Why You Need a Marketing Plan, Even if You're a Small Business

You may think you don't need a marketing plan if you're a small business owner. After all, big businesses have marketing departments full of people to develop and execute their marketing plans. But the truth is that even small businesses need a marketing plan. Why? Because hope is not a strategy. A well-developed plan can help you sustain growth and achieve your desired results.

A Solid Strategy Is the Foundation of a Successful Marketing Plan

A marketing plan should be strategic; it should flow from and align with your overall business strategy. A good marketing plan is a roadmap. It looks at the big picture and defines how you will get there. Without a clear business strategy, your marketing efforts will be scattershot and won't get the results you aim to achieve. So if you want to create a successful marketing plan, build it on a solid foundation.

Customer Centricity Is Key to Growth

Most importantly, focus on your customers. What do they want? What do they need? How can you solve their problems? You won't go wrong when you keep the customer at the center of everything you do. Being customer focused is a tenant of growth marketing and should be at the core of your marketing plan and everything your business does.

It's SMART to Be Goal Oriented

When crafting your goals, you must ensure they align with your strategy. Focus on what you want to achieve, and what success looks like for your business. If you don't have clearly defined goals and objectives, how will you be able to gauge the success of your marketing efforts?

Marketing Tactics Are Last, but Not Least

All too often, tactics are confused with strategy. Don't be that person! Tactics are a natural product of strategy, goals, and objectives. Tactics are the actions you take to achieve your goals and objectives. For example, suppose your goal is to increase your email list by 20% over the next year. In that case, a specific tactic may be to create a free ebook you give users when they sign up for your email list.

A well-developed marketing plan is vital for any business, small or large, that wants to create sustainable growth and achieve its goals. Without a plan, companies often find themselves flailing around, trying one tactic after another with no real direction or purpose. By taking the time to craft a detailed marketing plan, you can save yourself a lot of time and money in the long run. So what are you waiting for?

Need Help Creating Your Marketing Plan?

Check out Michael Daehn’s 8 Hour Marketing Plan course. He has condensed over 30 years of marketing experience into 8 - 1 hour sessions to help you create a strategic marketing plan that works. In these sessions, he'll help you understand your market, craft a unique selling proposition, develop an effective marketing mix, and track your results. By the end of the course, you'll have a complete marketing plan that you can put into action immediately. So whether you're a small business owner or a marketing professional, sign up today and learn how to create a marketing plan that works.

Author Bio:

Damian Raffele has over 20 years of marketing experience. Through his unique customer-centric marketing and sales strategies, he has driven innovation and growth for businesses ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies such as Nestlé, Nationwide, and VCA Animal Hospitals.