Copy Doodle

You’ve probably heard a million times about the importance of a strategic marketing plan. But there’s a huge difference between knowing and doing. Marketing can be extremely costly and time consuming–and not having a plan is a surefire way to waste time and money.

see it over and over…many businesses put all their energy and budget into marketing and often have very little to show for it. Why? Because they fail to have a solid marketing plan in place.

Here’s the bottom line: if you want to compete in the marketplace and reach potential customers, then you must plan accordingly. Here are 4 simple planning tips that will save you time, money, and energy.

1) Plan for Every Action

Planning for every action you take allows you to focus and make intentional decisions instead of reacting to a crisis or jumping before you think things through. Being proactive instead of reactive will help prevent future problems. Create mini plans for overall objectives. For example, maybe you have written down and planned a postcard promotion in March. Is the plan broken down into how many people you will target, demographics, and budget? It should be. The more specific the plan, the easier it will be to track the success of the promotion and the implementation. 

2) Create a Calendar

Creating a marketing calendar not only helps you stay on track, but it allows you to prioritize the most important actions first. The 12-month action timetable can be divided quarterly and then broken down monthly. How you choose to set it up is up to you, but the key here is to set a timeline to measure goals and activities, and mark when to incorporate new marketing activities or implement existing ones. 

3) Keep Track

Why go to all the trouble to create a plan and not have a system to measure what works and what doesn’t? Implementing a tracking system allows you to know the best way to reach your prospective customers and discover what marketing strategies work best. It will also save you money. Decisions can be made to reinvest in what works and discard what doesn’t. And you will make decisions based on factual data rather than assumptions. The more efficiently you track your marketing records, the less money and energy you will waste. 

4) Stick with It

If you commit yourself and your business to completing a plan for the year, you’ll be in a much better position than you will be without one. However, many companies fail to follow the plan and stop giving 110% midway through the year or when the tourism season hits. This is the worst thing you can do. Remember, when you aren’t actively marketing your business, you will pay in the months to come.