Sign businesses often don't have the luxury of spending long hours putting systems and procedures into place. While it is important that each business have detailed marketing and business plans, sometimes that just isn't possible, especially when we are all wearing more than one hat! If you need to come up with an action plan quick, consider the following seven tips. They are designed to help you come up with a basic marketing plan in about half an hour. Of course, you should plan on developing a more in depth marketing plan when you have the time.
- What are your objectives? What is it that you want to achieve and what is your time frame for achieving it? These should be short-term items, as your detailed plan will cover long-term objectives.
- Who is your target audience? Keeping in mind your answers for number one will help you determine who this plan is geared for.
- What quick, easy promotions can you do within your time frame? Think about sending out a press release, using social networking to feature a product, create a flyer to mail or hand out, send out an email newsletter, or add a promotion to your web-site.
- Who will complete each task? Even if you plan to handle half, put your name by every item you will complete. Tasks to be handled by others should be labeled accordingly.
- When will each task be completed? It might be hard, but you have to decide when each item should be done by, and stick with it!
- Figure out how to measure your success. What is your goal? How will you determine if you have reached it?
- Count the cost. Mark any items on your plan that have a price tag and use that information to measure how worthwhile and successful the marketing plan was.
Really, what you are doing in making this quick marketing plan is making a list of priorities and goals. When you have the time you should try to expound upon this little plan to make a more solid marketing plan that will be able to bend and flex to the needs of your business. While a detailed marketing plan may seem intimidating, this little marketing plan can be the first step to developing a concrete system for your business.
