Developing Your Marketing Strategy – Dorset Growth Hub

Who should attend?

If you are a Business Start Up launching a new product or service, or you are scaling up your business and looking to reassess your marketing choices, this practical workshop is a perfect opportunity to take time out of your business and work on your business, view it with a fresh perspective.

As a business owner, you have an ever-increasing array of marketing activities to choose from and it can sometimes feel overwhelming. This workshop will help you gain an understanding of how to plan your marketing – what to include in a simple marketing plan, what else sits behind the first-page overview document and more clarity about where to focus your time, energy and budget. You’ll come away with a user-friendly plan in line with your business values and more confidence and understanding of how to organise and keep your marketing on track and grow your business.

This workshop is delivered by experienced start-up Business Growth Consultants – business people who have launched their own businesses. You’ll receive an accompanying booklet, and during the workshop, you’ll start to put a plan together with your first steps to get the momentum flowing.

Here’s what’s included:

• Why you need a Simple Marketing Plan and how to approach the planning process.
• Starting with the end in mind – developing your vision and ideal outcomes to create a focused and meaningful plan.
• Revisiting your Business Values, Purpose and Branding – to build a strong foundation for your Marketing Plan.
• Understanding how your USP and your Story fit into your Marketing Plan.
• Understanding what to include in your Marketing overview document – your ‘flight deck’ plan.
• Understanding your target market and customer segment – communicating your unique story to the right audience.
• Estimating the resources and support you’ll require to succeed and whether outsourcing is an option you’ll explore.
• Understanding which key marketing documents sit behind your overview document – including your digital marketing plan, marketing activities calendar, ongoing MR plan and focused action plan.
• Clarity around what to include in your digital marketing strategy – website, social media platforms, newsletters, blogs, podcasts and videos.
• Revisiting your ‘traditional’ marketing options – PR (Press, TV, local Radio), Sales Channels, Printed material, Community Sponsorship and Events (Festivals, exhibitions, networking).
• Planning tips – how to prioritise and schedule regular focused Marketing time in your busy week.
• Designing a Marketing Activities Calendar – a rolling plan to keep you on track and avoid the roller coaster of famine or feast.
• Highlighting the benefits of an ongoing Market Research Plan (including Competitor Analysis) with further links & tips in your post-workshop resources pack.
• Anticipating any obstacles to success you may encounter in your Customer Journey and how to mitigate or overcome them.
• Measuring success – keeping your eye on the numbers, analysing results & how you’ll know which activities have been most effective.
• Drafting out a simple Marketing Strategy outline document with your first few actions – a working plan to help you take early action and keep the momentum flowing after the workshop.

You’ll receive a pre-course booklet for completion in the workshop, plus a post-course resource pack with slides, links and top tips (for attendees) afterwards.

This is an interactive workshop with time for you to work on exercises in your booklet and a Q&A towards the end, so we encourage you to have your camera on as much as possible during the morning.

Ann’s background …

Ann has been coaching & mentoring a wide range of businesses throughout the UK and overseas since qualifying as a Business Coach 18 years ago. Over the past 4 years she has delivered Start Up & Scale Up and Business Success programmes for Dorset Growth Hub.

Ann previously worked in senior management roles at American Express for 14 years with a background in business development, relationship marketing and management, working with leading retail brands and international dollar & euro card across Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.

She now lives with her family on the Dorset Coast and loves starting her day walking by the sea. She also enjoys sea kayaking, paddleboarding, travelling and learning Italian. She faced her fear of heights by paragliding off 6000 ft Babadag Mountain above Olu Deniz – luckily strapped to a pilot!

This workshop it’s delivered by Dorset Growth Hub and WSX Enterprise as part of Dorset Council’s Business Support Programme.

If you require more information or have any questions, please contact info@dorsetgrowthhub.co.uk