Home-based expert
Kim T. Gordon answers our reader's question: How do I
create a marketing communication plan?
By: Kim T. Gordon
www.entrepreneur.com
Question:
How do I construct a marketing communication plan, and what's the best concise book
on beginning marketing?
Yoon Li
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Answer:
The best format for a marketing communication plan incorporates five sections, from
an overview through a written budget. Follow this formula for a clear,
workable plan:
1. Situation
analysis. Begin with a
realistic look at your competition and position in the marketplace.
What are the specific challenges your business faces in the coming
year, and what benefits set your business apart? Briefly describe your
unique niche here, so when you refer back to this section of the plan
you'll be able to see how your situation and company have evolved.
2. Target
audience. This section can
be completed in one simple paragraph. If you're marketing to
consumers, include a one- or two-sentence target audience profile.
That's a brief description based on demographics (gender, age,
household income, etc.), that you'll use to guide your marketing buys.
If you're marketing to other businesses, describe your targeted
business categories and all qualifying criteria for prospects in each
category.
3. Goals.
In bulleted form, make a concise list of your marketing goals for the
year. It's best to make them quantifiable, such as "Increase sales to
medical practices by 15 percent per quarter." That way you can measure
and evaluate your progress.
4. Strategies
and tactics. This section
is the core of your marketing communication plan because it includes the direct mail,
advertising, PR and other marketing activities you'll pursue to reach
your goals, plus all the marketing tools and materials you'll produce.
Be careful not to go overboard and take on too much. Each tactic must
be manageable to handle along with the day-to-day operations of your
growing business.
5. Budget.
Your last step is to attach costs to each of your tactics. If the
tactics you describe in your plan require an unrealistically high
budget, you can always go back and adopt other, more affordable means
of reaching your goals. Then, as your company grows, you can phase in
the higher-cost programs.
Evaluate your
marketing communication plan quarterly and
modify it as your business and strategies evolve. My newest book,
Bringing Home the Business, includes a comprehensive chapter on
writing a marketing plan and is a concise, step-by-step guide to
marketing a business.
