6 quick tips for a winning marketing plan!
Are you a small business without a marketing plan in place? Do you feel like you need to focus your energies and give your business a boost?
Don’t despair, help is on hand!
In this post, we’re sharing 6 quick tips on how to create a simple marketing plan that works!
Why do you need a marketing plan?
First though, it’s important to understand why you need a plan – because it will really help you understand why it’s worth putting in the work (and avoid scattergun marketing!).
A marketing plan is a vital document for your business to keep you on track and achieve defined business goals.
It will provide you with an important framework to ensure that your marketing activities are carried out in a controlled way, and that your results (and profits!) are maximised. Even if you have been in business for a while without a plan, it’s a good idea to create one.
So what makes a winning marketing plan that will get results for your small business?
1. Plan and co-ordinate
A truly effectively marketing plan will deliver results when it is aligned with a wider business plan. Even if you just have a skeleton business plan, make sure that you are clear on your business goals and what you are looking to achieve. Clarity at this level will shape your marketing plan and ongoing activities, helping you to meet your business objectives.
2. Know your audience
Define, research and locate your target audience. Go beyond the usual demographics and really try and understand your target customers. What are their motivations, aspirations and needs? How and where do they consume media? Your marketing activities will likely fall flat and be ineffective if you have not sufficiently identified and researched your audience.
Need to spend some time getting to know your customers? Head to our Resources section and download our Customer Avatar template. Profiling your ideal customers will help you make better, more informed marketing decisions.
3. Be clear on your brand positioning
Your brand positioning statement will be a key ingredient that adds life to your marketing communications. What genuine benefits does your business offer customers and why should people buy from you?
Be sure to dedicate uninterrupted time to creating a clear, specific and unambiguous description of what your business offers. A concise statement will also help you to develop your all-important elevator pitch and be able to confidently introduce your business to prospective customers.
4. Know your numbers
How much profit do you make on each sale? Before you can allocate your marketing budget you need to be comfortable with how your business is currently performing (if you are already in business) and where potential growth opportunities are (and how big these opportunities are!). This information will guide you in allocating your marketing investment and significantly impact success. Even a modest marketing budget can achieve great results if invested wisely.
5. Embrace SMART goals
A successful marketing plan will include very specific, goal-driven measures. The goals of each marketing activity or campaign that you plan to undertake should be ‘SMART’:
Specific: well-defined.
Measurable: know if the goal is obtainable/know when it has been achieved
Agreed upon: agreement with all stakeholders as to what the goal should be
Realistic: within the availability of knowledge, resources and time
Time-specific: defined time period in which to achieve the goal
6. Know your limitations
For many small businesses, the key limitations or barriers to marketing success are time, money and marketing know-how. But best to acknowledge these upfront rather than build a marketing plan that proves to be too expensive or labour-intensive. Be realistic about the resources that you have available to you and plan accordingly.
You may even consider outsourcing non-core elements of your business to allow you to concentrate on the important (money-making) aspects. Remember that any marketing campaign can be adapted or scaled up as your business grows.
Review, test, adapt
A marketing plan should be seen as an evolving guide that helps you to shape your marketing decisions. To be successful, ensure that you regularly refer back to your plan – review, test and adapt your marketing campaigns – and don’t leave your lovingly crafted marketing plan gathering dust!
Ready to get planning? Head to our Resources section and download our 90-Day Calendar. Planning out just 90 days of marketing activity is a great way to focus your business on the areas that matter most and move things forward. And our template is undated so you can start it whenever you want.
Do you have a marketing plan question that you’d like help with? Find us on Instagram or get in touch through the website – we’re here to help.