Marketing more than ever is an essential item in the business toolbox, so why not make marketing your business?

Today’s media mix and its presence in our lives means marketing messages are streamed across a number of channels: from social media to website promotions, from catalogues and brochures to branded merchandise.

Encouraging customer loyalty, purchasing and brand awareness are all elements of a marketing program.
Marketing is, according to Wikipedia: the process of communicating the value of a product or service through positioning to customers.

Getting it right means analysing markets to choose target demographics, understanding consumer purchasing behaviour and then offering good customer value.

If you’ve always wanted to run your own marketing or promotions business, but don’t have the experience, or you’re a marketing professional who would like to break out into your own business but with the support of a network behind you, take a look at the three options highlighted here.

PROMOTIONS

Red Energy Promotions is a one-stop-shop that has a focus on marketing branded items, with a choice of 30,000 products in corporate gifts, clothing, promotional goods, stationery and signage.

Customers can be local businesses, Government, sporting groups and not-for-profit associations.
Professionals with a sales and customer service approach will make the most of the franchise that deals with these business to business clients. But there is a four week training program so bringing marketing and media experience is not essential for new franchisees.

This is a Monday to Friday operation that offers flexibility. There are a number of Queensland opportunities available; to invest in this business which was established in 2004 will cost between $200,000 and $300,000

SOCIAL MEDIA

It does what it says on the tin: providing businesses with a social media presence is the core service at Social Media Business Boosters.

For franchisees, lead generation and website programs to ensure start-up success are just part of the offer. There’s also continuous training and support, proprietary customer relationship management software, and turnkey marketing and advertising.

There will be online training resources, induction training at head office in Sanctuary Cove in Queensland and a business guide to help home-based franchisees establish their businesses – and that includes a pricing structure for clients.

Customers choose different service options, from account set up and minimal daily activity to full scale management.

MARKETING SUPPORT

Intouch Marketing Network is neither a marketing agency, nor a recruitment agency; the business is a group of marketing professionals.

Founded by Paul Ryan, former director of sales and distribution of Wizard Home Loans, the company has identified about 200 independent territories across Australia. Marketing principals can operate under a licence agreement that enables flexible self-employment; licensees choose the hours, days and place of work. 

Under the licence agreement Intouch Marketing Network delivers business coaching, lead generation activities, website maintenance, social media strategies, and the infrastructure to support marketing principals build a sustainable and profitable business within their exclusive territories.

What sort of work would licensees be involved in?

Paul Ryan says “It’s whatever the client requires; from small, medium to large businesses, charging by the hour, daily or a project rate. It could be from a hairdresser who wants a loyalty card, a new business wanting a website, someone who needs a marketer contracted for two days a week.” 

Providing the environment for marketers to build a business is what the network is all about.

The Intouch group has been trading since 2007 but the marketing division has only been up and running since early July. 

“We’ve already got three principals and six contracts waiting for sign up,” says Ryan. Licensees need to have at least two years marketing experience, but can be generalists or specialists in a field.

Licensees can implement and project-manage work and turn to other resources within the network to fill gaps if they don’t have the skills themselves for some of the applications.

So why is now a good time for this business?

“Business in Australia is crying out for assistance to become more profitable, more effective. Many can’t afford full time marketing people and contracting marketing on a project base is more attractive. This is not reinventing the wheel, it’s quite competitive, but most marketers operate on their own.

“Sometimes clients don’t pay, work is inconsistent; we want to be able to help them. Under a brand they can share ideas, be part of a team, have new business driven to them through lead generation, benefit from reward and recognition programs.

“A lot of people like being part of a bigger team, like the collaboration, the infrastructure, the invoicing [this is centralised at Intouch]. A lot of marketing people don’t like sales, and this is about them becoming more adept at this and at becoming part of a centre of influence.”

Ryan has a vision that down the track a certain percentage of the business will be owned by principals. The plan is for equity membership if the licensees meet certain criteria.

For now, the plan is to spread the word about marketing.