Sunday newsagency marketing tip: always have a marketing fallback plan for when you need it

You have a marketing plan for your newsagency right? A marketing plan laying out activity by week and month for up to a year out. A marketing plan listing the flyers you’ll distribute, the ads you’ll run in the local newspaper, the local events you’ll participate in, the community groups you’ll sponsor and the major seasonal displays you’ll run in-store. A marketing plan targeting the goals you have for your business.

Every newsagent, every retailer, need to plan the marketing of their business well in advance like this, reaching outside their business to attract new shoppers.

What if your marketing plan is not working? What if your new ideas are not bringing in new shoppers? What then?

You need a marketing fallback plan, the one thing you know you can do to promote your business that will always work. It may be old and boring but it works. You need to know what your fallback plan is and you need to engage this if your new ideas are not kicking in for you.  It could be an ad that’s worked in the local paper before or a stock take sale out of season or a VIP shopper event or an A-Frame sign stuck on top of your car. Whatever it is that works best for you in a year this has to be your fallback marketing idea.

It’s important you know what has worked in the past for your business and that you’re not afraid to run it again, when you need to.

Now if you don’t have a marketing plan for your newsagency at all – don’t tell anyone. Sneak off and create one. Every business needs one. It’s the roadmap for you chasing growth.  I’m not talking a grand plan here, just something simple that lays out key activities for the next year.

I’d be happy to help anyone with this.