The One Week Marketing Plan

The One Week Marketing Plan Plot Summary

Introduction

Marketing doesn't have to be complicated, expensive, or time-consuming. Yet many business owners feel overwhelmed by the prospect of creating a marketing system that consistently attracts new clients. They end up relying solely on referrals and word-of-mouth, which inevitably leads to feast-or-famine cycles that create stress and uncertainty. What if you could implement a complete marketing system in just one week that would eliminate this rollercoaster forever? The truth is that with the right approach, anyone can create a marketing system that runs on autopilot, consistently bringing in qualified prospects who already know, like, and trust you before they even speak with you. By focusing on a clear, step-by-step process rather than a series of disconnected activities, you'll develop a reliable method for growing your business without the constant hustle of chasing after clients.

Chapter 1: Find Your Perfect Niche Market

Successful marketing starts with identifying the right niche to focus on. Many businesses resist niching down because they fear missing out on opportunities outside their specific area. However, by focusing your marketing on a niche, you'll stand out from competitors and eliminate many objections people have about doing business with you. Consider Matt Sonnhalter, who transformed his Ohio advertising agency by switching from general B2B industrial manufacturing accounts to working exclusively with companies that sell products to professional tradesmen. He even created a new category for his business, calling Sonnhalter Advertising the first B2T, or "business-to-tradesmen," agency in the world. This niche focus produced remarkable results. The company has been listed on BtoB magazine's top agency list for several years running, and their "Is your agency dirty?" tagline campaign (referring to clients who sell to people who get their hands dirty) accounted for 20% of new business leads while winning prestigious industry awards. By focusing on this niche, Sonnhalter Advertising has attracted business from large global brands targeting the tradesmen audience. What's particularly impressive is that this success came with just eight employees. When potential clients call, Matt says the selling process is much easier: "We don't have to respond to requests for proposals or trudge through a long qualifying process. They already know we understand this market better than anyone else." Finding your perfect niche starts with looking at your current clients and asking key questions: Which clients do you most enjoy working with? Is one group spending more money with you than others? Is one group easier to sell to? You'll also want to consider market size, growth potential, ease of reaching decision-makers, and competition levels. The ideal niche is small enough that each person recognizes you provide solutions to their specific problems, yet large enough to be economically viable. When you identify your niche, develop a clear story explaining why you focus on this particular group. Perhaps you previously worked in that field, like financial advisor Setu Mazumdar, who specializes in working with physicians because he is also an MD. Or maybe you're applying lessons from various industries to one specific field, like business consultant Jay Abraham, who positions his broad perspective as a compelling reason to engage with him. Once you've identified your niche, plant your flag by selecting one to focus on and researching everything you can about it. This foundational work will help you with the next step of creating an irresistible free offer that will attract ideal prospects to your business.

Chapter 2: Create an Irresistible Free Offer

When recession and competition drove five of Sonny Ahuja's seven mall-based perfume stores out of business, leaving him $100,000 in debt to suppliers, his only hope was to compete online. But how could he attract new customers in a crowded digital marketplace? Ahuja decided that offering something for free was his best strategy. Since he couldn't send perfume samples digitally, he created a downloadable free report addressing his customers' biggest fear: paying for expensive perfume but receiving a cheap counterfeit. His report, "20 Ways to Spot a Fake Perfume," available at GrandPerfumes.com, tackles this concern head-on, warning consumers about counterfeits that often contain disturbing ingredients like urine, bacteria, and antifreeze. This free report transformed his business. Ahuja now has an email list with 18,000 subscribers, 5,000 Facebook friends, and over 100,000 Twitter followers. More importantly, the report builds credibility: "If we're telling them twenty ways to spot fake perfumes, then they know we're not going to send them a fake perfume." This trust creates lasting customer relationships in an internet world dominated by lowest prices. "We are not the cheapest company for perfumes on the Internet," he says. "We have built a business on credibility from the report and from the relationships we build through our newsletter." Others have found similar success with free offers. Raleigh Regan, who creates employee newsletters for companies, gained a client worth $36,000 by simply responding to a LinkedIn posting with a link to his free report at StartingAnEmployeeNewsletter.com. The client called two days later and immediately requested a quote without seeking competing bids. "They've been a client for more than two years," says Regan, "and they're worth more than $18,000 a year to us with the four big newsletters they do a year." Creating your free offer begins with choosing the right format. While videos, audio programs, or diagnostic tools are options, a simple free report works exceptionally well for most businesses. The key is focusing on information your niche market desperately wants. Guy Giuffre, a Realtor, offers a list of foreclosures in his area at santacruzbankrepos.com. Investors interested in this segment of the real estate market regularly visit his site to download the current list, generating about $50,000 per year in new business. When developing your free offer, consider these crucial questions: What's the biggest area of pain for your target audience? What are they most afraid of? What are they most curious about? Your goal is to create something so valuable that prospects will eagerly exchange their contact information to receive it. The title of your offer must be compelling – for example, a financial advisor changed his report title from the generic "Indexed Solutions Simply Explained" (which got zero downloads) to "A Simple Solution to Make Sure You Won't Outlive Your Retirement Savings" and began receiving over 100 requests per month. Remember, your free offer is just the first step in developing a relationship with prospects. It should provide genuine value while leaving them wanting more of your expertise – satisfied, but incomplete. This creates the perfect opportunity to continue the conversation through the next steps in your marketing system.

