Free marketing advice on offer to Shropshire businesses

North Shropshire-based marketing project management experts, The Fedora Consultancy, is providing two free of charge online tuition sessions on how to prepare a marketing plan – and available to all business owners and marketing decision-makers.

They are aimed at smaller businesses who may or may not have a dedicated marketing resource and based on an 8-step marketing plan process. The process is presented using a mind map provided by business owner and mind map expert, Phil Chambers from Learning Technologies.

Hosted by Jon Hepburn, Chartered Marketer and Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the format concentrates on the structure and process for preparing a marketing plan, less about the specific actions such as specific promotional campaigns. Each of the two sessions are free of charge, interactive and with absolutely no obligation for further sessions.

The process itself is applicable to a wide range of businesses and industry sectors. The two free online sessions are each 30 minutes long and consider key questions that need to be answered in a marketing plan such as ‘Where are you now?’, ‘Where are you trying to get to?’ and ‘How will you get there?’ - plus a look at identifying ‘USPs’, competitor research and briefing external agencies.

Jon said “The future will undoubtedly be very different for all of us and these sessions aim to help business owners and managers take a productive approach to the current lockdown.

"They will help them understand what’s required for their own marketing plans, and how the process can help identify new commercial opportunities and the resources needed.

"Also that marketing is fundamental to their business and not just the higher-profile promotional activities. It should be particularly useful for smaller businesses with or without an in-house marketing resource and also those active in decisions about their marketing.”

Getting under the skin of the process is the main ‘takeaway’ from the sessions for participants, along with examples of straightforward marketing models and templates provided to help them become familiar with how to prepare their own marketing plan.