Marketing is important for the success of businesses. It connects businesses with customers and generates demand for the products and services the business sells.
Marketing employs a range of activities known as tactics to achieve this. Tactics are aimed at achieving specific outcomes such as creating awareness of the products and services the business offers, communicating the value of the products and services to potential customers or growing the reputation of the business. The range of tactics businesses can employ are almost infinite and are only limited by their imagination, time and budget.
Undertaking multiple marketing initiatives across multiple communication platforms at the same time while staying within a finite marketing budget can be complicated. To co-ordinate and keep track of all the activity, it pays to have a plan.
Planning is perhaps one of the least appreciated parts of marketing and in my view this is a mistake. Planning is and should be seen as an essential part of the marketing process. Marketing without planning is a bit like ‘feeling in the dark’. You really are just guessing and hoping.
The key marketing planning document for a business is the ‘marketing plan’. The marketing plan sets out what you are aiming to achieve i.e. your marketing goals and how you will go about achieving them.
Marketing plans should include additional information to provide context to your goals and the marketing activity you plan to undertake. For example, the environment in which your business operates will have a significant influence on not only what you do but how you will do it. Include things like the prevailing economic, social and environmental conditions and any trends. Identify the markets you will be targeting, who your likely customers are and the resources such as budget you will need to deliver on the plan. In short, it’s your map to get you from where you are to where you want to be.
Marketing plans are important documents for your business. If you’re not sure how to develop them, we can help you. They’re well worth the investment of your time and effort to create them. So where’s the plan Stan?
Marketing employs a range of activities known as tactics to achieve this. Tactics are aimed at achieving specific outcomes such as creating awareness of the products and services the business offers, communicating the value of the products and services to potential customers or growing the reputation of the business. The range of tactics businesses can employ are almost infinite and are only limited by their imagination, time and budget.
Undertaking multiple marketing initiatives across multiple communication platforms at the same time while staying within a finite marketing budget can be complicated. To co-ordinate and keep track of all the activity, it pays to have a plan.
Planning is perhaps one of the least appreciated parts of marketing and in my view this is a mistake. Planning is and should be seen as an essential part of the marketing process. Marketing without planning is a bit like ‘feeling in the dark’. You really are just guessing and hoping.
The key marketing planning document for a business is the ‘marketing plan’. The marketing plan sets out what you are aiming to achieve i.e. your marketing goals and how you will go about achieving them.
Marketing plans should include additional information to provide context to your goals and the marketing activity you plan to undertake. For example, the environment in which your business operates will have a significant influence on not only what you do but how you will do it. Include things like the prevailing economic, social and environmental conditions and any trends. Identify the markets you will be targeting, who your likely customers are and the resources such as budget you will need to deliver on the plan. In short, it’s your map to get you from where you are to where you want to be.
Marketing plans are important documents for your business. If you’re not sure how to develop them, we can help you. They’re well worth the investment of your time and effort to create them. So where’s the plan Stan?