The Successful Marketing Plan

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The successful marketing plan is often seen as an elusive, unobtainable ideal that you read about in large marketing text books.

This widely held perception is most likely the result of people or businesses trying to market something (or someone), but being hampered by a lack of resources. And I use the term resources in the widest possible sense of the word.

The bottom line is that most marketing plans are not worth the paper they are written on simply because they are often cobbled together in a rush, using inaccurate information, and exacerbated by a poor understanding or knowledge of the specific target markets etc etc. In other words, Rubbish in = rubbish out.

The final nail in the coffin of most marketing plans is where you find them - usually in the bottom draw under a pile of files gathering dust until it gets hauled out for review before the next financial year!

So what are the ingredients of the successful marketing plan? There are many, but lets settle on covering the basics.

The successful marketing plan will:

1) be concise and user friendly.

2) be written by somebody who understands the business, and where that business is going.

3) be realistic and practical in all respects.

4) have specific measurable outcomes matched to specific marketing actions.

5) be used as an integral part of the day to day running of the business.

If you ensure that your marketing plan meets these simple criteria then you will be better off than probably 90% of the businesses that you compete with.

And the benefits of taking the time to craft a successful marketing plan should be obvious to all - marketing activities that are not only focused on your target market and therefore more likely to maximise returns, but that are achieved within budget.

Now wouldn't that make a pleasant change!

Discover Le Doc's secret weapon for creating an effective Small Business Marketing Plan