Don't Get Left Behind

If you don’t have a marketing plan, you may as well be standing still while your competitors sprint by.

Staying on top of your marketing can be a full-time commitment. For many of us with a small staff building a marketing plan and sticking to it sounds like a huge undertaking. Especially when your time is best focused on running your company.  A successful brand strategy typically consists of utilizing several different mediums to get yourself noticed in a crowded marketplace. You want to create relevant, engaging marketing messages that energize your clients and prospects while influencing them to connect.

Here are 5 easy steps that will make life easy and get the job done.

1. Build a Plan and Stick to It

Putting your marketing plan on paper is the first step to making it a reality. Clearly define your goals and the tools you will need to accomplish them. Once my plan is complete, I find it helpful to create benchmarks to hit along the way and plot them on a calendar. For example, seasonal advertising is key to staying in touch. Certain products become available or emphasized during certain seasons; different tones and feelings are characterized by the time of year; and, most importantly, consumer mindsets shift with the seasons.

2. Embrace a Project Management Tool The day of paper lists is far behind us. There are many online tools available designed to help businesses align their goals and tasks with an owner. Many will have a corresponding mobile app so you can check your task list and due dates from anywhere at any time. Choose a project management tool and encourage your team to participate. You will quickly begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

3. Review Your Plan Quarterly Schedule a quarterly meeting with your team to review the marketing plan as a whole. Use this time to re-access your goals and benchmarks. Engaging your team in every aspect of goal setting, benchmarking, and follow up is key to building a cohesive team committed to the success of the plan and the company.

4. How You Will Tell Your Story? Identify the key resources you need to meet your goals. If your goal is to connect with prospects and clients through your unique brand, then you will need to decide which mediums you will use to push your message out. Newsletters, brochures, electronic documents, email marketing, trade show materials, logos, online presence; these are just a few of the resources you may choose from to tell your story. Find a trusted resource for print services, marketing, design, and signs. I find building a relationship with a trusted print shop who can help with all my marketing projects makes life easier.

5. Tune in to Current Trends As technology continues to evolve, so must our approach to marketing. Create a network of fellow business owners and trusted resources to keep yourself ahead of the game. Knowing the current trends and how the consumer is searching for information will not only keep your business moving forward but will save you countless dollars spent on antiquated ideas and passing fads.

Heightened brand awareness, quality customer data, and a spike in sales are only a few of the benefits you can expect from a well-executed marketing plan. By crafting balanced, clean materials your business conveys a powerful message: “trust us, we know what we’re doing.” Customers are much more likely to make a purchase from a company that they trust.