Every
marketing plan has to fit the needs and situation. Even so, there are
standard components you just can't do without. A marketing plan should
always have a situation analysis, marketing strategy, sales forecast,
and expense budget.
Situation Analysis: Normally this will include
a market analysis, a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats), and a competitive analysis. The market
analysis will include market forecast, segmentation, customer
information, and market needs analysis.
Marketing Strategy:
This should include at least a mission statement, objectives, and
focused strategy including market segment focus and product positioning.
Sales Forecast:
This would include enough detail to track sales month by month and
follow up on plan vs. actual analysis. Normally a plan will also
include specific sales by product, by region or market segment, by
channels, by manager responsibilities, and other elements. The forecast
alone is a bare minimum.
Expense Budget:
This ought to include enough detail to track expenses month by month
and follow up on plan-vs.-actual analysis. Normally a plan will also
include specific sales tactics, programs, management responsibilities,
promotion, and other elements. The expense budget is a bare minimum.
Are They Enough?
These minimum requirements above are not the ideal, just the minimum.
In most cases you'll begin a marketing plan with an Executive Summary,
and you'll also follow those essentials just described with a review of
organizational impact, risks and contingencies, and pending issues.
Include a Specific Action Plan
You should also remember that planning is about the results, not the
plan itself. A marketing plan must be measured by the results it
produces. The implementation of your plan is much more important than
its brilliant ideas or massive market research. You can influence
implementation by building a plan full of specific, measurable and
concrete plans that can be tracked and followed up. Plan-vs.-actual
analysis is critical to the eventual results, and you should build it
into your plan.
1.
Small
Business Plan Basics
Your marketing plan is an integrated part of your over-all small business
plan. Start with the big picture and then move on to your small business
marketing plan.
(click here to learn more)
3.
Create a Marketing Plan: Planning Your Marketing
Planning your marketing is an essential part of your efforts to attract
clients or customers to your business. Everyday, you will be presented with
various marketing communication opportunities.
(continue here)
4.
Create a Marketing Plan: Four Key Strategies
Creating a marketing plan is much like mapping your route for a road trip.
If you don't know where you are going, you can't decide how to get there,
but if you do know where you are going, you'll get there faster. (get your strategies here)
This easy-to-use tool will enable even the most inexperienced
marketer to create and implement practical marketing plans to find customers,
raise awareness of your business and increase sales. Let Marketing Plan Pro 6.0
walk you through the "ABCs" of marketing planning to quickly produce a
professional and complete plan.
Practical resources to write a marketing
plan are difficult to find. "On Target: The Book on Marketing
Plans" offers an excellent solution. "On Target" takes you
through the process of writing an effective marketing plan from
the initial concept to full implementation.
This
industry and market research reports provided by our partner
Integra Information are the answer to your problems. These
reports help entrepreneurs and business managers get the data
they need to create successful plans.
