How to Determine Marketing Needs

Co-authored by Christine Michel Carter and Jennifer Mueller, JD

Last Updated: October 6, 2021 References

Figuring out the marketing needs of your business is the first step toward creating an effective, unique marketing campaign. We'll help you evaluate the current market and your previous marketing materials to figure out how to expand your reach!

Steps

1
Take stock of the current marketing department, materials and strategies. You must become familiar with what has already been tried, so that you can decide what is missing. For new businesses, this may be as simple as business cards or a business plan.
- A new business should complete all or most of a business plan before trying to chart their marketing needs. The managers and marketers should have intimate familiarity with the market before trying to define a marketing plan. You should have an established marketing budget, if possible.
2
Research how your competitors market.^{[1]
X
Expert Source

Christine Michel Carter
Global Marketing Expert
Expert Interview. 30 September 2020.} Pay special attention to the most successful companies in your business. You can identify key competitors by searching online and completing a sales process, surfing their sites, walking into physical business offices themselves, or by reading reviews online.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Establish your competitive advantage against your competitors. Everything you do in your marketing plan needs to emphasize this advantage.^{[3]
  X
  Research source}
Advertisement
3
Do market research.^{[4]
X
Expert Source

Christine Michel Carter
Global Marketing Expert
Expert Interview. 30 September 2020.} Survey your current customers to see what age, gender, ethnicity and other demographic groups they fit into. Also, ask them what is missing in their experience, so that you can improve their experience and attract repeat customers.
- You can also evaluate new industry standards and innovations. Develop a detailed report that everyone involved in marketing would read.
- Free consumer reports are available from government departments and private firms, like Neilsen.^{[5]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Christine Michel Carter
  Global Marketing Expert
  Expert Interview. 30 September 2020.}
4
Identify your target customer base.^{[6]
X
Expert Source

Christine Michel Carter
Global Marketing Expert
Expert Interview. 30 September 2020.} The majority of the money you spend on marketing should be spent on communicating and attracting similar customers. Occasionally you may want to try to tempt a new demographic to your business.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Remember that each demographic responds to marketing in a different way. One of your main needs may be to establish different campaigns for different kinds of customers. A 20 year old person would be better served by an email, but an 80 year old might require a piece of mail to alert them about a sale.
5
Evaluate your name, logo and motto. All 3 of these things should communicate what is unique about your business within its market. This is called "branding," and you should hire marketing professionals to create an attractive brand, if you do not have the skills to do it yourself.^{[8]
X
Research source}
6
Evaluate your printed materials. Everything from business cards to letterhead to invoices and more should project your brand. Media kits, catalogs, brochures and direct mail campaigns should be in the hands of people who can effectively design your graphics.
- If you find your printed materials are not up to standard, you can choose to hire a graphic designer full-time, hire one for a contract, or contract with a marketing firm. A good relationship with a graphic designer will help you to execute printed marketing campaigns in the future.
7
Evaluate your electronic image. Online marketing is growing to be 1 of the best ways to find new business. To this end, you should have a user-friendly website, email correspondence, and possibly social media accounts that announce your business and specials.
8
Find out if you have a marketing calendar. If not, this is 1 of your primary needs. You need to be able to track and implement marketing campaigns on a regular basis to create new business.
- A marketing calendar will help you ensure your activities align with those of your existing customers.^{[9]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Christine Michel Carter
  Global Marketing Expert
  Expert Interview. 30 September 2020.}
9
Research your past marketing campaigns. Find the most effective methods and start advertising campaigns based on those methods. Develop a more efficient way to track the Return on Investment (ROI) on marketing campaigns, such as Google Analytics.^{[10]
X
Research source}
10
Begin adding new marketing strategies according to your needs. If you find that many of these marketing pieces are missing in your marketing plan, you may want to consult a marketing firm, so that you can meet the needs in a timely manner.
- Instead of hiring a marketing company, you can choose to hire or appoint someone to a dedicated marketing position.

Expert Q&A
Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow

Question

Do I need a marketing calendar?

Christine Michel Carter
Global Marketing Expert
Christine Michel Carter is a Global Marketing Expert, Best-Selling Author, and Strategy Consultant for Minority Woman Marketing, LLC. With over 13 years of experience, Christine specializes in strategic business and marketing consulting services including market analysis, organizational alignment, portfolio review, cultural accuracy, and brand and marketing review. She is also a speaker on millennial moms and black consumers. Christine holds a BS in Business Administration and Art History from Stevenson University. She is a leader in multicultural marketing strategy and has written over 100 articles views for several publications, including TIME and Forbes Women. Christine has worked with Fortune 500 clients such as Google, Walmart, and McDonald’s. She has been featured in The New York Times, BBC News, NBC, ABC, Fox, The Washington Post, Business Insider, and Today.

Christine Michel Carter

Global Marketing Expert

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

I recommend using one. A marketing calendar will help ensure you're releasing ads and content when they'll be most relevant to consumers, which in turn will keep them engaged.