It’s important to have a marketing plan to help your brand stay well ahead of the competition. But the explosion of marketing channels both offline and online (think mobile devices, social platforms and content) now gives customers and prospects more choice and increased control, which risks making things more complex for marketers. Let’s take a closer look at how you can prepare your business for success this year with an effective marketing plan.
5 Steps to Building an Effective Marketing Plan in 2016
Conduct a marketing evaluation
Now is the ideal time to conduct a thorough marketing evaluation including thoroughly analysing your past marketing efforts to see what did and didn’t work for your business. This will help you establish a fresh approach that gets results for your business both in print an online.
Do your research
The next step is to conduct detailed research make certain that you’ve taken a good look at your company including target market, competitors and the industry you’re in. It’s important that you ensure no stone is left unturned by gathering important data including:
- Monitoring competitors (analyse their brand positioning, marketing strategies, pricing, product mix, website etc.)
- Industry trends and reports.
- Brand surveys
- Team interviews
- Marketing analytics reports
- Website reviews (calls to action, content and SEO, design and navigation, landing pages, mobile compatibility
Calculate a marketing budget
Use your historical data to help you establish an ROI-based approach together with your future growth goals. Establishing your budget early in marketing planning process will help you build effective marketing strategies based on your available resources. Look for marketing and promotions that expand leads, increase conversions and increase revenue per customer.
Establish your marketing mix
Your marketing mix is a tool commonly made up of the Four Ps of marketing, blending these variables together to help you achieve the results you need to effectively reach your target market.
Products: When developing your products think about the quality, design, features, packaging and customer service required to be successful (including your after-sales service).
Place: This is all about the effective distribution of your products and services in order to reach your target market. Think about your business location, shopfront, distribution and online presence.
Price: When developing your marketing plan, think about the amount of money your targets must pay (and will be prepared to pay) for your product or service. Think about price setting, discount offers and any sales and other special offers you plan to offer throughout 2016.
Promotion: Look for the most effective ways to raise the profile of your products and services to customers and prospects and look for marketing and promotions that persuade and attract consumers to your brand. Some of the marketing and promotions Kwik Kopy helps our clients with include, for example:
- Branding (including logo design)
- Marketing collateral (brochures, catalogues, flyers and leaflets)
- Direct Marketing (email, direct mail, list generation)
- Business cards and letterhead
- Promotional giveaways and incentives
- Signage, posters and banners
- Display materials for trade shows and events
- Website (web design and development, search engine optimisation, social media)
Set a realistic timeframe
Create specific, measurable marketing and promotional goals to achieve throughout 2016 – and then set a realistic timeframe in which to achieve this. Put together a 12-month marketing calendar that details your various marketing, advertising and promotional themes and initiatives (both online and offline) to raise your brand profile and keep the momentum going all year round.
For a marketing plan that takes away some of the pressure this year, speak to your local Kwik Kopy today.
