The Marketing Plan-Is it Done Yet?

The fact is that so many businesses are run by the seat of their pants, that they don’t take the time to slow down and develop the plan. The ROI is tremendous when you have a road-map to getting to the finish line. The good thing is that it really doesn’t take as much time as you think, and it’s a worthwhile experience that will allow you to learn a great deal of information about the makeup of your company.

If you are just winging it, I’m talking to you. Sometimes the entire task of forming the marketing plan can be tedious, so maybe you should bite off just a small piece that you can handle and move through the process one step at a time. Put one foot in front of the other and eventually it will be completed.

Once completed, it should be renewed each year with quarterly check points to see how accurate you are toward the plan. This is a major opportunity to sustain business, take advantage of market conditions, and to continue to plan for the future.

If you don’t have a marketing director to take the lead on developing your plan, then you should assign it to someone other than yourself, as the business owner. It will give proper perspective rather than from the visionary’s eyes.

Key areas to include in your plan are; competitive analysis, market analysis, consumer analysis, advertising and public relations. All of these areas of the plan should be integrated toward making your business successful.

If’ it’s your first plan, relax and do the best you can. Each time you do it you will become more and more adept at the thoroughness of the process.

What are your challenges when it comes to developing a marketing plan? I look forward to hearing your comments. Until next time…