5 simple steps to Marketing planning for businesses without in-house marketing resource
The great annual event of Strictly is upon us – it’s now up there with Christmas and bonfire night. A spectrum of celebrities are attempting to Samba, Tango and Charleston their way through weeks of training, tears, glee and more tears.
As the celebs for the season are announced one at a time, you’re always guaranteed to be presented with complete variety – from Olympic gymnasts, to former politicians and Instagram influencers who have barely heard of a quick-step and certainly don’t know how to execute it in such a way as to avoid national humiliation from Craig Revel-Horwood.
It strikes me that this isn’t dissimilar to the situation many leaders of SMEs find themselves in. They’re great at what they do for a day job – making widgets, training salespeople, designing buildings or supplying warehouses…yet perhaps out of their depth with other vital aspects of running a business.
Much like those celebs chasing the glitter ball this Autumn, many business leaders may benefit from a little help to find their way in the parallel universe of Marketing.
If this rings a bell, then I hope these 5 simple steps will help you begin to tackle some of the ‘quick-steps’ you need to make as you run your business.
1 – Clear business objectives
Despite what some might say, Marketing is ALL about delivering business results and growth. If you’re going to develop a plan that helps you grow, you need to be laser focused on what success looks like. With those objectives clear, you are better equipped to figure out how to succeed.
2 – Steps to success
In the same way a football manager doesn’t just tell their team to ‘score more goals’ you, as a business leader, can’t just aim for more revenue or profit. Start thinking about the interim goals that will help you deliver more revenue. Do you need more enquiries, greater footfall or more awareness that you exist? Understanding this will help you target your activity more effectively.
3 – Reflect
Research isn’t just for scientists. By taking the time to analyse your company and the wider market you can learn and ensure future investment is effective – avoiding mistakes and exploiting opportunities. Think about previous activities, your competition, how customers are finding your business, the skills you have in house and more.
4 – Build a plan
Having painted a clear picture and knowing where you’re headed, it’s time to decide which activities will help you get there. There are myriad options, so it won’t be easy, but choosing the right tool is vital if you’re going to achieve the desired result. Think about advertising, email, postal mailings, social media and more. Think about your messaging and think about who is going to put the plan into action.
5 – Time to execute
Build a simple roll-out plan you can cope with. Ensure responsibility is assigned, timelines agreed and measures of success confirmed. Everyone involved needs to understand it and you need to have the appropriate resources lined up. Keep it simple and plan well – success is well within your reach.
Clearly these 5 simple steps are just a brief guide as to what SME business leaders should consider, but it provides a flavour. Much like the stars on Strictly, you can only learn so much from the theory – eventually you’ve got to get on to the Marketing dance-floor and see what you’re made of.
As a final point – also like the celeb dancers, you may find that you need some help from a professional. If you’d like to chat through how you can make marketing work, give us a call. We’d love to chat and help you waltz your way to success.
In future articles we’ll discuss more about the detail of the planning process. Have a look here to understand the process we use to help clients on their way.
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