Create a Simple Marketing Plan in 6 Steps

“Plan” is a daunting word. Those four little letters are brimming with process, commitment and responsibility. It’s no wonder that many small businesses go without a plan when it comes to marketing.

You may think creating a marketing plan is one of those tasks best left to the pros and you simply don’t have the budget right now. But a marketing plan is something companies of all sizes need to embrace in order to grow and prosper. It doesn’t need to be a headache. Just think of it as a short list of goals and a to-do list to accomplish them.

So wondering how to create a marketing plan? Draft up your own today by following this simple six-step process.

Step 1: Tackle your positioning

Before you get into nitty-gritty marketing tactics, think about how you fit into the competitive landscape. Jot down your answers to the following questions:

• Who are you selling to?
• What do your customers need?
• Who are your biggest competitors?
• How will you differentiate your product?

Once you’ve defined your competitive advantage, take a minute to identify some details about your target customer.

• Demographics: Where do your customers land in terms of age, gender, location and marital status?
  
  
• Psychographics: What are your customers’ interests, hobbies and values?

Step 2: Define your goals

Whether your focus is increasing brand visibility or improving sales, setting specific goals for the year ahead will help you create a roadmap.

What are your priorities? Try to attach numbers to each goal. As part of your goal to successfully launch a new product, for instance, you may decide to host an event with the goal of 200 attendees and aim to score an announcement in at least one trade publication.

Think about what actions you want your customers to take in order to reach your goals (for example, registering for your event). These actions will help you define your main marketing messages.

Step 3: Know where your customers are

Are your customers mostly online? Do they read magazines or newspapers? Which ones? Figure out the best avenues to reach your audience so you can save money elsewhere.

If you’re not sure, ask them by sending them a simple online survey.

Step 4: Determine your budget

As a general rule, a small businesses should plan to allocate 7-8% of their revenue to marketing. But this will vary depending on how long you’ve been in business.

If you are just starting out, you may have to invest significantly more so customers can learn about your brand.

Step 5: Set strategies and tactics

Once you’ve determined where to reach your customers and how much money you have to do so, it’s time to create a detailed plan of action. Consider including the following marketing channels.

• Advertising (like direct mail or banner ads
• Website design, development and maintenance
• Public relations
• Events (bring along a banner design)
• Email newsletters
• Content marketing (on your blog and social media)
• Videos
• Print collateral (like postcards and flyers)
• Giveaways and promotions (like T-shirts)

These strategies and tactics should map back to your goals, creating an actionable roadmap.

Step 6: Review and revise your plan

Plan to review your marketing metrics monthly, tracking things like leads, page views, conversion rates and links. Your marketing plan should continue to evolve along with your business. Some things will work better than others, so prepare to make adjustments along the way.

Good luck!

SOURCE: 99 Designs