Chapter 3: Build a Lead-Generating Website

With your free report ready, you need a place where people can download it. Today's task is creating a simple website that motivates visitors to provide their contact information in exchange for your valuable free offer. This lead-generating website will become the foundation of your client attraction system. You have several options for where to position your free offer on your website. It could be your landing page (home page), a dedicated page within your site, or if you don't have a website yet, what you create today can serve as your new home page. Since the primary purpose is encouraging visitors to opt in for your free report, the focus needs to be on the specific problems your report addresses. The personal recommendation is to promote your free offer prominently on your main landing page. The reasoning is simple: if visitors don't opt in when they first arrive, you lose control of your ability to follow up with them. It's difficult to send ongoing messages to people who don't tell you who they are. The overwhelming percentage of paying clients will come from your subscriber list rather than first-time visitors, especially for high-value products or services. A relationship needs to be established before prospects become paying clients. When creating your lead-generating page, remember that new visitors have very short attention spans. If your copy doesn't immediately convey that you understand their problems, they'll leave. The page should be designed to get visitors interested, keep them engaged, and motivate them to sign up for your free offer. Some worry that designing web pages primarily to collect contact information appears unprofessional. Rest assured that businesses of all sizes, including the President of the United States (whitehouse.gov), use this approach. Assertively asking for contact information in exchange for valuable free information is perfectly compatible with maintaining a professional image. The key is having a specific focus so your copy speaks directly to visitors, building credibility and trust. Your lead-generating page should include several key elements. First, an attention-grabbing headline that clearly communicates the pain you can solve or benefit you can provide. For example, "FREE: 7 Secrets to Buying Great Homes for Bargain Prices in Any Real Estate Market." Next, include bullet points that both arouse curiosity and convey benefits: "How to avoid paying thousands in real estate commissions with this simple technique." The design should include a prominent opt-in box where visitors provide their contact information. Research shows that the less information you request, the higher your conversion rate will be. However, asking for more information often results in higher-quality leads. Finding the right balance depends on your business model and what you intend to do with the information collected. To maximize conversions, include a privacy statement assuring visitors you won't share their information, and customize the submission button with action-oriented text like "Send Me My Free Report" rather than simply "Submit." Also create a thank-you page that appears after they opt in, reiterating they've made a good decision and explaining how they'll receive the information. Once your lead-generating page is complete, you'll have established the crucial first step in your marketing system – a place where prospective clients can raise their hands and express interest in what you offer. This foundation will support everything else in your marketing plan, allowing you to build relationships with prospects and convert them into paying clients.

