What Makes A Good Marketing Plan?
Have you ever had the feeling that you’re being sold? That the product, service or experience you’re considering just isn’t quite right? Trust us, you’re not alone.
The funny thing about marketing is that when it’s done well, you hardly notice. When it’s done well, you are being connected effortlessly to a product or service that you truly need.
But when it’s done poorly, it feels glaringly obvious. It feels like being handed an icy pole on the top of a snow-capped mountain and asking yourself, ‘now, why would I want that?’
Part of our job as marketing professionals is to make sure your audience doesn’t feel this way. And a big part of that process is building a solid marketing plan. One that highlights what you’re selling, who you’re talking to and why they would want it in the first place.
This might seem like a logical, simple process. But, in our experience, not all marketing plans tick the right boxes. Some are vague and undefined, even when built by professionals.
To help you understand the difference, we’re going to break down some of the elements that we believe make a good marketing plan.
The trouble with bad marketing plans
Before we jump in with what makes a good marketing plan, we wanted to dig a bit deeper on what we consider a bad one.
We actually had a client come to us recently looking for a second opinion on a marketing plan they had requested from an external provider. The plan they showed us had three key issues:
1. It was not tailored to their organisation 2. It had more than one page of generic filler 3. It left the client feeling confused
The first two issues are bad enough, but it’s issue number three that really bothered us. In our opinion, a good marketing plan should empower a client. It should leave them feeling calm and confident about their marketing efforts – like the journey ahead is clear and strategic.
If your marketing plan is not giving you this feeling, it might be time for a refresh.
The signs of a good marketing plan
We believe there are four factors that make for a gold-star marketing plan:
· Easy to understand
· Key points are well-defined
· Working toward SMART goals
· Adaptable and ready for change
Read on and we’ll you a bit more about them.
Easy to understand
Marketing is a highly-skilled field, but that doesn’t mean it should be hard to understand. A good marketing plan feels direct and simple.
We think it should be short and sharp – allowing anyone in an organisation to read it and recognise action steps, as well as the reason they are included.
Further to this, a good marketing plan will include marketing goals that are clearly linked to business goals. This allows anyone working on tasks from the plan to answer questions like, ‘why is this a priority?’ or ‘why are you working on that?’.
Key points are well-defined
Any plan worth following has its foundations right. If you were going on a holiday, that might mean deciding where to go, when to arrive and what to see.
When it comes to marketing – the foundations are a bit different, but no less important. Examples of marketing plan foundations include:
· Your company USP (i.e. the reason people should choose you)
· Your preferred audience (i.e. who would buy from you?)
· Your key messages (i.e. what people should know about you)
· The products, services or experiences you are marketing (i.e. what you are offering)
· The promotional channels you’ll be using (i.e. where people hear about you)
It helps when the design of your marketing plan highlights these features. This means whether you read the whole document or skim through for key points, you’ll be able to identify the basics.
Want to explore these elements more? Read our past blogs:
· Define your target audience with buyer personas
· 7 questions to build a marketing budget
· How to use the marketing mix
Working toward SMART goals
Every business owner is familiar with SMART goals, so we won’t waste time describing them again. We will however, take a moment to remind you why they are so important.
When you set a SMART goal, you greatly increase the chances of success. You give yourself firm boundaries on what you want to achieve and by when.
This also helps prevent distractions. We meet so many business owners who chop and change marketing goals, which means they rarely finish any of them.
When reading through your marketing plan, take the time to consider whether your goals fit the SMART framework.
Adaptable and ready for change
There is one caveat we have for sticking to your goals – flexibility is key for big sweeping changes in your industry, economy or consumer base.
Building a static marketing plan makes it highly likely your strategy will go stale. A good plan is prepared for change. It is a living document that is easily adjusted, meaning your marketing can be as agile as your business.
Take your first step to a great marketing plan
Ebony & Salt is a boutique agency that aims to simplify marketing for SMEs. We plan and execute marketing strategies from start to finish – including budgets, implementation and tracking results.
With years of experience in large enterprises and corporate brands, we are experts at the forefront of marketing strategy and techniques. Now, we adapt these same methods to meet the needs of SMEs.
Sound good? Contact us for an introductory chat.