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Windsor Marketing, Advertising and Public relations company
Added: (Wed Aug 25 2004)
How to Create a Marketing Plan
What is a marketing plan and why is it so necessary to your business?
Marketing planning enables a focused marketing effort agreed by all the company to be implemented. Most strategic marketing plans cover one year, some tactical marketing plans for product launches cover as little as a three month period. Marketing plans can be organised and started from any point in the year, but they are often focused at the beginning of the financial year.
The marketing plan will be the strategic document for many of the developments of the business over the next period and it stems from the corporate objectives. Therefore it is essential to get the key players in the business involved at an early stage. They can assist with input on the current needs and figures for the business as well as have realistic input on what is achievable. They will also have important insights into markets and opportunities. Unity of support from all the members of the company is important both in delivery of message to your audiences, as well as helping you deliver your plan. Marketing plans can all too easily be derailed by staff who are not in-tune with strategy or delivery, by involving all key members of the company there should be greater support for the plan.
A marketing plan for many companies should be a simple (in many cases a two or three page) document that specifically answers a few questions. These questions are to be answered for the point of view of your customers:
· Who you are?
· What you do?
· Who needs your product/service?,
· How you plan to communicate with them? (Marketing Communications plan)
· When you plan to do it? (action Plan)
· How you plan to resource it?
· What you plan to get from it (Return on investment)?
All of this needs to be done in such a way that everyone in your company and client base can clearly understand and support it.
Tracey Farrant, Bull Marketing & PR Ltd. www.bulluk.com