Marketing Strategies For Small Business Owners

Transcription

1 Spring 2013 MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS BASIC COURSE INFORMATION X475.5, 2 SEMESTER UNITS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SYLLABUS Course Meeting Dates & Times: April 20 May 18 9am 4pm Course Location: San Francisco Room 803, UC Berkeley Extension Downtown Center 425 Market St., 8th Floor (enter on Fremont St.) Instructor: Kathryn Gorges, MA, MBA Phone: kagorges@berkeley.edu kagorges@gmail.com Instructor Availability: I can be reached most easily by either of the s above. COURSE DESCRIPTION Learn practical ways to plan and execute cost-effective and innovative marketing strategies for entrepreneurs and small business owners. You also learn about new-media marketing, including blogging, viral marketing, video marketing, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, word-of-mouth, networking, creative brainstorming in tandem, and more. Guest speakers are a key component of this course; these successful, proven small business owners and entrepreneurs share tips, secrets, and strategies to help you gain a competitive edge and attract more quality customers for your business and websites. Course Goals and Learning Objectives On successful completion, participants will gain knowledge and skills in the following areas: How to be successful and streamlined in targeting audiences on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or Meetup How to use blogs, videos, s to promote your business and reach your target audience How to utilize digital / online marketing techniques, including search engine marketing, social media marketing and marketing How to reach mass audiences in TV and radio advertising without busting the budget Understanding the nuances and ins-and-outs of networking and building community online Leveraging public relations to full benefits Intended Audience 1

2 This course is intended for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to learn proven strategies and techniques, and gain a competitive edge by employing the latest tips and tricks to generate awareness and increased business opportunities. Instructional Methodologies This class is taught in lecture format with discussion. Guest speakers are an integral part of the course. Prerequisites There are no prerequisites. COURSE MATERIALS The New Rules of Marketing and PR Author David Meerman Scott The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course: Online Marketing Author Lorrie Thomas Social Marketing Diva website password protected: berkeley Videos ebooks Links Blogs Articles REQUIREMENTS ASSIGNMENTS, GRADING, & FINAL PROJECT All evaluated and graded material will be returned to students by the next class meeting. Course Assignments (including reading assignments, in-class assignments, problem sets, and other homework): all assignments documents (or links where appropriate) to me at kagorges@berkeley.edu Assignments are due Wednesday 11:59pm before the next class. Grading/Evaluation Students will be evaluated on attendance, class participation, online participation, and a final project. Attendance is critical we cover a lot of material in a short amount of time. Participation in class discussions (in class and online) relate to your final grade. Evaluation component breakdown: Participation 25% Attendance 25% Participation = 25% Participation criteria are as follows: Assignments 20% Final Project 30% Exemplary (90-100%) Participates regularly and actively and contributes in ways that help advance concepts introduced and discussed in class; does not dominate the discussion or try to comment on everything for the sake 2

3 of talking; encourages others to participate Uses specific examples to support responses and invites further discussion; Contributions are relevant and demonstrate a thorough understanding and reflection regarding the question or concept being presented. Accomplished (80-90%) Participates regularly and actively; Uses specific examples to support responses; Contributions are relevant and demonstrate a thorough understanding regarding the question or concept being presented. Competent (70 80%) Participates regularly but not as active in contributing; Communicates ideas, opinions, and conclusions clearly and completely; Uses specific examples to support response Developing (60 70%) Does not participate regularly or actively contribute; Communicates ideas but fails to provide examples to support response; Contribution does not demonstrate an understanding of the question or concept being presented Does not participate (<60%) Indifferent or hinders the discussion and limits the ability to submit a final and representative response Attendance = 25% Attendance is also an important component of this course. Regular attendance is expected and considered mandatory. Students are allowed ½ day unexcused session absence from class for the duration of the 4 week/8 session (each class has a morning session and an afternoon session) course without direct penalty to the grade. For each absence over 1/2 unexcused absences, the final grade will be reduced by 5 percentage points. For example, if a 90% is earned as a final percentage total but a student misses 1 sessions, the total points will be reduced by 5 percentage points to 85%. Exceptions: an absence is unexcused if no arrangements have been made with me beforehand or afterwards to make up for the lost contribution. Please get in touch with me as soon as you know you will be absent to plan for making it up to avoid any penalty. Attendance and Tardiness Policy: If students miss class for any reason, the burden is on the students to make up the work and to make a decision whether they can continue in the course: Refund policy: Withdrawal and Incomplete Policies: XB Deadlines: For students who feel that they can make up the work, instructors will provide any materials that were handed out in class (handouts, slides, notes etc.) and remind the students of the assignments that are due. It is not the instructor's responsibility to make up the instructional time with the student in the form of a personal tutorial or personal lecture. Students who missed class should obtain lecture notes from the other students who were present that day; it is recommended that students exchange contact information with a few other students for this purpose on the first day of class. Assignments = 20% all assignments documents or links to me at kagorges@berkeley.edu Late assignments will lose a letter grade for each week they are late. Extra Credit Opportunities (must be started and completed during the course period and agreed to by me before beginning): o o Website completion with copy Completed blog entries 3

