At M-pact, we often refer to the many “pieces of the marketing pie.” Each piece represents a marketing component, including branding, campaigns, social media, tradeshows/events, public relations, etc. Together, these pieces make up, a topic we’ve talked about before. (See The Fast and The Furious) If you break down the analogy even further, each “pie slice” is composed of various “ingredients,” all of which are necessary to complete the pie.

While there’s no single marketing recipe—since every business has different needs—there are certain key quality ingredients that go into building and executing a successful marketing plan. Added together in the right way and nurtured by the right “chef”, these ingredients make a marketing pie. Without one of the ingredients, you don’t have a fully integrated approach to marketing. Therefore, it’s critical for all of your marketing parts to seamlessly work together in order to meet your business goals.

Let’s say you want to participate in a trade show. Good for you—trade shows are an important part of any complete marketing pie. But trade shows aren’t that complex, right? Think again. Trade shows actually involve a lot of various parts and ingredients that must be executed properly and work together cohesively in order for the entire trade show to be successful. The details of a trade show could take up their own M2 newsletter, but let’s be brief. Here are just a few of the key areas that must be considered.

• Strategy and Goals
• Budgeting
• Key Messages and Themes
• Event Logistics
• Booth Design
• Pre-show Campaigns
• Sales Tools and Giveaways
• Post-show Campaigns
• Analyzing and Evaluating

I think you get our point. All of these components must be taken into consideration and executed properly in order for your trade show to be successful.

Most people follow recipe cards when making pies. Why? Not only is it hard to remember a laundry list of ingredients and cooking instructions off the top of your head, but it’s nice to know you’re working with a recipe that was created by someone who probably knows a thing or two about pies. The same is true with marketing. You’ve got so much to concentrate on as an entrepreneur, and while you know that everything is important, your resources are limited. Sometimes it’s critical to leverage experts who understand marketing and its place in your business. This allows you to not only maximize your exposure and spend, but it gives you the freedom to concentrate on growing your business.

With marketing experts, the whole marketing process is effectively managed by people who can deliver hard-hitting results through a detail-oriented action plan. These expert marketing “chefs” can help you make your own delicious marketing pie and ensure that all of your marketing parts and ingredients work together to meet a common goal.

• Hiring a Branding Professional -Entrepreneur Magazine
  
  
• Five Low-cost Marketing Activities for a Small Business During a Recession- Duct Tape Marketing
  
  
• Help a Startup Find the Right Marketing Solution - Inc. Magazine

1. Ensure your marketing components are working together to meet your business goals.

2. Build an integrated marketing plan that includes a concise message and a consistent approach.

3. Leverage experts to grow your business.

4. An effective marketing plan needs to be both focused and detail-oriented.

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M-pact Marketing’s new site for bundled services.

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