Marketing Focus – Why is it beneficial to create a marketing plan?
To plan or not to plan… if this is your question, then there’s only one answer – MAKE A PLAN!!
This is true for almost all areas of business, as a good plan gives you focus, direction and a calm determination to tackle things in the correct order at the right time. I am a great lover of lists, so every day I like to make a new one, but behind all the lists is a solid plan which can be referred to, checked and modified as things change and we move forward.
However, I know not everyone does like to plan and do reports and lists, and I also know that when you’re busy it’s tough to be able to find the time, or be motivated enough to make time to put a plan in place. None the less, the busier we are, the more important it is to plan, as having this behind us stops the panic and the chaos and gives you a clear path to follow, making you more effective and efficient. It is also important for any team members you may have, as it enables them to make sure they are following the right lines and working towards the same objective.
Marketing plans are hugely important for any company spending money on promoting themselves, but sadly very under-used. Most companies we deal with and meet respond to marketing needs in a knee-jerk way, panicking when they don’t have enough business coming in, throwing money at the problem in the short term. This is often expensive and ineffective, as it does not really meet the company’s objectives and because it’s rushed, the materials, offer and response are often not as good as they should be.
Having a strong marketing plan avoids this, as it sets clear and achievable objectives, forces you to analyze important things about your company such as strengths and weaknesses and requires you to look at what you are currently doing. This analytical approach to your company objectives and vision is really beneficial, especially when done with a team as you can discover some surprising inconsistencies of mission and belief which may have been working against you within the company. It is also a great way to bring staff members into the loop and get them to understand the thinking behind some management decisions which they may have resisted in the past. It can also take you down a new path and push you towards improving materials which you haven’t looked at for a long time, but may be letting you down.
