In considering these points , the participants ‟ product or service will be more desirable , and their brand will be adopted more rapidly .
4 . Developing the marketing communications
Once the participants have identified their market nichethey will need to focus on developing their marketing communications .
Ensure that their marketing communications : i ) explain what theirsocial start up offers ii ) are effective for persuading people within their niche market to become their customers / clients .
There are generally two ways of communicating the marketing message so ask the participants to develop both :
1 . Elevator pitch : short and to the point ! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attract customers / clients / investors / partners through a snappy 1 minute maximum pitch about what the social start up does .
2 . the complete ( long ) marketing message : ask the participants to develop this type of message and identify all physical and virtual locations and channels where it can be used effectively to attract customers / clients / investors / partners . Ensure that their complete marketing message is compelling and persuasive and includes :
� An explanation of their target customers ' „ problem ‟ or „ gap in the market ‟.
� Proof that this problem or gap is critical and that it should be solved immediately .
� An explanation of why they are the bestfor solving this problem or addressing this gap .
� The benefits from using theirsocial start up rather than the competition ‟ s .
� Examples and testimonials of satisfied customers who have used thesocial start up .
� An outline of the prices , payment and where relevant , membership terms .
5 . Defining the marketing channels
Now that the marketing messages are complete , the participants will need to identify the methods and channels through which their potential customers / clients will receive these messages . These are known as the marketing channels . The best channelsare the ones that reach most people in the identified niche , at the lowest possible cost .
Ask the participants to make a list of marketing channels that are readily available for them to use , and then ask them to rate how effective they will be in reaching their customers / clients . An example could be developing a brochure or website . Once they complete this table , help them to identify the marketing channels that they should focus on immediately – these should be the ones that score highly in terms of customer reach .
44