If you run a small business or work for one, hopefully you
developed a business plan, which included your original marketing plan, during
your start up. Chances also are that your business and marketing plan are
either lying in a file somewhere collecting dust, or, if you are electronically
efficient, sitting in your electronic file storage unopened for months or even
years.
Things change so dramatically nowadays, we recommend to our
clients that they review their marketing plans quarterly, at a minimum.
Marketing plans should always be fluid, and regular reviews allow you to look
at what has been working and what hasn’t and make adjustments accordingly. It’s
also a great opportunity to consider new marketing avenues that are available
to you.
But how do you go about it? If you are a solopreneur, engage
your network in some of this process. If you work with others, bring in a team
that represents each area of your organization. If you work with a marketing
consultant, they should facilitate the review with vital members of your team.
Taking a team approach to review will help you see the bigger picture.
Following are ten steps we recommend for reviewing and jump starting your
marketing plan:
1. Review
your company’s goals and objectives, mission and vision statements, and
elevator pitch. Make adjustments as necessary based on changes in the
marketplace, changes to your products or services, and changes to the
organization.
2. Review
your target market(s) and revise them as necessary. Is it time to expand into
other markets or other geographical areas?
3. Once
these items are all in place, review your previous marketing plan – did you
complete everything you wanted to? Review analytics to see what worked best and
what didn’t.
4. Review
the budget available for marketing activities. Whether it’s $1,000 or $100,000
you need to know what you have to work with.
5. Brainstorm
possible new marketing activities. Get out the flipcharts or white boards. We
work remotely and we are visual people so we use www.Scribblar.com to help in our
brainstorming activities.
6. Research,
research, research. Once you have all your possibilities down, go do the
research. What will it take to meet the goals you’ve set? And, what are the
projected outcomes of each activity?
7. Once
you have all the research in place, bring your team back together to talk about
what you actually can do within your
budget and team resources. You won’t likely be able to do everything on your
wish list, but save the research so you can update it later if things change.
Decide if hiring a consultant to help with some or all of the implementation
would benefit your organization.
8. Develop
a launch schedule and timeline. Typically you want to keep a rolling 12 month
marketing schedule in place. Put in all of the activities you want to
accomplish around each of your marketing tactics, assign each of them a date
and a responsible party. Add a comments section so your team can keep each item
up to date as you progress through the year.
9. Have
your team review the schedule and marketing plan to assure everyone is on the
same page.
10. Schedule a
time for your next quarterly plan review!
Take some time this month to dust off that old marketing plan and revise it based on what you know today. It will not only jump start your marketing activities, it will motivate and jump start your business!
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Kerry Brooks is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff.
Kerry Brooks is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff.