4 o o Newly operating Facebook page/twitter account with content for 3 weeks newsletter sent and mailing list of >25 established 4

5 FINAL PROJECT = 30% A final project is required to earn full credit for this course. The final project applies what you learned about small business and entrepreneurial marketing (if you are taking the class for a real business, then apply learning to your organization). The assignments for each week of the course contribute to and inform the final project. The project will bring all the previous assignments together into a single strategic marketing plan and tactical plan that is actionable by the student for their business. The final project will be due on the last day of class. Late projects will not be accepted. The final project includes all of the following: A. Overview Section 1. Company Overview 2. Product and/or Service Description 3. Brand Promise and Experience 4. Target Customer 5. Market Description/Competitive Analysis (Five Forces) 6. SWOT Analysis 7. Unique Selling Proposition or Value Proposition 8. Revenue Generation/Pricing B. Online Marketing Strategy (What will you use to help you achieve your goals? Why?) 1. Online Sales and Marketing Goals (Traffic, sales, leads, brand awareness, etc.) 2. Online Platform Strategy (the online platforms for your engagement) 3. Objective of Each Platform (call to action, role it plays) 4. Marketing Funnel C. Online Tactical Plan New Website/Web Redesign Search Engine Optimization Tactics Strategy Online Advertising Campaign Social Media Content Plan Affiliate Marketing (if applicable) Website optimization/analytics plan Viral Marketing Tactics and Opportunities Traditional Media and Advertising Campaign Online PR Campaign D. Marketing Execution Plan 1. Budget 2. Tracking and Analysis (How you plan to analyze performance/measure success) I will be looking for grasp of course material to be incorporated into the final project. The object of the final project is to apply thinking from class lectures and reading to solidify your new knowledge and turn it actionable strategy. There is no wrong or right approach to this project - marketing requires innovative thinking and creativity let your mind go and have fun with this project! Every business is different, so every final project format will vary. Focus on quality demonstration of learning, not quantity of pages. 5

6 Include your assumptions as to budget and personnel try to stay as close to reality as possible so as to be useful to your business, but allow yourself the option to include every piece of the strategy even if your circumstances prevent it because of a shoestring. You could find that you would have more success by seeking additional funding if you explore the possible impact of marketing you wouldn t otherwise have considered. Grading Scale for Final Course Grade (and Final Project Criteria): Grading will not be on a curve: it is possible for everyone to get an A. GRADE GRADE POINTS PER UNIT RECOMMENDED PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN DESCRIPTION A+ A A % % 90 93% Excellent: The grade of A+, when awarded at the instructor s discretion, represents extraordinary achievement, but does not receive grade point credit beyond that received for the grade of A. Your Final Project includes all the marketing techniques covered with tactics, the overall strategy with objectives, the market opportunity would be clear and the plan understandable by someone other than the author (the document stands on its own). B+ B B % 83 85% 80 82% Good Your Final Project includes all the marketing techniques covered with tactics, the overall strategy with objectives, the plan would be understandable but may require some explanation by the author (the documents mostly stands on its own). C+ C C % 73 75% 70 72% Fair: Each course in a certificate program must be completed with a grade of C or better, although some programs have higher requirements. Your Final Project includes all the marketing techniques covered with tactics, the overall strategy with objectives, and may be understandable (the document doesn t stand on its own entirely). D+ D D % 63 65% 60 62% Barely passed Your Final Project includes most of the marketing techniques covered, some strategy, and isn t understandable. F 0.0 < 60% Failed Your Final Project has only a few techniques, little or no strategy, and isn t understandable. P Passed at a minimum level of C-minus or 70% NP Not Passed anything below a C-minus or below 70% Grading Options & Deadlines for Choosing Grading Options: For Professional Post-Graduate courses numbered X , the grading options are as follows: CLG credit letter grade (DEFAULT STUDENT GRADING OPTION) P/NP pass/not pass NC not for credit W withdrawal (must be student-initiated) The default grading option for courses numbered X is a letter grade. Students are permitted to change their grading option in X level courses anytime before the final meeting. The change from not for credit to credit may be made only if the instructor has recorded the student's academic progress throughout the course. If a student doesn t inform the instructor of their grading option, they will automatically be assigned a letter grade. If the student 6

