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8-Step Personal Marketing Plan

Elements of a Budget

3 Sample Marketing Plans

2 Marketing Plans: Made Even Better

8 Personal Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

Becoming Your Own Brand
  Advanced tip

Finding Your Niche
  Advanced tip
  Broker tip

Getting the Word Out

Personal Marketing in Print
   Advanced tip
   Advanced tip

Personal Marketing Online
  Broker tip

Gifts and Giveaways

Personal Marketing in Person


Measuring Your Marketing
  Advanced tip

Quiz: Personal Marketing

Bright Ideas: Personal Marketing

More Resources: Personal Marketing

Code of Ethics: Personal Marketing

  Elements of a Marketing Budget

A budget is a crucial component of any marketing plan. Too often, salespeople underestimate the amount of money needed for marketing because they forget to include key components in their budgets. Estimate how much you'll spend on:

Printed Materials:

  • Design and printing for business cards, personal brochures, and direct mail

  • Photography

  • Copywriter’s fee

  • Desktop design software

  • High-speed printer to generate proofs or final copies

  • Designer’s fee, if applicable

  • Printing costs—including film, paper, ink, and folding

  • Mailing list rentals

  • Postage

  • Mailing costs, including stuffing, sealing, and sorting

  • Advertising space costs, for ads run in publications


Internet Marketing:

  • Domain name registration

  • Monthly server rental fee for Web page presence

  • Web designer’s fees or web design software

  • Web site maintenance costs

  • Business-specific e-mail account

  • Links to complementary Web sites (often free)


Customer Appreciation and Promotions:

  • Promotional giveaways, including imprinting and shipping charges

  • Closing gifts, including imprinting and shipping charges

  • Tickets to social or charitable event

  • Annual customer party

  • Cards for birthdays, buying anniversaries, holidays, plus postage

  • Meals with clients and contacts

TIP: Look for creative ways to save money as you prepare your budget. For example, If there is a college or art school near you, talk to a teacher about hiring a student for design projects. Also, printers customarily charge for “overruns,“ that is all copies printed in excess of the number you ordered. By custom, overruns can be as much as 10 percent of the print order. If you do not want overs, specify this exclusion up front.

Sample Marketing Plans >