wrong.

When you do not have a defined USP, you are vulnerable to the market and your competition. So put enough time and energy into determining it, since without it – you cannot go on.

Once you define your USP, strengthen it by coupling it with coupons, gifts, rebates, time-limited promotions et cetera. In other words, offer your product in a compelling way.

And there is nothing more compelling than discounts! There is no human in this world that does not love them.

Be careful that your USP is visible to your customers (not only to you). Think of ways how you can make the message you want to relay easy to understand. If your marketing strategy confuses your customers, it will not do you any good.

The best messages are straightforward and simple. They do not let the customer make assumptions. Instead, they convey the information clearly.

Lastly, choose the right timing and location. Being at the right place at the right time can do wonders for you and your business.

Key Lessons from “The Ultimate Marketing Plan”

1.      Target Practice
2.      Your Company’s Persona
3.      Useful Approaches in a Customer Service Program

Target Practice

People will not find your products appealing equally. In fact, every service of a product that you offer should target different population demographics or population segment. To be sure that your message is structured accordingly to your customers, define the demographic appeal of what you offer, before creating the message. You can target your market by dividing possible clients by geography, demographics or affiliation:

• Geographic target marketing

It works well for local businesses since companies using it send their messages in the area they operate in.

• Demographic target marketing

If you use this segmentation, you need to reach out to customers who have similar demographic characteristics, such as profession, income or age.

• Target marketing by “affinity or association.”

Target your message to customers who share group affiliations, such as parent or teacher associations or religious groups.

Your Company’s Persona

Give away a stable, reliable public image. Support it by relying on proper marketing messages, and reinforce it in each area of your business orientation. If you are in the retailing business, create a store design that strengthens your brand image you want to give away. Also, the store environment must push people towards buying.

Follow the five criteria below, to make sure that your retail establishment pictures the wanted image.

• • Communicate a clear, congruent image.
  • Display items in an organized, logical way.

• • Design displays that “upsell.” Encourage creativity.

• • Educate the customer about your products and services.

• Use every available space to promote, publicize and inform your clients.

Useful Approaches in a Customer Service Program

• • Treat every customer as a valuable guest.

• • Get to know every aspect of the product or service you offer. On the off chance that you do not know the answer, know where to look for it.

• • Never let a policy thwart a sale.

• Accept that issues will come up and have a system in place to gather and resolve complaints.

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“The Ultimate Marketing Plan” Quotes

Our Critical Review

There is no doubt that Kennedy’s Ultimate Marketing Plan will help you and your business. However, if you are a more experienced reader on the topic of marketing, you may want to find a more advanced read.

Emir Zecovic

Emir is the Head of Marketing at 12min. In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.