| When taking a road trip to a new
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| | customers relative to the competition
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| destination, smart travelers invest
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| | - Current customer information (i.e.
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| preparation time to identify the best
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| | number, description, spending levels,
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| route, make note of rest stops, research
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| | motivations, etc.)
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| hotels and restaurants that satisfy their
| |
| | - A list of your strengths, weakness,
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| needs and budgets, check weather
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| | opportunities and threats (also referred
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| conditions, and so on. You get the idea.
| |
| | to as a SWOT analysis)TARGET AUDIENCES
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| In other words, they have a thoughtfully
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| | Fully understanding your new and
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| developed plan before they go.Their plan
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| | existing customers - and their needs and
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| may change along the way based on
| |
| | desires - is at the core of every
|
| opportunities or circumstances beyond
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| | successful marketing plan. For each
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| their control. Yet, they are equipped to
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| | target audience, detail in your plan
|
| effectively handle the unforeseen and
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| | demographic information, buying behavior,
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| make the most of their situation.To
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| | motivation, price sensitivities and other
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| maximize marketing effectiveness, you've
| |
| | pertinent information related to your
|
| got to have a road map to reach your
| |
| | product or service.MARKETING STRATEGIES
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| destination. To ensure success, every
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| | This section provides the high level
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| organization must have carefully
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| | strategic view or approach you will use
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| researched and developed plan with
| |
| | to achieve your objectives. Be sure to
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| quantifiable objectives and measurement
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| | include specific information on
|
| systems. Without a plan, you won't know
| |
| | - Product or Service Strategies --
|
| how to get to where you are going -- and
| |
| | including changes and enhancements
|
| you may not even know when you've
| |
| | - Pricing Strategies - detailed by
|
| arrived.To help with your planning
| |
| | target audiences and competitors
|
| process, here are the essential elements
| |
| | - Distribution Strategies - channels or
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| that every marketing plan should have.
| |
| | methods by which you deliver and make
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| The more detail you provide in your plan,
| |
| | your product available to your customers
|
| the greater precision in your
| |
| | - Marketing Strategies - your approach
|
| execution... and that leads to better
| |
| | to communicating and getting the message
|
| outcomes.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
| |
| | heard by your target audiencesMARKETING
|
| Think of this section as the
| |
| | ACTIONS
|
| "cliff-note" version of your plan with
| |
| | This section drills down to specific
|
| emphasis on strategies designed to meet
| |
| | initiatives that relate to your
|
| your objectives. Write this section as
| |
| | marketing strategies. For example, you
|
| the last thing you do before plan
| |
| | will want to include details on marketing
|
| completion.OBJECTIVES
| |
| | methods (i.e. web, print and broadcast
|
| Each objective needs to be specific and
| |
| | advertising, public relations,
|
| measurable based on the mission and goals
| |
| | promotions, telemarketing, direct sales,
|
| of your organization. Here are some
| |
| | referral programs, partnership programs,
|
| examples of quantifiable objectives and
| |
| | etc.), timing, budgets, and other key
|
| how success is measured.- Increase gross
| |
| | information that relates to the
|
| sales by $450,000 by June 30,
| |
| | implementation of each action step that
|
| representing a 10% increase over prior
| |
| | supports each strategy.OTHER INFORMATION
|
| year. (Measurement: June 30 sales
| |
| | You may want to add an appendix or other
|
| reports)
| |
| | categories to your plan for key
|
| - Achieve a customer retention rate of
| |
| | information that adds value to your plan
|
| 80% by year end. (Measurement: Customer
| |
| | document. For example:
|
| retention reports)
| |
| | - Short and long-term financial
|
| - Increase awareness and recall by 5
| |
| | projections
|
| points among three target audience
| |
| | - Calendar of action steps
|
| segments. (Measurement: Monthly customer
| |
| | - Research data that supports your
|
| awareness research)SITUATION ANALYSIS
| |
| | strategies
|
| This section discusses your organization
| |
| | - Organizational charts
|
| and the environment or marketplace in
| |
| | - List of suppliers or vendors that will
|
| which you compete. It should include the
| |
| | support your initiativesThis article was
|
| following.
| |
| | written by Jules S. Sowder, a brand
|
| - Background on your organization and
| |
| | marketing advisor with 20-years of
|
| product, mission, descriptions of current
| |
| | experience developing strategic marketing
|
| product and/or services, performance
| |
| | and sales solutions for large
|
| results, market share, strategic
| |
| | corporations, start-up companies, and
|
| alliances, etc.
| |
| | small businesses. She also has a resource
|
| - Current and future competition with
| |
| | web site to help marketers and trade show
|
| information on proven and forecasted
| |
| | exhibitors maximize marketing and sales
|
| impact
| |
| | effectiveness: . For further
|
| - How you are perceived by your
| |
| | information, Jules can be reached at .
|