Top Five Steps for Developing a Results-Driven Marketing Plan

Would you plan a vacation without an itinerary or map? Typically, no. Right?! You want to have the best vacation experience that creates memories for a lifetime.

Marketing planning for your business is no different in that you need to have a roadmap to ensure you’re making the best decisions for your marketing investment and business growth goals — so that your business is sustained for the long-term.

Marketing planning should never take on a cookie-cutter approach. For example, a technology firm’s plan is going to look very different than a retailer’s plan or a law firm’s plan. Every business needs to design a plan specifically for its business.

Further, in a cluttered marketing environment, individuals are bombarded with thousands of messages daily. But what's more important is that we all prefer to receive our information differently. It's important that a business delivers its story with an integrated marketing approach so as to reach its target audiences in multiple ways.

Developing a marketing plan is really a fun process that helps you to better understand your customers, while also creating a positive brand experience for them.

Below are five key process steps that I’ll dive deep in my webinar to help you with actionable ideas for designing your marketing plan.

1. Creating a Brand Essence for Your Business

Before you can create a marketing program, you need to truly clarify your mission and how your products/services are differentiated in the marketplace.

2. Defining Your Target Audiences

This is where many businesses fall down with marketing in that they use a shotgun approach. A solid plan defines specific audiences.

3. Listening to Your Audience

“Voice of the Customer” is critical and helps shape the essence of your brand and marketing message. Research comes in many forms and doesn’t have to break the budget. In fact, businesses that don’t listen to their customers are typically losing out on opportunities.

4. Prioritizing the Tools in YOUR “Marketing Toolbox”

There are many tools to explore — by utilizing the marketing tools that make the most sense, small businesses can utilize their financial resources and capacity with greater confidence.

5. Staying Accountable to Your Marketing Plan

It’s easy to lose focus on your plan. By organizing your goals for accountability and budgeting, you can be more proactive, rather than reactive … again eliminating that shotgun approach.

Executing successful integrated marketing programs is based on a solid marketing plan, voice of the customer and a creative messaging strategy — with a focus on consistency, discipline and results!

Watch the entire webinar below:

 

For more information on the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Top Five series, visit the Business Resources page. While there, be sure to register for the next Top Five series.