I recently sat down with a client for coffee, and the first thing we did before we create any content is to create a marketing plan.
Good marketing plans increase your bottom line, help you reach and understand your target audience, and boost your customer base.
A marketing plan is a high-level guide that allows you to think strategically about your business. The more you understand your target market, the more you know how to position yourself.
It helps your customer or clients understand why you awesome at your business. It’s because your product or services are better than your closest competitor.
Developing a marketing plan requires, time and commitment, but it’s a valuable resource to help contribute to your business success.
Read more if you want to know more marketing plans:
Big or Small – Marketing is for all business
Without customers or clients, your business would not survive. To attract and retain customers, your business needs to understand the value of marketing.
Which is why it’s important to stand out. People are more likely to buy into your business if you understand who you are, what you are selling, and why should they pick you over your competitor.
You don’t need a lot of money or super fancy promotional campaign to market you or your business. Marketing is one layer of business that brings attention and the more attention you gain the more, the more sales opportunity is made.
Marketing helps you stand out
Brand building is an important part of building your business. A good brand allows you to be memorable.
For example, I use fried chicken or as a way to make me memorable. Every time you think of fried chicken, you will think of me.
Here are a few questions to consider while building the foundation of your business and brand:
- Who are your “volks” as in folks? Who are your target “volk” customers?
- What are their needs or problems they are facing?
- How are your competitors meet the needs of these volks?
- How can you help your volks understand the why of your product or services? Why is better/different/unique from your competition?
Maybe you have the answers, maybe you need some time to think about these questions. But remember, the more you understand your customers, the more demand you have for your business.
A marketing plan is a strategic document
By developing your marketing plan, it will help you focus your limited resources and time, and allow you to grow your business.
This planning process allows you to understand the various factors that may impact your success.
Having a marketing plan gives you the opportunity to:
- Identify your target market
- Understand your product or services that meet their needs
- Identify competition and how they help their target market
- Position your brand, product and services that allow your target market to see why your business is better/different than your competitor
- Map our a strategy or tactic to reach your target market, including the messages, channels and tools to use.
- Set goals that are measurable
A marketing plan gives you control of your business
Marketing planning helps the day-to-day running of your business. When you develop your plan, you’ll set targets and milestones which help you to:
- allocate resources and budget
- motivate your team
- manage the performance of your staff members and marketing efforts.
A marketing plan allows you to control your business
Having a marketing plan allows to be on track when you develop a plan:
- You set target and milestones
- Be on the same page with your team
- Keep your focus and motivate you
- Motivates your team
- Allocate resources and budget
- Manage performances for your staff and marketing efforts
It’s important to have a marketing plan, but it’s just as important to keep it up to date
While it’s important to have a marketing planning, it’s equally important to be up to date. It’s easy to create a document and then forget about it. It’s a living guide, the more your business grows and changes, the more you check and update your plan.
Hint: Set up a reminder in your calendar to review your marketing plan regularly.
To write an effective marketing plan you’ll need discipline, time and focus. The process can seem challenging, but it’s also rewarding, creative and even fun!
I also understand that it can be super overwhelming, which is why I’ve set up a monthly workshop to help you build your marketing plan.
