7 Sentence Plan: The Value of Street Marketing!

1. The first sentence tells the purpose of your marketing. Be very specific.

2. The second sentence states the competitive advantage you'll emphasize. How will you accomplish your first-sentence goal?

3. The third sentence explains who your target audience is. The more specific you are and the more you narrow down the audience, the more accurate your marketing's aim will be. Your marketing plan needs to be as precise and focused as possible.

4. The fourth sentence lists the marketing weapons you'll be using. See "Your Guerrilla Marketing Arsenal"

5. The fifth sentence explains your niche in the marketplace. Now that you have determined your purpose, benefits and target market, it's time to define your marketing niche. When people hear the name of your company, what's the first thing that enters their minds? Is it price, speed, economy, exclusivity, value, service, selection or one of a host of other good things? That's your niche--also referred to as positioning--and it's what you stand for in the minds of your prospects.
Guerrillas know the marketplace is cluttered with competition, so it pays to be a leader in a smaller pond.

6. The sixth sentence sets forth your identity. Your identity is different from your image, because an identity is based on truth. An image is a facade, something phony. The far better "I" word is "identity." Your business's identity is automatically honest. If you communicate a real identity, people sense comfort and relaxation when they contact you. What they see in your marketing is ultimately what they get from your goods and services, and that builds trust and rapport.

7. The seventh sentence states your marketing budget, expressed as a percentage of your projected gross sales. The beauty of guerrilla marketing is that more than half of the marketing weapons are free. But remember: There are important reasons to spend money on your marketing.

Excerpted from Startup Guide to Guerrilla Marketing: A Simple Battle Plan for First-Time Marketers, by Jay Conrad Levinson and Jeannie Levinson (Entrepreneur Press).