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New Year, new marketing plans. Tips to help get started.

2015 planning

Most businesses, like people, make a New Year's resolution to get a fresh start, and we find that most resolutions revolve around shaking up their marketing.

This is a great place to start, but make sure you develop a marketing plan instad of just doing things willy-nilly. You know the old adage "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail"? Well, it's applicable in full force with marketing.

If you're thinking about updating your marketing plan this year, here's a few tips to help you get started:

  1. Do a frank assessment of where you currently stand. Look at product mix, pricing, customer service, distribution, etc., and be honest about where you need improvement and where you're shining.
  2. Do a SWOT analysis - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats.
  3. Determine your target market(s).
  4. Set goals for what you'd like to achieve this year.
  5. Decide upon strategies for reaching the goals.
  6. Determine tactics and related budget.
  7. Develop an action list to assign marketing activities to staff, and set expected dates of completion.
  8. Review your plan, and update as needed.

What do you think is your biggest marketing problem? Can you describe what your perfect customer would be like? Which of your customers generate the least income (and probably also cost you the most!)? These are good questions to ask yourself, to help in developing goals and strategies.

If you've never developed a marketing plan it can be intimidating. Just remember that there are many approaches to take, and the most important thing is that it works for you. Whether its one page or fifty pages, it's worthless if you create it and never look at it again. Consider creating a poster to hang on your office wall to help you track planned activities. Remember "out of sight, out of mind," and don't let your mind let go of your goals.

Let us know if you need help creating your marketing plan, or perhaps help creating collaterals or updating your website to help make your plan work for you.

Here's to a successful 2015!

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