Marketing Plan
The marketing plan Contents 1.0 Welcome to the marketing plan 2.0 Outline 3.0 Proposal 3.1 Agents 4.0 Here’s how 4.1 Online social networking 4.1.1 National Networks 4.1.2 Local Networks 4.2 PR 5.0 Implement 5.1 Online social networking 5.2 PR 5.3 Direct promotion 6.0 Keep the ideas coming 7.0 Appendix 1 – Useful Websites
1.0 Welcome to the marketing plan We are going to achieve national coverage of agents to organise SOTO at Home parties, with an official launch in September this is how we are going to do it‌
2.0 Outline - SOTO at home will recruit a main agent per postcode across all the postcodes in the UK - Each main agent will recruit agents on a local level - All agents will organise and run home parties to sell SOTO goods and increase awareness and generate interest in the SOTO brand - Drive high amounts of traffic to the website
3.0 Proposal We have a unique service offering, which is a combination of the home retail market and online shopping. To see the full range of product visit our website www.soto-uk.co.uk and here are the people we want to speak to:
3.1 Agents People who would like a flexible part-time or full-time career with management opportunities, to become part of the SOTO at home's team of agents. We’d love to talk you through why we think you’d enjoy working with us. You can decide whether it’s right for you. We promise no hard sells and no pressure – that’s just not our style.
4.0 Here’s how The selection of marketing channels we will use is a vital part of how successful our marketing campaign is going to be. We have chosen these channels because they represent the people that we want to speak to • Online Social Networking • PR • Direct promotion
4.1 Online social networking Follow our Blog at http://ethicallysourcedfurniture.co.uk
4.1.1 National Networks
Social Networking is a hugely popular communication tool amongst the under 30’s and is also increasing in popularity with older age groups; both major targets for SOTO.
We will:
- Create a SOTO Blog that will link to Bebo, Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn pages that represent the SOTO at home brand and encourage people to add us to their network - Produce a video to post on YouTube and on our Bebo and Facebook pages. - Tap into existing friend networks initially to get us going - Encourage the viral spread through posting pictures, comments and blogs on a regular basis
4.1.2 Local websites/networks/chat rooms There are thousands of websites that work on a similar platform to the major social networking sites but on a local level. There are also lots of local chat rooms and posting websites. We will:
- Encourage agents to complete research and find out which websites are popular in their area - Instruct agents to network extensively on these websites to encourage a viral spread of SOTO at Home on a local level
4.2 PR PR provides a great opportunity to get Soto a huge amount of coverage for absolutely free. We are going to implement a PR campaign that will see our brand covered on both a national and local basis across all media channels. Here’s how we are going to do it: - Everyone will be involved in building up a comprehensive database covering all local and national press and media contacts. - We will produce a number of different press releases; each one designed to appeal to a certain type of media i.e. local, national, the broadsheet media, and the tabloid media. - Press Releases will be sent to most of our contacts. - We will liaise on a personal basis with big national press and media organisations.
5.0 Implement All of the above sections have described a vision of how our marketing activities will work. However, this is the most important section of the marketing plan because it highlights what we all need to do to pull everything together at the right time and in the right place to achieve the national coverage we are striving for. Below are all the actions you will need to implement to play your part in the success of the SOTO at home launch.
5.1 Online social networking If you do not already use Bebo, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn platforms, sign up for them now. This is vital to the success of our viral marketing campaign. - Once you have signed up for these platforms - get networking! Add any friends you have that you know use Bebo, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Once you start adding friends you are tapping into your friends’ networks. This means that when you add our promotional material to your page and join the SOTO at home group, your friends and friends’ friends will be aware of it. This will help generate interest in SOTO . - Find the websites that are popular in your local area. There may be chat rooms or social networks that are specific to your region or to an educational institution. Get networking on the sites as well. Chat, leave comments, upload photos and post blogs to get the SOTO name out there. - LinkedIn is a business network and you should start experimenting with this now. Sign up and add work contacts that you know use this platform. LinkedIn is all about sharing information and helping each other out to the benefit of both parties. Start speaking to your contacts about SOTO
5.2 PR The more comprehensive our database is, the more coverage we will get – simple! Spend as much time as you can filling in the database with all the press and media details relevant to your region. Think about who you know and tell us. Some agents have already provided us with excellent contacts in national media and you might be able to do the same. You might know the features editor of a newspaper or the producer of a radio show, if you do that’s brilliant but if not any contact might help us get our foot in the door. - We will be sending out press releases to most contacts on the database but it may be better for you to make contact directly with local media.
5.3 Direct promotion If you are experienced sales/promotional agents you will all know the best way to go about doing your job; however if you don’t have experienced we have dedicated staff, to help you on your away. If have been selected as an agent for SOTO, you will be provided with promotional material to use when promoting the business to new prospects
7.0 Keep the ideas coming A SOTO agents forum will prove a great way for us all to communicate. So if you have any ideas post them on the forum. Your ideas will help shape the future of SOTO at Home so keep them coming. Anything at all, regardless of how stupid you might think it sounds is worth mentioning – it might just be the idea that takes off and pushes us to the next level.
Remember the party has only started!!
8.0 appendix 1 – useful websites Major Social Networking Websites www.bebo.com www.facebook.com www.myspace.com www.twitter.com www.linkedIn.com
Other Social Networking/Posting/Blogging www.friendsreunited.com www.dontstayin.com www.gumtree.com www.reddit.com www.diggit.com Press and Media Contacts www.mediauk.com www.journalisted.com
Local/Targeted Agents Websites www.giantpotential.ning.com
www.motherswhowork.co.uk www.mums-space.co.uk www.mumandworking.co.uk www.mumsclub.co.uk www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk www.babygreenhouse.co.uk www.treehuggermums.co.uk
www.jobs4mothers.com www.mumszone.co.uk www.netmums.co.uk www.mumsnet.com www.workingmums.co.uk www.remoteemployment.com
Contact Us SOTO Unit 2B Sheriff Hutton Industrial Estate York YO60 6RZ www.soto-uk.co.uk Main Tel: 01347 878433 Facsimile: 01347 878520