Tagged With: digital marketing, marketing strategy, marketing trends, social commerce, social media
Is your business’ marketing program reactive and not proactive? Are you finding it challenging to stay on course and implement all your initiatives in a timely manner? Are you meeting media deadlines with new and exciting creative? Are you reviewing digital marketing reports regularly to rework campaigns for better results? If the answer to at least one of these questions is “no,” then it’s time to craft a sound marketing plan that you and your team can follow.
In this rapidly changing and fast-paced digital environment, managing marketing to grow visibility and drive sales can be overwhelming, to say the least. Adopting a comprehensive marketing plan can keep the whole team organized and heading in the right direction by clarifying goals, setting out a clear action plan, fostering consistency, boosting productivity, and accelerating business growth. The resulting numbers should prove this a worthwhile undertaking. According to CoSchedule's 2022 Trend Report, organized marketers are 674% more likely to report success.
Taking the time to create a marketing plan will also help flesh out new ideas, facilitate the team’s ability to meet deadlines, and ensure that everything you do aligns with the overall goals of the business.
A marketing plan is a strategic and operational document that outlines a company’s overall marketing strategy and objectives, as well as the specific tactics and actions to be taken to achieve those goals. It typically includes information on target audiences, target markets, brand positioning, brand attributes, communication strategies, budget, and metrics for measuring effectiveness. It acts as a roadmap for activities and deliverables, and as an operational tool to keep resources and teams aligned.
Most marketing plans are crafted early in a new business’ lifecycle. However, the initial plan will evolve over time and will need to be updated based on a variety of factors, including changing goals, economic and industry factors, customer characteristics, and product shifts. Plan to review your marketing plan at least once per year to ensure all of your objectives, target demographics, market research, and marketing activities still fit your original company vision. Think of your plan as a living document that must be updated, nurtured, and optimized.
In a future newsletter, I will break down the steps to crafting a successful marketing plan. Stay tuned!
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