Flourishing in 2021: Why You Need a Plan
Five Things a Marketing Plan Does (that your company desperately needs to grow):
Let’s just say it, 2020 stunk. But if you’re still here, if you’re reading our blog, then your business is still alive and in a great position to thrive in 2021. In order to grow in the Pandemic’s wake, there are some things you’ll need to do. One of them, perhaps the most important one, is implementing a marketing plan.
What is a Marketing Plan?
A marketing plan helps your business grow, not just by accident, but by design. It’s an outline of where you are, where you want to be, and the tasks you need to accomplish in order to reach (or exceed) your business expectations. It’s a map for survival, and one you’ll need more than ever in 2021’s uncertain economy.
Five Things a Marketing Plan Does for Your Business:
- 1. Establishes Direction
Do you know the number one complaint Marketing Agencies have about their clients? Neither do I, but I’d bet my stimulus checks it’s a lack of long term direction. Business owners can be impatient, and marketing is a long game that develops over time. Too many clients demand short term results, some in as little as a few weeks or a month, and move the goal posts before a plan has time to come to fruition.
A marketing plan keeps you on the path, one that slowly builds a sales funnel and looks toward long-term growth instead of burst sales. It sets you up for sustainable development and makes it a lot easier for your marketing team to do their job.
- 2. Fixes Objectives
A marketing plan sets up measurable objectives. It ensures you are working toward a more profitable future by meeting predetermined goals throughout the month, quarter, or year. These goals should be measurable and can range from increasing sales to publishing ad campaigns.
Think of this as a To Do list, one that gives you purpose and a sense of how well you are executing your overall plan.
- 3. Provides Clarity for Team Members
If your team isn’t working toward a clear and common goal, then you aren’t leading them to success. You’re also not going to grow as a team, a business, or a Brand. While it sounds simple, providing a clear and defined set of responsibilities is VITAL to any team’s success.
Your 2021 marketing plan should make it clear to your team what they need to do to meet objectives, be productive, and generally make you smile.
- 4. Encourages Deep Thought About Your Company and Its Goals
Too many companies fall into routines and an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. While routine can be a good thing, it can also breed complacency. If you’ve stopped thinking about your goals and whether or not you’re on the path to achieve them, you’re stifling your bottom line.
Brainstorming and evaluation are vital elements of building a marketing plan, and they are also crucial in measuring the health of your business. Preparing your 2021 plan should include a healthy dose of critical self-analysis, deep thought about your business goals and what you’ve done to achieve them.
- 5. Gives You Measurable Data to Assess and Inform Future Plans
This year’s plan won’t define next year’s, but it will give you an idea of what worked and what’s worth changing. By tracking objectives and their impact on your company, you can make better advertising decisions, maximize high-ROI campaigns, adjust ineffective spending and much, much more.
As the year goes on, keep your marketing plan active. Take notes, highlight missed opportunities, and keep it at least six months ahead of daily operations. Make your marketing plan an evolving element and a staple in your business operations forecast, and it will keep you on a path to growth and continued success.
Need help building your 2021 Marketing Plan? Contact us for as much (or as little) help as you need.