Do you remember those school days?
Coming up to exam time when the teachers would suddenly start throwing old papers at you to practise? Remember that and the teachers coaching you on how to successfully complete an exam?
One lesson that stuck (of many I hasten to add…) was that of planning the response to the questions posed, especially when it came to essay questions. Read the question twice, figure out what the examiner is actually asking and take the time to structure the response.
Now, I have no scientific evidence to back this up but I am pretty certain that, on the occasions I ploughed straight into the answer, I saved some time and got back to watching Neighbours or playing football quickly. I also suspect that it was on those occasions that I ended up taking the results home to my Mum and Dad with my tail between my legs!
In my view, from 20 years of experience, the same is true of marketing. Marketing plans can seem like a major inconvenience, the only thing between you and something ‘more important’ / fun. No-one is in business to do the admin, but that’s where business owners need to pause.
Many organisations I come across don’t dedicate time to planning their marketing. Partly because of perceived priorities, partly because they are struggling to support existing clients and often because they don’t have the in-house expertise to do it well.
The result is usually one of two things:
1 – No marketing at all (result = little new business coming in)
2 – A bit of social media here and occasional blog there by whoever has the time (result = little new business coming in)
It’s understandable, I get it. Taking finance for instance, if I didn’t have an accountant, I’d probably throw a spreadsheet together, track income and expenditure but miss all the opportunities to make the business more efficient, because I’d have no financial plan.
The truth is that, if you want it to pay, you can’t just ‘have a go’ at marketing. That isn’t to say it has to be complex and expensive. It is to say , however, that quickly posting some Tweets and sending a ‘latest news’ email isn’t going to make best use of your time or deliver returns. They may be the tools you know about or that seem easy to use, but that doesn’t make them right for the job.
The Benefits of Marketing Plans
A bit like those fabled exams, planning your marketing will save time, make more efficient use of your investment and deliver better results.
- It will save time because you will know what to focus on when – and not be constantly trying to figure out what to do next
- Make your investment more efficient because you’ll be investing in activities that support your goals
- Deliver better results because, if you identify which activities are best suited to achieve your goals, you’re more likely to succeed
It sounds obvious but, when any of us aren’t comfortable with something we either ignore it or take the easy route to solve it.
Marketing plans are too important – they can be the life-blood of your business, so take the time and don’t be that 15-year-old; too eager to move on to the next activity. Think about what you’re trying to achieve, how to get there and what the best tools are for the job.
Take the time, plan and execute – the grades will be worth it.
In later articles I’ll give you some thoughts on how to go about building your marketing plans. For now, why not take a look at the impact that planning can have here?
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