Best Laid Plans...

As the New Year approaches, we will begin to evaluate how well we did in 2008 and start to develop new plans for 2009. If you are like most, those plans end up in the same pile as our New Year’s resolutions and post holiday diet plans. What once seemed like a simple task often becomes a daunting chore after the holidays are past and business resumes its hectic pace.

Here’s an idea: Instead of laboring over a one or five-year marketing plan, why not consider creating a 90-day plan instead?

Why 90 days?

• Short –term progress is easy to track.
• Data collected in 90 days can be used to create a base, and then be applied to tracking long-term plans.
• If your plan is not working, you’ll be able to quickly re-direct without worrying about affecting the long range outcome.
• 90-day periods allow you to stay up-to-date with change and meet new market demands without changing the overall scheme of things.

If your business has slowed due to the economy, use the extra time you now have to monitor your marketing and watch where advertising and promotional dollars are going by tracking how effective your marketing campaigns are.

To start, put aside some quiet time and try answering these questions:
• What marketing worked well for my business over the past 12 months?
• What marketing worked okay, but could be improved upon?
• What marketing have I done for 12 months or more that isn't working at all?
• The marketing that did well, performed well because:
• The marketing that failed, failed because:
• What is my target market for the next 90 days? Will I change the geography I target? Will I target a different income level or demographic of consumers? Will I target product-oriented users, service users or both?
• An analysis of my customers over the past 12 months defines my target market as?
• What marketing vehicles will I use in the next 90-days and why?
• My marketing message may be enhanced by:
• My marketing message should be concentrated in:
• My marketing message will be revised as:
• In the next 90-days my marketing budget will be:

Use your answers to these questions to create a 90-day timeline. Include a start and end date and what you will do in between. Weekly evaluate your plan and make adjustments when necessary. Your 90-day timeline should give you a realistic picture and plan of your priorities and the results they will generate.

Re-doing a marketing plan creates a new excitement about the potential of the business. Once you get into it, it becomes less of a chore and more of a positive, energizing experience.

Finding it tough to get started? Call and schedule a free, no obligation consultation with AMP! We’ll help you find the answers to some of those hard questions and bring fresh new ideas to the table.