Marketing Plan for Success – Simple Steps
Just like in life, in business, you need a plan…a marketing plan to be specific.
Have you ever heard the old adage, “people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan.” Anyone who knows me knows that I am a planner. I like to have my life in order and planned out. I create lists, I budget every item of our finances, I keep a calendar of family activities, and I even encourage the kids to get involved in planning family trips.
In business and in life there is value in knowing where you are going and what you need to get there! The same idea applies to your marketing strategy!
You’ve got to know where you want to end up so you can create a roadmap for getting there. Then, you’ve got to put the plan into action. But without the plan, your marketing can become misdirected and lead you off course.
Often I am asked if we CAN do certain marketing. My answer is always, yes we CAN, but that doesn’t mean we SHOULD. There is a difference. Your marketing plan should be guiding those decisions about what your team is focused on for ultimate success!
Create a marketing P.L.A.N. for your business when working towards your goals.
P ~ Picture it. Imagine the successes and goals you are trying to achieve. Create goals for your business based on where you are today, where you want to go, and how you might get there.
For example: “Today we have ________ sales. Our goal is to increase sales by 50% with effective digital marketing.”
Remember: Be realistic. We all want to make millions, but first, we need to make a thousand.
What do your goals look like?
L ~ Lay it all out. Write down those goals so you can see it in black and white. Then expand on how you (or your team) is going to achieve those goals.
- What steps need to be taken?
- What assets need to be created?
- What resources and budget do you need?
- Who is going to do what?
Seeing your goals listed out on paper makes creating that marketing plan so much easier. You will see exactly what you need to do to get where you want to go.
Plus, it can set clear expectations about what needs to be done and how success will be measured.
Don’t forget to post the plan somewhere you and your team can see it every day.
A ~ Act on it. All the planning in the world is no good without taking action! What actions are you going to take to get your business to the new goals that you’ve just set?
Consider all the ways you CAN improve your marketing, then focus on a couple of ways that will have the biggest impact on your business. Execute your marketing plan. You must take the first step and put your goals to work for you. No one can do this for you.
Set milestones for those BHAGs (big hairy audacious goals). Find those shorter-term goals where you can celebrate success as your company moves toward the bigger goal.
Shake a tail feather! Get movin’! A diligent and deliberate action plan is the only way to achieve the success you want for your business, your team, and you.
N ~ Never give up. Success doesn’t happen overnight (regardless of what anyone tells you). The first step of achieving that success is to just keep going. This is your business we are talking about, you can’t just walk away from it because it doesn’t go exactly as planned.
Be okay with changing your marketing plan along the way. As you get started, it may not go as you expect. Take a pause. Look at your results. Adjust your plan.
So, now is time to P.L.A.N your next step. How can we help?
Download our rockstar funnel resources to help you get started on planning your next digital funnel.
