A
lackluster marketing plan can be
deadly to your business. No one will
buy your product or service if they
don’t know you exist, but these days
your marketing efforts must go
beyond that. You must create a plan to keep your
brand relevant, your message consistent, and your
company at the forefront of every potential customer’s
mind. How do you achieve that lofty goal? A killer
marketing plan.
Here are
13 ways to slay your marketing
goals and create a strong strategy that will not only
keep your business alive, but also allow it to thrive.
1.
Work in advance. A good marketing plan is hashed out
and strategized months, even a year in advance. “We create a
marketing plan annually, which looks ahead to the following
year,” says Jennifer Henry, director of marketing for The Spa at
The Hotel Hershey in Hershey, Pennsylvania. “Then,
throughout the year we revisit the messaging, channels
and tactical pieces so we can evaluate and learn from
the metrics we see throughout the campaign.”
Working through a marketing plan well in
advance allows you to present a clear and cohesive
message throughout all channels and team members. Diane
Hibbard, vice president of treatments and development at Burke
Williams Day Spa in California completely agrees. She suggests devel-
oping plans annually and referencing it daily to stay on top of all strategies.
She says, “Staying involved with your plan will naturally dictate when updates are
needed, and create more room for progress and innovation.”
2.
Don’t be afraid to adapt. Speaking of innovation, you can’t be afraid to roll with
the punches in marketing. Trends change daily and it is up to your team to adjust. So, while
planning an overall plan in advance is key, you must leave room for adaptation. “At Millennium, we are
constantly reworking our marketing plan based on the performance of our various assets,” adds Colleen
Lemos, senior public relations specialist at Millennium Systems International. “Marketing trends and
consumer behaviors are changing so quickly that it’s important to be able to adapt as needed.”
September 2017
■
PULSE
57