The number one reason why your marketing plan isn't working is that you may have goals for marketing, but you don't know what marketing activities you should be doing. Maybe you don’t have a clear plan, or things are just too complicated.
Whatever your issues are, the good news is that there's a solution — planning big and starting small. In this article, you'll learn the answer to the question: What should be the first step in marketing strategy planning?
What Is a Digital Marketing Plan?
Marketing planning made simple involves having one message, with one offer using one funnel for one customer. Think of it this way; if there is a gap between you and your customers, the plan is the bridge that we design together.
A good market plan will help you create a timeline and track your progress to achieve your desired market goals. It helps you understand how you can use online channels to reach and communicate with your target audience. It typically includes components such as advertising, search engine optimization, email, and social media. By having a clear plan, you can monitor your progress and make necessary adjustments along the way.
Marketing plans are an essential tool for coordinating the work of a team and setting out clear expectations for deliverables and timelines. A good plan will start with the overall business and marketing goals, then map out the major campaigns and programs that need to be executed in order to achieve these goals. This will give the team a clear understanding of what needs to be done and how their work fits into the bigger picture.
When Should You Create a Marketing Plan?
The frequency of your company's marketing planning can vary, but most companies set their programs and campaigns to focus on a six-month period or annually. Some organizations do their planning quarterly, which lines up with their business cycles. The important thing is to start the process early enough that you have plenty of time to address every aspect of planning.
Strategy vs. Planning vs. Action
Your strategy is your game plan. It's what you do and why you do it. Your plan is how you execute your strategy. It outlines your objectives and how you will achieve them. Your actions are tactical tasks that need to be done to carry out your plan.
How To Create a Digital Marketing Plan
Now, let's talk about the various digital marketing plan components as well as the specific steps to follow as you develop your strategy.
1. Define your digital marketing goals and business objectives.
Marketing goals should directly support the company's objectives. If you are building a longer-term marketing plan, you may also want to create initiatives, which are broad themes of work required to achieve those goals.
The goals of your company's marketing efforts should always align with the business's overall objectives. However, you will also want to develop initiatives when creating a long-term plan for your company's promotion. These are general themes that encompass the work required to achieve your goals.
2. Understand your ideal customers' problems that you solve and identify your target audience.
- Target Audience
- Buyer Persona
- Negative Persona
- Customer Journey Map
3. Know who else solves your customer's problem and look for opportunity gaps.
- Competitors
- Peers & Partners
- Opportunity Gaps
4. Know your offer and message to position your brand.
- Brand Messaging System
- Opportunity Gaps
- Offer Ecosystem
5. Create a roadmap to keep you on track.
- Marketing Channels
- Marketing Roadmap
What Should a Marketing Plan Consist Of?
Now, it’s important to know the digital marketing plan components you should develop while creating your marketing strategy to enable you and your team to confidently take action. Here they are:
- Brand Guidelines Doc
- Communications Strategy Doc
- Customer Persona Slide
- Marketing Roadmap Slide
- Marketing Channels Slide
- Marketing Funnel Blueprint Slide
- Calendar for Events & Social Media Sheet
Conclusion
For a marketing campaign to be successful, an effective strategy should be implemented. Struggling with your marketing plan does have to be your story; in fact, we offer workshops that are designed for service-based businesses to bridge the gap between their brand and customer. Together, we will create a plan you believe in to execute your campaigns efficiently without wasting time and resources. Learn more about the digital marketing workshop.
