Your marketing plan is a valuable business tool that shouldn't be overlooked.
Putting together a marketing plan can help you see where you need to go, and how you are going to get there.
However, not all marketing plans are created equal, and if you don't avoid some common pitfalls your marketing plan could fail.
How can you make sure your plan is at its best?
Start by avoiding these 7 common marketing plan mistakes:
No Plan
The worst marketing plan mistake is not making one.
Many businesses don't realize how important it is, or think they'll just "do it later".
Launching into marketing without a plan is like taking a road trip with no map - you might run out of gas long before you reach your destination. Get started on your plan as soon as you can.
Undefined Goals
As the article "5 Reasons Your Annual Marketing Plan Will Fail" points out, a plan that is too vague helps no one, as your goals won't be clearly defined. "Grow my business" or "get more Facebook followers" aren't concrete goals.
Knowing exactly how much you want to increase your profits in a certain time frame, or that you want to gain a specific amount of followers among a certain demographic are concrete goals.
Not Enough Time
Both your marketing plan and the execution of the ideas within it will need time, and probably more time than you think.
Schedule time to build your marketing plan the same way you would schedule time for any other important business task, and make sure you build timescales and personnel allocations into the plan too.
Lack of Accountability
A marketing plan is only as good as its measurements. In other words, you need to know how exactly you will measure whether or not you have met your goals.
This starts with setting concrete goals, as explained above. Then, work out what data you will need in order to tell whether or not your goals have been met.
Targeting the Wrong Customers
A key part of your marketing plan will be writing about your customers and their needs.
If you don't get this part right, it will be difficult to make a success of your plan. Don't assume anything about who your customers are.
Look at your existing customer data, make the most of industry-specific knowledge, and seek out your customers on social media to learn more about who they are, what they want, and what pain points they are looking for you to solve.
Being too Ambitious
It's all too easy to start planning out elaborate trade show booths and glossy print or TV campaigns without paying proper attention to your budget.
Instead of looking to the big ticket marketing items, think in terms of how you can best reach your customers while getting the best possible return on your investment for dollars invested in your marketing.
Many marketing methods, such as blogging and social media, are free or nearly free.
Forgetting Your Plan
Once you've drawn up your marketing plan, don't throw it in the bottom drawer and forget about it. After all, your marketing plan is your road map.
Refer to it often to see where you are in comparison to where you want to be. Use it to check if you're getting to the right destinations, and getting there by the best possible route.
The better your plan put in place; the better your marketing when all is said and done.
Take your marketing plan seriously to give your marketing the best chance of bringing you the returns you are hoping for.