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How many times do you pass up free opportunities to market your business?
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You know what I'm talking about, someone contacts you and wants to
spotlight your business but needs a bio.
Or maybe you donated to a group and they will publish your ad, but you
need to send it to them.
Do you always have a hand out when you go to a networking meeting?
Does every place that your company is listed have complete and accurate
information as well as an enticing description?
If not, it's most likely because it takes time or you're not sure what to
say. Set yourself up for success and develop a corporate marketing kit for
your business.
What is a Corporate Marketing Kit
In your corporate marketing kit, you will have guidelines for different
types of advertising. If you already have a corporate press kit, some of the
same information can be used for your marketing kit; however, you want to
take it a step further and create ads and promotional items that can be used
in a variety of settings.
Start with the Basics:
List your company name, address, contact numbers and web site address as
it should be listed in advertising. This may seem like an obvious thing;
however, it is important to have consistency, particularly if you are in a
regulated industry or have registered trademarks or servicemarks.
Logo
If you have a company logo, note any fonts and colors that are used
within the logo. If someone else designed the logo for you, make sure that
you have a copy of the fonts. It makes creating cohesive ads much easier.
If possible, get the source files for the logo. If you can¡¦t get the
source files, get the logo in several sizes and formats. If there are
variations of your logo, make a note of when and how each should be used.
Company Purpose Write down why your company is in business . . . how you
make a difference to your customers and clients. For example, Legacy
Marketing provides marketing and business support services, but its purpose
is to help customers grow their business.
Company Description
Write a description of what your company does, including the products and
services that it offers. Include three versions, a paragraph, a half page,
and a two page description. In the longer versions, include the history of
the company and bios of key people.
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Ads
Create template ads in a variety of sizes, quarter page, half page, and
full page at a minimum.
Write sample ad copy for both informational and promotional appeals.
Marketing Collateral
In order to truly automate your marketing, have a variety of collateral
pieces ready to go and define when each should be used. The basics to start
with are:
- Business Cards
- Purse Stuffer: Examples of this would be a rack card, postcards,
half sheet or quarter page flyers. It should be something that is small
enough that people will pick it up and take it with them and yet gives
enough information to generate interest and prompt them to visit your
place of business or your web site for more information.
- Informational: This type of marketing piece would be something to
give to prospective customers who have expressed an interest in your
product or service. Examples would be a brochure, pamphlet, or booklet.
- Promo items: Have a plan for when you will use promo items and the
types you will offer. If you have different target markets or product
lines, you might use a different promo item depending on the venue.
- Online: In addition to helping build your business brand along with
print advertising, online advertising can also affect your search engine
rankings. Your online ads need to be focused and consistent to maximize
results.
If there are specific keywords or phrases that you are targeting, they
can be included in the text or banner link code to build search engine
rankings.
Create search engine optimized banner and text ads and specify the html
to be used for each. Make sure that all graphics and logos have been
optimized for the web.
Putting the Pieces in Place:
Creating foundation marketing pieces will promote a consistent message
and allow you to take advantage of those last minute opportunities.
About the Author:
Carla Alvarez is owner of Legacy Marketing Services which provides
integrated marketing services for businesses including business identity,
web and CSS development, and business development seminars.
To download a template to use as a base for a marketing kit, visit the
Downloads section of legacymarketingservices.com
December 2005
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