Chapter 4: Develop Automated Follow-Up Messages

While creating your free offer to motivate prospects to "raise their hands" is important, it's just the first step. Now it's time to develop your automated follow-up messages that will convert these prospects into paying clients. These ongoing communications build trust and credibility, playing a significant role in getting you more new clients. Today you'll write seven emails that will automatically be sent to prospects during the first eleven days after they sign up for your free report. The reason for sending multiple messages over a short period is twofold: First, you want to cement your company name and services in their minds. Second, since prospects have just requested your free information, they have a strong interest in solving that particular problem. Sending a rapid series of messages enables you to strike while the proverbial iron is hot. The system you'll use for sending these messages is called an autoresponder. This software creates forms, collects information, and enables you to send sequences of email messages automatically. There are many companies providing this service at very affordable prices. For example, 1ShoppingCart, AWeber, MailChimp, and Constant Contact all offer reliable autoresponder services. Your first message will be sent immediately after someone signs up, providing a link to download your free report and introducing yourself. The second message, sent one day later, checks to ensure they received the report and reminds them of its value. The third message, sent on day three, asks if they found a specific piece of information in your free offer helpful – this motivates those who haven't yet read the report to do so and creates an opportunity for feedback. The fourth message tells a story about someone who used your advice successfully, while the fifth offers an additional tip not included in the report. Message six answers a common question that prospects ask, and message seven offers a free 30-minute consultation. This sequence strategically builds trust while providing multiple opportunities for prospects to engage with you. Andre Chaperon of AutoResponderMadness.com emphasizes that the more helpful you are to prospective clients, the greater the likelihood they'll become paying customers: "The end result is that I create a crowd of followers that will buy my materials over and over again, because I have already earned their trust." When writing your messages, remember to address each prospect by name (the autoresponder software handles this automatically). Keep your tone conversational and friendly, as if you're writing to a single person you know well. Share personal stories and have a clear point of view – stating your opinion without waffling is key. The biggest danger in marketing services is being ignored, which unfortunately happens to people who don't express strong opinions. At the end of each email, preview what's coming in your next message. This technique, borrowed from novelists who work hard at the end of each chapter to keep readers turning pages, motivates recipients to open your next email. Always include a clear call to action telling readers exactly what you want them to do next. After your initial seven-message sequence, you can continue sending emails indefinitely. Marian, a clinical hypnotherapist and success coach, has a two-year sequence of timed messages that go out approximately every ten days. At the end of two years, the system reschedules subscribers back to day one, creating a truly "set it and forget it" approach to staying in touch. By implementing this automated follow-up system, you'll build relationships with prospects without ongoing effort, converting a steady stream of them into paying clients while you focus on delivering your services.

Chapter 5: Drive Targeted Traffic to Your Site

Now that you have your free offer, website, and autoresponder sequence ready, your next goal is driving targeted traffic to your site. Today we'll focus on advertising – specifically "pay-per-click" (PPC) advertising, one of the fastest ways to attract qualified prospects. Pay-per-click means exactly what it sounds like: you pay only when someone clicks on your ad. This revolutionary approach differs from traditional advertising, where you pay for exposure regardless of whether viewers are interested. With PPC, you're only charged when someone takes action by clicking, indicating they have at least some interest in your topic. The major platforms for PPC advertising include Google, Bing, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Each has its advantages depending on your target audience. Google handles about two-thirds of all searches, making it the dominant player in search advertising. Bing (which partners with Yahoo) offers less expensive keywords due to less competition. Facebook works well for consumer products and reaching women, while LinkedIn excels at targeting professionals and B2B markets. One major advantage of search engine advertising is immediacy – when someone searches for terms related to your business, your ad appears instantly. Unlike traditional advertising in general magazines or broadcasts, you know with certainty that this person has at least some interest in your topic. If your ad is well-designed, you can attract many qualified prospects to your marketing system. To set up your first campaign, you'll need to select the keywords that people would type when looking for your type of service or trying to solve the problem you address. Google's Keyword Planner tool can help identify relevant keywords and show how often they're searched and how competitive they are. Start with just four to eight keywords and add more as you gain experience. Writing effective ads is surprisingly simple despite the tight character limits (Google gives you a 25-character headline and 70 characters for the body). The key is including one of your keywords in the headline, focusing exclusively on benefits rather than features, and using Title Case (Capitalizing The First Letter Of Each Word) to increase click-through rates. For example, a personal injury attorney might use "Find Out How Much Your Case May Be Worth" in their ad to directly address the primary question potential clients have. For Facebook advertising, you can target users based on demographics, interests, and even which pages they've "liked." LinkedIn lets you target by job title, company, skills, and group membership. Both platforms allow you to upload images with your ads, making them more engaging than text-only search ads. When setting up your campaigns, start with a modest daily budget – as little as $10 per day can generate meaningful results. The beauty of PPC advertising is the complete control you have over spending. You can adjust budgets up or down instantly based on performance, allowing you to test different approaches without significant financial risk. Once your ads are running, monitor your results closely. Look at metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate (how many visitors sign up for your free offer), and cost per acquisition. Adjust your keywords, ad copy, and targeting based on what's working best. This continual optimization process will improve your results over time. The immediate benefit of advertising your free report online is speed – you can have new prospects entering your marketing system within hours of launching your campaign. While advertising is just one of many marketing options available, it provides the quickest path to building your list of qualified prospects who will receive your automated follow-up messages and eventually become clients.

