Marketing Plan Format: a worksheet

From The Art of Self Promotion #14

Your One-Page Marketing Plan

The truth is, you dont have to have a marketing plan. It is quite possible to run and even grow your business without one -- most people do. However, without a plan, your marketing is probably haphazard, scattered and disorganized. If you want to have more control over your flow of new business, you will need a plan. In fact youll probably need more than one plan; youll need a few plans running simultaneously. Its best to start with two plans that balance each other: one for the real, long-term goals, the work you really want to do, and another for the bread-and-butter work that is less interesting, but easier to get. Heres a standard format to work with:

1. WHY? What is your objective for this plan? Can you be any more specific? Whittle it down as far as you can, using numbers and dates. Here are a few examples:

To get an article in a the local newspaper by 12/99.

To create a quarterly postcard campaign that begins 1/2000.

To get three new annual report projects by 9/99.

2. WHO is the market? What list sources are available? Think about industry directories, lists to rent , lists published in trade publications.

3. WHAT is the message you want to convey to this market about how you can help them?

4. HOW? Which marketing tools will you use? What combination of tools will they respond best to? What are they reading and watching; where are they going? How do you get this information? Where does all of this intersect with the tools you enjoy using?

ACTION STEPS

These are the step-by-step strategies you need to reach your goal. Again, be specific. For example, dont plan to "send out a letter" during week one. Instead, list all the tiny tasks involved in sending out a letter.

Week 1:

Week 2:

Week 3:

Week 4:

Week 5:

5 HOW MUCH? Time and money are the two main resources to allocate. Determine how much time and money are needed to work the plan you have just created. Is that reasonable for you? Remember that you will make adjustments as you work the plan.

I can spend ____________ per week and $___________ per month.

About the Author

Ilise Benun is the publisher of the Web site for The Art of Self Promotion, a quarterly (print) newsletter of manageable marketing ideas, and the author of Self Promotion Online, an invaluable resource for anyone interested in learning effective strategies to promote oneself via the internet. call (201) 653-0783

http://www.artofselfpromotion.com
http://www.selfpromotiononline.com