How to Create a Marketing Program from Scratch in 13 Steps
Learn how to create a marketing program from scratch, and get a free marketing checklist!
If you’re launching a business and you have no marketing experience, that’s okay. There are a lot of resources - free and paid - designed to help.
In this post, you’ll learn 13 practical, results-focused steps you need to take to build a marketing program from scratch.
We’re not going to sugarcoat anything, and we’re also not going to overwhelm you with details in this quick blog.
Before we get started, make sure you understand the point of marketing.
The point of marketing is to connect with your ideal customers, and show how you help solve their problems.
It includes promotional and brand-building elements, but modern marketing is really all about relationship-building.
Lots of people have the misconception that marketing is basically sales, that it’s gross, and that it’s pushy. While it can be all of those things, it doesn’t have to be. You have control over how, when, and why you market your business. If you don’t want your marketing to be aggressive, it won’t be!
Remember this: don’t listen to anyone who tells you to use a specific marketing strategy without first explaining how it serves your ideal customers.
(Wondering what an ideal customer is? Check out the free growth marketing glossary here.)
How to Build a successful Marketing Program in 13 steps
Now, let’s get started with the steps you need to take to create a successful marketing strategy from scratch:
Get crystal clear about what you do, and why you do it.
If you’re not clear on the benefits of your products, services, or solutions, how can you expect your customers to understand?
Your goal is to be able to explain your offering in a sentence or two (written) or 30 seconds (spoken).
Develop a bone-deep understanding of your ideal customer.
Every aspect of your marketing should be designed to connect with and serve your ideal customer.
Your customers are real people - write and speak to them like you know them!
Examine your market landscape.
What other products or services are available? How are your potential customers currently researching solutions? Ask lots of customer-focused questions to understand the geography of your market.
Consider - but don’t obsess over - your competitors.
Take it Further: we love the Blue Ocean strategy here at TLC. If you want to learn more about how to understand your competitors and position your business to stand out, we highly recommend reading the book.
Define your brand assets, positioning, and language.
Stay tuned for our DIY Guide to Branding, which will be launching in a few short weeks! Or sign up for the pre-sale and get a 10% discount here.
Determine a few key channels for your marketing strategy.
Hint: one of these should be your website. Your site is your 24/7 storefront, salesperson, and inbox all in one.
Outline goals, budget, time commitment, responsibilities, and execution timelines for each channel.
Create and edit content with tone and conversion opportunities in mind.
Frame out your overall funnel, with an opportunity to track clear metrics in each phase.
We explore this is great detail in the Beginner’s Guide to Marketing eBook. This guide is 100% free and you can download it here.
Execute your marketing strategies.
Analyze your performance against goals and industry benchmarks.
Optimize your marketing strategies by focusing on conversions and qualitative data.
The goal of marketing is to build awareness and strengthen relationships; this is measured in terms of leads generated and even sales. Make sure to keep an eye on your conversion metrics to make sure that your marketing is working.
Rinse and repeat!
That’s really it. Those are the 13 steps you need to take to build a successful marketing program from scratch.
As you evolve, you’ll continue to go through the exercise for new product launches, new marketing channels and strategies, and even new pieces of content.
Want a little more help staying accountable and on-track? We’ve got you covered.
It’s important that you get comfortable with one thing: ask for help when you need it. Launching and growing a business is daunting, and a little help goes a long way.
We’re here to answer any questions about marketing, sales, or strategy you may have. You can send a note to hello@lanecollective.com - we typically reply in one business day - or schedule a 30-minute intro consultation here.
