If you’re a small station or group that believes having a marketing communications strategy is an idea reserved for huge corporations or groups that have large marketing departments, you’re doing yourself and your company a major disservice. It’s just like that old adage: “If you don’t know where you’re headed, you will end up somewhere else.”
You wouldn’t embark on a cross-country road trip to a destination without a road map or GPS. Similarly, you shouldn’t be marketing without a strategy- no matter how simple or complex. And, that’s the key… a marketing communications strategy doesn’t have to be overcomplicated or burdensome to produce. In fact, having something simple and straightforward makes focusing on and achieving your goals much easier.
Now that we’ve established that your station or group needs a strategy for its marketing communications, the question is “How do we create one with little to no resources?” You can generate a one-page plan by yourself or with the help of a few colleagues in a brainstorming session. Use the following to help.
Step back and assess your station, group, and brand objectively. (Note: if you don’t feel you can be objective, you can survey your clients, listeners, and/or viewers to gauge perceptions). You need to be able to understand your strengths and weaknesses— be honest with yourself. Start a simple document that answers these questions:
• What is the opportunity for our station or group? (Examples: To position XYZ as the preferred CHR station in EFG market; Creating a market for ABC product; Build awareness of ABC brand, etc.). There may more than one opportunity. List them all and then prioritize, if so. Think about some measurable goals that you would like to achieve. Again, bulletize and prioritize that list.
• Where is your primary market located? (Examples: city, area, region, online, etc.)
• Who are your station or group’s main/ideal clients? (Examples: Small businesses, attorney offices, work-at-home-mothers, teens, etc.). Also include traits and demographics for your ideal clients. Take it beyond listing characteristics and define what emotionally drives them.
• When is the ideal time they are in the market for what we have to offer as a station? (Examples: online time, texting time, work day, morning drive, etc.)
• How can my company best reach them? Consider different marketing communications tactics. Following is a list for consideration: advertising, public relations, promotional items, conferences, networking, direct mail, collateral (business cards, letterhead, envelopes, brochures, etc.), newsletters, website development, search engine optimization/pay per click (SEO/PPC) campaigns, etc.
Answering these questions will give you the basics for a marketing strategy as you will have taken the time to truly understand your opportunity, who you are trying to reach, and how best to reach them. There’s one additional step that’s critical. You need to ask yourself a couple more questions:
What are the Keys to Success for our station or group? These are the things that you must do in order for the plan to be implementable and for the goals to be achievable. (Examples: Commitment to plan, training on software, etc.)
What are Things to Avoid in the Strategy? These are things that know you cannot and should not do as they would sabotage the plan and keep your station or group from achieving its goals. (Example: Selling on Price)
Once complete, draw this out on a simple document that lists all of these components in separate boxes. Put this somewhere where it will be a continual reminder to focus on your marketing strategy and implement it. Don’t file this strategic overview where no one will act upon it or see it. This is also a living document that should change and grow as the business does. Ideally, you should go through this process at least once a year. The beginning of the calendar year or fiscal year is an opportune time.
–Lauren L. Darr is President of LOI International, a strategic, visioning marketing firm specializing in the broadcast industry. She has more than twenty years marketing experience with over fifteen of those devoted to broadcast. Lauren has been named as a “Woman to Watch” and as one of the “Women Who RULE” in sales and marketing by the American Women in Radio and Television.
Lauren has a passion for technology that changes out world. She is the author of the anthology book, “The Official LOI International 2010-2012 Media Outlook Book” with a publish date of April 2010 (www.mediaoutlookbook.com). In the book, she interviews over twenty experts from all facets of media.
You can reach Lauren at [email protected] or visit the website at www.loi-international.com.
