A Simple Way to Create a Kick-Butt
Marketing Action Plan
by
David Frey
Have you ever sat down to write a marketing plan and your mind goes as
blank as the white sheet of paper sitting in front of you. In this article
you’ll learn how write an effective marketing plan that’s simple to create
and that will get you results.
The secret to creating a fast and effective marketing plan is to break
it down into bite size chunks by creating what I call mini-marketing
plans. By that I mean, brief, action-oriented mini-plans in each of the
areas of your marketing. Here’s how to do it…
Get out a blank sheet of paper. Now write down the left side of the
paper these categories of activities. Make sure you leave about 10 spaces
between each one. Ready? Here goes…
1. Publicity Marketing Plan – In this plan you’re going to write down
the activities you’ll do to spread the word about you and your business
through the media. This includes pitching stories to the press and writing
press releases on a consistent basis.
2. Promotional Event Plan – The promotional event plan includes
different promotional activities such as, having sales if you’re a
retailer, or sponsoring contests, awards, or events.
3. Joint Venture Marketing Plan- Your joint venture plan includes
things you can do with other businesses to promote your business. For
instance, I have a good friend that sells burial plans and has teamed up
with the VFW to market to their membership. That’s a joint venture.
4. Referral Marketing Plan - Every small business should have a referral
marketing plan seeing as how it’s the most popular way for small
businesses to get new customers. Your referral marketing plan will include
specific referral programs that you plan to roll out this next year.
5. Internet Marketing Plan - Every small business should be on the web
and actively engaged in promoting their products and services on the web.
6. Advertising Plan - Not every small business advertises but most do,
so you should plan where you’re going to advertise and how much
advertising you’ll be doing.
7. Customer Marketing Plan - A customer marketing plan helps you think
about how you’re going to keep in touch with your customers and what types
of targeted offers you’ll be making to them.
Now, these aren’t the only mini-marketing plans you should be thinking
about. You service providers will probably have a networking plan, public
speaking marketing plan, or a volunteer charity or association involvement
plan. The idea I’m trying to get across is to break down your overall
marketing plan into bite sized mini-plans that help you to crystallize
what it is you’re trying to accomplish.
Now that you have the titles to these mini-plans all you have to do is
start filling in the holes. You see, this method helps you think in terms
of marketing activities and the goals you need to set for yourself. Your
plan doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does need to motivate you to do
something. After all, how good is a plan if you don’t put it to use.
© Copyright 2003 David Frey, Marketing Best Practices Inc.
David Frey is President of Marketing Best Practices Inc., a
small business marketing consulting firm and the editor of the Marketing Best
Practices Newsletter. His products include
The Small
Business Marketing Bible,
Instant Referral
Systems, and
Coaches and
Consultants Marketing Bootcamp.
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