7 stops attending class, has not officially withdrawn, and has not informed the instructor of their grade option, the student will be assigned an F as a final grade for the course. Additional Information and Policies on Credit, Grades, Incompletes, Withdrawals, Final Grade Reviews/Appeals and Transcripts: Classroom Decorum: Turn off cell phones No laptops Ground rules for discussion mutual respect with an emphasis on learning what others have to say. Academic Honesty and Student Conduct: UC Berkeley Extension s Policy on Academic Honesty and Student Conduct: Permissible collaborations: Discussion, brainstorming, ideas, clarifications Impermissible collaborations: None of the assignments are collaborative Other Extension Policies: Including Privacy, Nondiscrimination, Sexual Harassment, Safety and Security, Classroom Recording: INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHY President of Marketing Possibility Consulting and also known as the Social Marketing Diva, Kathryn blends social media and traditional marketing communications with core business strategy to create integrated marketing strategies for small and medium-sized businesses. She specifically leverages the vision and value at the heart of the business into quality customer relationships and conversations. Kathryn brings over 17 years of experience in high tech marketing and sales to her marketing consulting business. She consults as CMO and co-founder of three startups and also with medium and small businesses in the Silicon Valley area. Kathryn helps businesses clarify their brand and business persona to use in building conversations with customers and prospects through all facets of marketing and social networking. She also develops social media marketing plans, teaches all aspects of engaging online, and can conduct online campaigns for clients. Kathryn has spoken at conferences, workshops, meetings, and corporations on topics ranging from the future of marketing and social media to the application of high availability systems in the financial industry. She loves speaking and will happily make herself available. Her presentations, workshops, and coaching sessions consistently get excellent reviews and she loves presenting information that is empowering to people. Kathryn teaches Marketing Strategies for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners at UC Berkeley Extension San Francisco ( Kathryn has held marketing and sales leadership positions at IBM, Amdahl, Stratus, and Tandem and has served in executive roles on non-profit boards and community organizations. She has a Masters in Philosophy from Stanford University, a BS in Mathematics from William and Mary, and an MBA from Santa Clara University kathryn@thesocialmarketingdiva.com

8 SCHEDULE NOTE: All assignments with a Ø in front are to be turned in via as one of the following: Word document, Powerpoint, Keynote, jpeg, or scanned. => Assignments are due Wednesday 11:59pm before the next class. Late assignments will lose a letter grade for each week they are late. Class One April 20, 2013 Morning: Introduction to Small Business and Entrepreneurial Marketing Introductions Class Overview/Syllabus Review The REAL Meaning of Marketing Matching Your Ideas to Your Market: Solving Real Problems Afternoon: Identifying, Creating, and Building Your Brand Experience and Value Proposition Customer and Market Research - Online Surveys CLASS ONE ASSIGNMENTS: o Refer to the resources webpage: Classroom 1: Marketing and Branding Resources Read the references and watch the videos o Reading: The New Rules of Marketing and PR Introduction, Foreword and Chapter 1 2, and 3 o Reading: The 36-Hour Course to Online Marketing Preface, Introduction and Chapter 1 Ø Download, complete, and turn in the worksheets (from the website page for this week) for your own business or the business you ve chosen as your focus for this course. o Business Model Canvas to draft an overall view of how your idea will connect with customers, require resources, and make money o Market Alignment Worksheet to match your talents and inspirations to customers wants and needs o Target Market Definition to describe who you think might be your best first target segment. This is a worksheet best duplicated for each target segment you will have. o SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis to understand your business in relationship to the market and how to capitalize on your strengths and protect yourself from threats. o Communicating Your Value to start to articulate what unique differentiator you have in the language of the value to your customer and the problem your solving in their lives. The Value Proposition portion of this 2 page worksheet is critical. 8

