Grow your business and stay one step ahead with our guide to making a marketing plan. Find out why it’s important for small and medium businesses, what you should focus on and how to put your marketing plan in action.
Making a marketing plan is crucial for any business irrespective of their business sector. Whether you’re a start-up searching for new clients or an established business launching a new product or service, setting clear goals is the key to effective and successful advertising.
Why is a marketing plan crucial for SMEs?
Making a marketing plan can seem like a daunting task at first, but like your business plan, it’s beneficial to get on paper what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it.
Get clear on your offering
It might sound obvious, but is it clear to someone who has no knowledge of your business what products or services you’re selling? Try to put yourself in your their shoes or ask someone not from your business for their opinion.
Do your market research
One of the most important things is to understand your target audience to ensure that you’re spending your marketing budget wisely and attracting your ideal customers. It will also help you when you write an effective marketing message that will appeal to your customers and inspire action.
How can you stand out from the crowd?
Smart businesses always identify their competition and understand their position in the market through a competitor analysis; this also is very important to differentiate your business.
Put your plan into action
No matter how well-thought and comprehensive your marketing plan is, unless you implement it, you’ll still be where you started. This is where a simple marketing planner or chart can enormously help your business.