Do you really need a marketing plan?
“We don’t have a traditional strategy process, planning process like you’d find in traditional technical companies. It allows Google to innovate very, very quickly, which I think is a real strength of the company.”
-Eric Schmidt
At the beginning of a new year –calendar, fiscal or just when you feel like it – it’s traditional (often even required) to plan the next year with all the lofty goals and the tactics you expect to use to meet those goals.
But, like many traditions, this one may be worth examining more closely.
Do you have a marketing plan? Do you really need one?
We can probably agree that planning is good for budget allocation. And, it’s a fantastic method for setting measurable goals and holding someone accountable for meeting those goals. If everyone did this, I’d be a big fan of the system.
But over the years I’ve noticed this annual planning session itself can be a big obstacle to getting anything done. I’ve come to the conclusion that often it’s just too much – too much time, too much expertise required, too much distraction from activities that could be making you money.
I’ve also noticed that when a marketing plan actually does get written, it rarely gets followed. So what was the point?
I’m not even sure that an annual marketing plan is a good idea – unless you accept that it must be dynamic. If you’d created an annual plan at the beginning of 2008 and executed it to the letter – without adjusting for economic changes – you’d probably be in big trouble now.
But this article is not for those who are successful at marketing planning. This article is for company leaders who haven’t gotten around to creating a marketing plan – or who have created one that sits on a shelf.
Is the lack of a marketing plan keeping you from moving forward with your marketing?
Then stop worrying about the plan and try this:
Figure out the single most important thing you need to accomplish with your marketing in the coming year. You’re smart, so it shouldn’t be too hard to do that. Most business owners tell me they want to generate more leads. Or send more traffic to their websites. Or reduce their marketing costs. Any of these would be a good place to start.
Focus single-mindedly on this objective and you’ll protect yourself from being distracted by marketing programs and tactics you think you should be doing. (For example, social media is very hot right now, but its ability to quickly drive leads for business-to-business firms is still in doubt).
Just set aside a few minutes and ask yourself these questions:
- What do you need to accomplish most?
- How can you do it?
- Who is going to be in charge?
- How much will are you willing or able to invest in the program?
- When do you want it launched?
- How will you evaluate its success?
- What’s the next step you should take?
Want to generate more leads or traffic?
Think search marketing. Use pay-per-click advertising or search engine optimization – or both – to make sure you, your company or your products are highly visible when your prospects look for you.
Need to control costs?
First get rid of any marketing programs that don’t directly contribute to sales or sales opportunities.
Then take a good look at what happens after a prospect clicks on your search engine ad or listing. Does your website pull in visitors and inspire as many as possible to take action? Does your marketing process allow for nurturing leads that aren’t ready to buy yet? Are you getting the most from every dollar spent?
If you don’t have all the answers yourself, that’s good. You’ll be forced to seek expert help whether from the inside (internal staff) or the outside (outsourcing). Involving the experts is not a bad thing.
If you liked this article, read:
Do You Really Need to Generate More Leads?
Making Marketing Happen – Are Baby Steps Better?
Simplify Your Marketing – Take Aim
Need some help?
Clicks ‘n Conversions offers fast and effective traffic generation and conversion optimization services starting as low as $1000. Contact us to get started now .
|