9 o Building Your Brand to start intentionally creating an integrated brand experience that will carry the communication of your value to your customer throughout the touchpoints. Ø Ask 5 10 people about your idea for your business. Formulate your questions to be openended and to find out about what people think, what they re related problems are, and what they really want. Turn in a summary of your findings by Wednesday May 2. Ø Create an online survey and send it to your friends, co-workers, or customers: The focus of your survey can be to understand problems people have that you may want to develop a product or service for, or to find out what people are using today, or to ask about people s preferences for certain brands and why, or some other topic that is compelling to you in the context of your business. Turn in a summary of your findings by Wednesday May 2. Ø Ask 3-5 clients, friends, and/or family the following questions and be prepared to discuss these in the next class: o What are my greatest strengths? o What are my weaknesses? o What can you count on me for? o What can you not count on me for? o What unique difference am I suited to make in the world? Ø Write down and turn in a draft of your: o Elevator Pitch (30 seconds to a minute) o Tag line (3-10 words) you can turn in a bunch of ideas I m not looking for perfection, but for a start Class Two April 27, 2013 Morning: Reading and Homework Review Elevator Pitch Practice Session Local Search and SEO Measuring Marketing Success with Web Analytics Afternoon: Online Presence Strategy Websites versus Online Business Strategy Websites and Blogs CLASS TWO ASSIGNMENTS: o Refer to the resources webpage: 9

10 Classroom 2: Online Presence Strategy: Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Website, Blog Read the references, listen to the recording of the 4Ps and watch the videos o Reading: The New Rules of Marketing and PR Chapters 5, 9-13, and 15 o Reading: The 36-Hour Course to Online Marketing Chapters 2 5, 7 8 o Watch the Web Marketing Checkup Webinar. To access the online tutorial, go to: The webinar is 55 minutes long. Ø Turn in one-half page on the keywords and SEO tactics that will apply to your business. Use Google s keyword research to identify the keywords that relate to your business and your value proposition Ø Turn in a keyword-rich blog entry 3 paragraphs Ø Layout and turn in the basic navigation for your business website using the worksheets on the resources page. Make sure you have an objective and call to action for each page. Just ideas, not the full copy. Ø Turn in the Developing Your Persona worksheet for your blog persona with adjectives describing tone, formality, values that reflect your brand experience. Specify on the worksheet what type of blog works best for you and your business. Class Three May 4, 2013 Morning: Reading and Homework Review Search Engine Marketing and Online Advertising GUEST SPEAKER: 10:00am 11:30am Sheila Fruge, Fruge Consulting Inc., PPC Campaigns Afternoon: Social Media Marketing The Power of Conversation and the Passing of Trust Marketing: Social Media Examiner Case Study Viral Video Marketing CLASS THREE ASSIGNMENTS: o Reading: The New Rules of Marketing and PR Chapter 4, 8, 14, 16, and 20 o Reading: The 36-Hour Course to Online Marketing Chapters 6 and 9 10 o Watch the How to Optimize Your Marketing Webinar Please be advised that you must register with BrightTalk prior to accessing the tutorial. Accounts are free. o Refer to the resources webpage: Classroom 3: Social Media, PPC, Viral Video Read the references and watch the videos 10

