What’s the big reason behind the success of most of the businesses? A perfect team… yes, a perfect team is; but before this, we have something else….the perfect planning! Business planning is all about identifying your business needs, analyzing the current situations and coming up with a strategy to attain a competitive position in the market. You can’t become successful without winning the trust of the customers and this is something that is attained via fulfilling the needs of the customers and communicating with them. Here comes the element of marketing! How you convey your message to the potential customers and how their needs will be fulfilled. Your marketing plan is a vital part of your business plan and if we are not wrong then your success is somehow dependable on it. So go for it…start working on your marketing plan!


For creating a successful marketing plan, it is needed to answer a few questions that will not only facilitate the marketing activities but also allow to implement a solid marketing strategy. Therefore it deserves all the attention! So focus on each and every detail of your marketing plan.


Remember: You need to deliver the correct message to the people so think wisely before preparing a marketing plan. Below are the 14 important steps in creating and implementing a successful marketing plan.


Identify your goals


The most important step is to identify your goals. It is advised to go for the SMART goals that are not exaggerated. You need to consider what are the things you want to accomplish through your brand. Keep your goals well defined, realistic, and make sure to set a timeline for achieving your goals.


Set a strong mission statement


The vision and mission statement address what you want to do and what is your current status. The mission statement acts as a focal point for supporting the vision and goals of your business. So it indirectly supports the marketing plan. Go for a clear and concise mission statement.


Understand your niche


Develop a good understanding of your target market. You need to identify their needs and provide them with the solution to fulfil them. For instance, if you are selling the instant noodles then all those who don’t want to cook will like the idea of just adding some hot water and enjoy the noodles. You need to know about the preferences of the flavours and all the other ways that would attract the people more.


Competitor analysis


Identify your competitors who are giving a tough time. Don’t overlook the new competitors as well! Focus on your research and keep an eye on the competitors. Consider their strategies, their strengths and the weaknesses as well.


Identify your current position


Carry out the SWOT analysis of your brand and know about your position. Identify your strengths, try to overcome the weaknesses, make the most of the opportunities and beware of the threats. Come up with a strategy that would make your brand strong. A PESTLE analysis would also be helpful here.


Get the best people on the board


It is needed to have the best people in your team who are super talented and experienced, who know your brand and can do some extraordinary things to add a wow factor to your marketing strategy. They should have a positive attitude and the spark to deliver.


Follow the latest trends


We are living in an era where the marketing trends keep on changing. Don’t stick to the old school methods. Follow the latest trends or bring something unique. Don’t be afraid of making bold decisions or taking the risk while creating your marketing plan.
Pay attention to the pricing strategy


Price is the factor that usually clicks people. Think smartly while setting the price. Go for a competitive price or opt for some kind of affordable pricing strategy. A quick tip is to make a detailed research before setting your pricing.


Brand positioning


It is the conceptual position that you would like to occupy in the minds of the target consumers. You need to make your products more customer-relevant and competitive while maximizing the brand value.


What’s your USP?


Think about the unique point of your brand that makes you different from the others. This is very tough but you need to make your brand different. If you are selling fragrances then let people know something exciting like the customize fragrances. People can create their fragrances and design their own bottles while visiting the outlets.


Make the most of the social media


Social media is the most powerful tool which is used by different brands nowadays. Use the social media platforms for reaching to your audience. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and Snapchat all can do the magic here.


Budgeting


Small businesses have a limited budget so they need to keep their marketing activities budget-friendly. You can also modify the promotional activities depending on the budget. Focus on the strategies that would bring high ROIs for you.


Action plan


You need to decide; what are the different steps that you must take to put your marketing plan into the practice. You can make a list for the action plan just in the same way you do for your daily activities. Identify the activities that can gradually lead you towards success. For instance, an activity related to the promotional campaign may require some steps like:


• Identifying the objectives for the campaign
• Hiring the designer for designing the material and a affordable writer to write an impressive copy
• Creating a draft and sending to the management for the final approval
• Posting the approved stuff


Monitor, control and improve


Once the plan is ready and implemented, you need to monitor the overall progress and take immediate actions for controlling undesirable situations. By measuring the results you can identify the areas of further improvement so you can tailor the marketing activities that would bring more success.


Hope that all the things would be working together effectively…trust your team…Start your research and bring an exceptional marketing plan!