Developing a marketing plan in brief

Effective marketing is dependent on having a plan that identifies, anticipates and satisfies your customer needs.

To help you formulate this plan it is important to have as much information as possible about services you provide and the market in which you operate. You must understand what factors mark you out from your competitors (your unique selling points), who your core audiences are and what motivates them.

To help answer the latter question, access to good client demographics such as: age group, social class, interests, lifestyle and region, can be key.

Once you have established these facts, you will then be able to devise the objectives of the marketing plan and how they then can best be achieved.

Your objectives need to be measurable, timed and above all realistic. An objective such as 'increasing turnover by 10% within 12 months' must reflect the reality of your market.

The five W's will help you define how you are going achieve your objectives and you should always check them when considering any form of communication: 'Who, What, Where, When & Why', when added together, equals 'How'.

Putting your plan into action

Once you have your marketing plan, you can then identify the best methods to use to promote your products and services. The list is extensive but could include: advertising; direct mail; face-to-face contact; events and promotions; exhibitions; media relations; promotions such as competitions, discounts and special offers; literature and website; telemarketing and viral marketing.

The essential thing to remember is that planning and timing are pivotal. And that different methods are appropriate for different audiences.

Tailoring perceptions

How clients perceive your organisation will have a strong impact on the success of your strategy.

Memorable names and logos are an advantage, so if your organisation's name or logo is difficult to use or remember, then perhaps it is worth reviewing.

Establish the key messages that you want communicate to each audience and integrate them into your marketing activities to help ensure that your plan is a success.

Customise the tone and style of your literature. One tone will not be suitable for all audiences. Invest time and effort in your literature; it is crucial that it is clear, accurate and accessible.

Is it working?

As mentioned previously, it is important to measure your successes and failures. Did the time of year affect the response to your marketing activities? Were some methods more cost effective in terms of client reaction? By understanding what you did right you will be better able to improve the effectiveness of your marketing in the future.

Some Tips To Remember

• Know what your customers want

Just because you have decided to offer a certain range of products or services, doesn't necessarily mean they are what your customer wants. You may think price is the most important factor when what they want is a faster service. Don't try to second-guess them; ask them.

• Identify your Unique Selling Points

In order to survive in the marketplace every organisation should be able to have a clearly defined answer to the question "Why should I do business with you rather than your competitor?" You need to know what makes you unique; whether it's your service, distribution, or customer service.

• Sell the benefits

People don't buy features they buy benefits. Tell them clearly how the features of your product or service will help them, make their life easier and save them money.

• Make it easy for them

See yourself through the eyes of your customer - is it easy to do business with you? Do you get the simple things right? Do staff fully understand your services? Are client inquiries answered promptly? Is promotional literature or website up to date?

• Give the right impression

Whether you're taking an ad in a newspaper or magazine, producing promotional literature or a piece of direct mail, make sure you grab your readers' attention, create an impression and makes them want to read on.

• Test the results

How do you know which marketing methods are the most effective for you? Simple - test the results. Try splitting your advertising budget across a range of different methods, for example, ads in you local papers or on your local radio station, trade press and direct mail and measure the results you get. Try using a promotion or discount with one advertising campaign - do you get better results?

© Upward Curve PR May 2002

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