11 Ø Turn in one page on how you would run an online search advertising campaign pay-per-click (PPC) only if you were given a budget for that purpose. Also include your objectives for the campaign and how you would measure success. Relate this to your business for this course. Ø Create a Facebook page and Twitter account for your business. Use your keywords. Turn in a screenshot of each. Ø Turn in the Content Calendar Worksheet for a one-month social media content calendar. Include themes that leverage your blog ideas into social media actions; frequency; ideas for topics. Use your keywords. Ø Turn in one-half page describing how your business could use marketing to increase revenues (directly or indirectly). Class Four May 11, 2013 Morning: Reading and Homework Review Podcasting and Audio Marketing Writing Great Copy Tracking and Evaluating your Marketing Efforts Afternoon: Public Relations (PR) Advertising: Print, TV, Radio Advertising: Social Media GUEST SPEAKER: 1:30pm 3pm Deb Doyle, Stage2 Marketing CLASS FOUR ASSIGNMENTS: o Reading: The New Rules of Marketing and PR Chapters 6 7, 10, o Reading: The 36-Hour Course to Online Marketing Chapters 7 and 11 o Refer to the resources webpage: Classroom 4: Advertising, Podcasting, Metrics Read the references and watch the videos Ø Turn in one page on how you would use media advertising (TV, print, radio, billboards, etc.) and Public Relations. Include your rationale behind choosing one over the other or the particular combination of both. Relate this to your business for this course. Identify your business objectives and the measurements you would use to determine success. Ø Turn in 3 ad ideas with copy for Facebook. Ø Prepare a 5-10 minute presentation on a social media platform; discuss why and how you would use it for your business. Ø Final project due next week! 11

12 Class Five May 18, 2013 Morning: Reading and Homework Review Presentations Afternoon: Presentations Refining Your Strategy and Expanding Your Marketing CLASS FIVE ASSIGNMENTS: o Reading: The New Rules of Marketing and PR Review o Reading: The 36-Hour Course to Online Marketing Review o Refer to the resources webpage: Classroom 5: Review and Final Presentations Read the references and watch the videos Note! Please or send via dropbox your final project presentation to kagorges@berkeley.edu by midnight Saturday, May 18, 2013 Save the Planet NO PAPER PLEASE! ! s to the Class: Instructor may send the class relevant links via . Instructor will respect the privacy of all addresses. Additional Reading: RESOURCES UC Berkeley Library Information: Guidelines for Written Assignments: Please provide all written assignments in digital format Assignments can be in: o MS Word.doc or.docx o MS Excel.xls or.xlsx o.pdf o MS Powerpoint.ppt or.pptx o Check with me directly for any other formats before handing in your assignment Resource for Style Guides and Citing Sources: Tips for Success: Review resources on the web and focus on the ones most helpful to your style and interests Complete assignments with bullets or lists where possible: copywriting is only required for: 12

13 o Clarification to prevent misinterpretation or incomplete communication o Creating marketing documents as part of the assignment: website copy, messages, blog entries, etc. Spend the time each week to do the assignment and the final project will be easy Key concept communication and practical experience with the tactic is more important in demonstrating your understanding than long documents and essays STATEMENT OF ACCOMMODATION Student Disability Services: Students who require a physical, medical, or learning accommodation can contact Disability Student Services at: Reasonable Accommodation for Students Religious Beliefs, Observations and Practices: In compliance with Education code, Section 92640(a), it is the official policy of the University of California at Berkeley to permit any student to undergo a test or examination, without penalty, at a time when that activity would not violate the student's religious creed, unless administering the examination at an alternative time would impose an undue hardship which could not reasonably have been avoided. Please contact the Extension program office for more information. EVALUATION OF COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR Student Feedback Strategies: Ø I am available for questions or concerns about your class performance via phone. End of Course Evaluation Process: It is UC Berkeley Extension policy that all courses be evaluated as part of an overall campus mandate to evaluate and improve the quality of teaching. Evaluation responses are reviewed by Extension representatives and program directors, shared with instructors after the course ends and after final grades are turned into Extension (if applicable), and filed in the academic department. The student evaluations are not designed to measure learning, but they do provide feedback in a variety of areas that affect the learning process. UC Berkeley Extension retains evaluations for a period of three years. RIGHTS Civility and Respect in an Atmosphere of Academic Freedom: UC Berkeley Extension Code of Student Conduct: Course Copyright and Classroom Recording Policies: SAFETY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS Emergency Numbers: From Landline: From Cell-Phone: Non-emergency Number: 13

14 Security Desk (if applicable): Evacuation Procedures: Please refer to map posted in the classroom. DISCLAIMER The syllabus and schedule is subject to change. 14