Chapter 6: Amplify Results with Strategic Boosts

Once you've implemented the One Week Marketing Plan and experienced its effectiveness, you'll naturally want to amplify your results. Just as Jamba Juice offers "boosts" to make your smoothie more powerful, you can strategically boost your marketing efforts to drive even more qualified prospects to your website. The most powerful marketing boosts include leveraging social media, blogging, video marketing, publicity, direct mail, and joint ventures. Each can be implemented within four to eight hours, making them accessible even for busy business owners. The key is to experiment with one boost each month, focusing on those producing the greatest results for your specific business. Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook, and Twitter serve as powerful tools for building visibility and driving traffic to your website. The most effective approach is using these platforms to promote your blog content rather than simply posting for posting's sake. As Matt McCormick, owner of JDC Repair discovered when he focused exclusively on repairing Apple products, "The quality of service has gone up significantly. This means happier customers and fewer problems." Similarly, focusing your social media efforts on quality over quantity yields better results. Blogging provides numerous benefits: establishing your thought leadership, improving search engine rankings, and creating sharable content that attracts new prospects. Each blog post increases your website size by one page, and Google rewards sites with fresh, updated content. The titles of your posts appear in search results, driving more traffic when you include keywords people are searching for. For example, a dentist might write about "5 Warning Signs Your Tooth Pain Requires Immediate Attention" to attract people searching for dental pain solutions. Video marketing has become increasingly important as YouTube has grown into the second-largest search engine after Google. According to Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research, one minute of video is worth 1.8 million words in marketing impact. Videos build trust quickly, keep visitors on your site longer, and often appear prominently in search results. You don't need professional equipment – many successful businesses create videos using basic cameras and simple editing software. Publicity through traditional media remains powerful for building credibility and reaching new audiences. By crafting story angles that appeal to producers and journalists, you can gain exposure on radio, television, and in print publications without spending a penny on advertising. The key is focusing on what interests their audience rather than simply promoting your business. For example, an accountant might pitch a story about "7 Tax Mistakes Costing Local Homeowners Thousands" rather than announcing a special offer on tax preparation services. Direct mail might seem old-fashioned but continues to deliver impressive results. With less competition in physical mailboxes than digital inboxes, well-crafted sales letters can generate significant response rates. The ability to precisely target recipients based on demographics, geography, and past purchasing behavior makes direct mail highly efficient. A three-letter sequence sent over 60-90 days typically generates an 85% higher response than a single mailing. Joint ventures with complementary businesses that serve the same client base can dramatically accelerate your growth. For instance, a personal trainer might partner with a nutritionist to offer combined packages, with each recommending the other's services. The key to successful joint ventures is building genuine relationships first rather than immediately focusing on the financial transaction. By implementing these strategic boosts systematically, you'll create multiple pathways for new prospects to discover your business. Each boost reinforces the others, creating a marketing ecosystem that consistently delivers qualified leads to your website, where they can download your free offer and enter your automated follow-up sequence.

Summary

The One Week Marketing Plan presents a revolutionary approach to growing your business through automated, client-attraction systems that eliminate the feast-or-famine cycles plaguing most businesses. By following this straightforward methodology, you can create a marketing machine that works 24/7, bringing in qualified prospects and converting them into paying clients without constant effort. The beauty of this system lies in its simplicity and affordability. As the author emphasizes, "Marketing doesn't have to be expensive, time-consuming, or confusing." The key is focusing on building relationships first and selling second. By implementing the steps outlined in this book – finding your perfect niche, creating an irresistible free offer, building a lead-generating website, developing automated follow-up messages, driving targeted traffic, and amplifying results with strategic boosts – you'll never again worry about where your next client is coming from. Take the first step today by identifying your niche market and start building a marketing system that will transform your business forever.

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Mark Satterfield

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