As you head into the final months of the year and look ahead to 2017, this is the perfect time for you to start creating a marketing plan for the year ahead. If you haven’t developed a marketing plan before, it will take effort but the dividends for business growth are significant. So don’t get caught flat-footed. Start preparing for 2017 now by following these helpful tips.
Devise a Successful Marketing Plan
- What’s your status? Business owners should start planning by analyzing their current situation. One popular method is a SWOT analysis, which takes a look at your business’ STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES and THREATS. This will give you an overall picture of areas for improvement and growth.
- Identify your competitors. Review the marketplace. Determine who your current competitors are and what they offer? How do your services differ from theirs? You will gain a competitive edge by knowing this invaluable information.
- Know your customers. Develop a comprehensive profile of the customers you currently serve and those you want to reach. Be sure to consider demographics such as age, sex and income. Once you do, you can try to connect with them and give them memorable experiences. This will help you establish your brand.
- Identify your goals. Consider what you want your business to achieve in the upcoming year. Do you want to increase your sales by a certain percentage? Recruit customers from a different demographic? Once you come up with the answers, be sure to develop quantifiable metrics to accurately determine whether your marketing efforts pay off.
- Establish a budget. Determine the budget for the year and allocate accordingly per client and/or project. Remember to stay within the monetary parameters allotted in order to avoid overspending.
- Develop strategies. Identify specific marketing strategies that will work best for your targeted customers. For example, one strategy could be to market your business to new residents in your area. Once your strategy is in place, develop the right advertising and public relations efforts. Will direct mail be effective? What about SEO? These are important things to think about when developing a strategy.
It may look simple, but it’s easy to overlook any of these steps when tackling a marketing plan. But don’t be overwhelmed. Here at Commit, we can help you clarify your goals and provide invaluable insights to elevate and grow your business. Together, we can maximize your marketing plan and develop long-term client relationships that results in increased business.
