Why Should You Think About A Marketing Plan?

‘If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail’ is as true today, as it was when Benjamin Franklin spoke those words in the 18^th century. Your marketing plan should be a priority, not an afterthought in your business planning.

You’ve spent time, effort and energy creating an exciting product or service and you’re ready to launch it into the world. All you need to do for your customers to purchase, is open the box on your creation, isn’t it? But before you even get to the starting blocks, you need to visualise where you want to run. So you can be ready for the sound of the pistol being fired and not be caught out still tying your laces.

1. Just as you wouldn’t get into your car and go somewhere without knowing where you were going. So your marketing plan is your roadmap. Even if you know where your destination is, the route needs mapping out. 
2. A well worked-out plan gives you something to refer back to. It has a clear structure; clarifies your targets and measurable KPIs. Set up signposts to give your team a clear structure and indications so they can understand how to deliver your message. Who does what and when, clarifies everyone’s positions and objectives.
3. It’s better to iron out any bumps in the road as much as possible before you spend money where it’s not needed. Working out ‘on paper’ what needs to be done first, will pay dividends in the long run.
4. Your marketing plan is your way to work out how to diffuse your product or service to the world.
5. Having a plan will save you time, energy and money but it also needs to build in a certain flexibility. If there needs to be a detour in order to gain the best result being nimble is crucial. 

I believe marketing is an art as well a science. Creativity and an understanding of what your customer wants – or doesn’t even yet realise they want – makes for a greater return. So having a nimble plan and diversity in your team makes sense on so many levels. Diversity is so good for your business … but that’s for another blog post!

Bringing your whole team together to thrash through the marketing plan can be a useful exercise. But don’t get bogged down in the general mêlée of voices. So keep this in perspective when there are so many opinions.  As Steve Tobak so succinctly put it: ‘marketing is like sex: everyone thinks they’re good at it.’