Building an Integrated Marketing Plan

Answering the three questions
Question one: Who are you? This isn't a trick question, but it is deeper than the obvious. The question gets to your tagline: What makes you special? What are you bringing to the table that none of the competition are?

Question two: What do you sell? Again, there's a deeper meaning here. Home Depot doesn't sell wood and paint; it sells help and assistance creating a home that one can be proud of. Pottery Barn doesn't sell furniture; it sells a lifestyle of comfort and warmth. You must determine what it is that your company truly sells. Beyond the products, beyond the services, you have to offer something more — because right this instant, there are a thousand other Websites that come up when someone searches for your product on Google.

Question three: Why does it matter? Relevance, relevance, relevance. If your message, your offer, your brand doesn't matter to your customers, you're already losing the battle to the next StealYourCustomers.com that's willing to bid more than you on your most important keywords.

Answering these three questions will help you define one essential aspect of your success: Why us? If you've done the work right your answer isn't “Because we have great service” or “Because we have great prices.” Just about everyone in this industry can (and does) say that. The real answer, the deeper answer, helps you get, keep, and escalate customers.

Next page: Brand and the marketing plan