An annual marketing plan is similar to, but separate from, your company’s business plan. While your business plan may identify niche markets you plan to target, your marketing plan will define the means in which you will reach that business sector or customer type. Creating this document helps you define the way your company’s message is delivered throughout the year. By committing your plan to paper you are forcing yourself to thoroughly analyze your promotional efforts as a whole, making it much more likely that you will maximize the results of your advertising campaigns.

Your annual plan should contain the following information:

• A schedule of campaigns, including dates for launch, follow up and estimated action by the recipient
• Definition of targeted campaign audience
• Quantifiable campaign goals
• Selection of distribution method (direct mail, online, broadcast, etc.)
• Keys to project success
• Estimated project costs in both time and money
• Projected return on investment

When planning your year, fight the urge to simply select various mediums to which you can then assign a date and a dollar figure. Instead, focus on creating clear objectives for your efforts which can then define the avenue you will use to reach your goal.

Without argument, a full-scale marketing campaign can require a notable investment. There is a direct relationship between the investment and results of a well-planned, well-executed campaign (both in terms of rate and volume of return). However, budget-strapped businesses can still achieve satisfactory results. The key is in employing strategic marketing tactics.

Chamber of Commerce

A primary function of a Chamber of Commerce is to support business and industry by aiding communication and awareness among its members. Periodic Chamber publications are an easy way to get your message in front of decision makers that may be a targeted customer for your business. A strategically crafted circular or advertisement could be the key to getting their eyes on you.

Changing Location

A proven strategy for increasing visibility while limiting costs is to enter an agreement with an outdoor (billboard) company that offers multiple positioning for your boards. Using this strategy you can purchase a minimal number of boards (say, two) and have them placed in varying locations over the course of a year. Using this approach a business can minimize design costs by limiting design variations to the number of active boards, and appear to have billboards “all over town” by regularly popping up in someplace new.

A Website is Vital

Pound for pound, the hardest working marketing tool is a website. For many people, this is where they start their search for a product or service. By making your company available from the Internet you are “selling” to customers before your telephone even rings. You are reaching them on their time, in their preferred means of connecting and offering solutions for their needs. This topic is discussed in greater detail in our article “Does Your Business Really Need A Website?”.

Conclusion

Networking and reputation will always be a cornerstone to a company’s growth. However, relying on word-of-mouth exclusively is a mistake. Even a minimized marketing campaign will yield notable dividends. No matter how networked your clients may be, there is still a need to reach beyond this circle to an audience that may otherwise have no way of hearing about your business.