Greg Cole
Member
Who here sits down and develops an anual marketing plan? What do you use as a baseline for your budget and how do you decide which works? How do you track it? Do you use call tracking numbers? Source codes? Hope and pray method?
Marketing Campaign
- Thread starter Greg Cole
- Start date
truckmount girl
1800greenglides
I didn't have to market or advertise. I was repeat and referral only. It's great when your customers do all the marketing for you. All you have to do is be on time, clean them well and care about them and their stuff and you shouldn't have to market after the first two years....unless you are putting more trucks on the road.
95% repeats and referral, the rest were calls off the truck.
Take care,
Lisa
95% repeats and referral, the rest were calls off the truck.
Take care,
Lisa
Ken Snow
RIP
Here are some replies on ics that I copied and pasted so I wouldn't have to retype.
Re: Marketing Campaign
Posted By Ken Snow on 10/3/2009 at 11:16 PM
Hey Greg
I set my annual budget as part of my overall budgeting process that I do with my CFO. For the last few years it has typically gone up 2-3% or a little less than sales volume so it has become less as a % of sales. I start my negotiations with the various medio outlets in early december and put about 65% of my budget on network tv and terrestial radio with yp, internet, print and direct mail being the balance.
Ken
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Re: Marketing Campaign
Posted By Ed Prevost on 10/4/2009 at 8:00 AM
We do. But most of our marketing is directed toward water, fire and mold damage. This years budget is a work in progress as we've hired a full time marketing manager. Our goal is around 8% of our annual operating budget. As far as tracking, we simply ask every call how/where did they hear about us and what prompted them to call. We are directing more $$ toward internet and away from print advertising.
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Re: Marketing Campaign
Posted By Howard Partridge on 10/4/2009 at 8:28 AM
Greg,
I did a whole series on this if you search the archives. In fact, "9 Step Marketing Plan", the article series I did is one of the most searched topics on this site.
Hit ICS Home Page and search "9 Step Marketing Plan" and you should find it.
As far as "how much" you will typically set a % of how much of your revenue you will devote to marketing.
We currently run about 8% in our budgeting.
There will also be campaigns where there is no "budget" but things you want to test to see what kind of returns you want, so part of your budget is money you want to invest in new things that are not things you are committed to doing.
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Re: Marketing Campaign
Posted By Ken Snow on 10/4/2009 at 8:52 AM
Great point Howard and I agree about the "new thing" trials. I also have roughly a blened 8% budget (3 divisions with each being a little diff) and I section out about 1/2% (or 40k) for out of the box things and also to have as funny money for last minute deals not part of annuals with media sources.
Ken
Re: Marketing Campaign
Posted By Ken Snow on 10/3/2009 at 11:16 PM
Hey Greg
I set my annual budget as part of my overall budgeting process that I do with my CFO. For the last few years it has typically gone up 2-3% or a little less than sales volume so it has become less as a % of sales. I start my negotiations with the various medio outlets in early december and put about 65% of my budget on network tv and terrestial radio with yp, internet, print and direct mail being the balance.
Ken
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Re: Marketing Campaign
Posted By Ed Prevost on 10/4/2009 at 8:00 AM
We do. But most of our marketing is directed toward water, fire and mold damage. This years budget is a work in progress as we've hired a full time marketing manager. Our goal is around 8% of our annual operating budget. As far as tracking, we simply ask every call how/where did they hear about us and what prompted them to call. We are directing more $$ toward internet and away from print advertising.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: Marketing Campaign
Posted By Howard Partridge on 10/4/2009 at 8:28 AM
Greg,
I did a whole series on this if you search the archives. In fact, "9 Step Marketing Plan", the article series I did is one of the most searched topics on this site.
Hit ICS Home Page and search "9 Step Marketing Plan" and you should find it.
As far as "how much" you will typically set a % of how much of your revenue you will devote to marketing.
We currently run about 8% in our budgeting.
There will also be campaigns where there is no "budget" but things you want to test to see what kind of returns you want, so part of your budget is money you want to invest in new things that are not things you are committed to doing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: Marketing Campaign
Posted By Ken Snow on 10/4/2009 at 8:52 AM
Great point Howard and I agree about the "new thing" trials. I also have roughly a blened 8% budget (3 divisions with each being a little diff) and I section out about 1/2% (or 40k) for out of the box things and also to have as funny money for last minute deals not part of annuals with media sources.
Ken
