This month, I’ve detailed a simple process for developing your marketing strategy for the year. The process begins with a high-level overview and continues with a selection of the channels you’ll use to communicate with your target audience.
This week, I help you fill in the details, turning objectives into specific plans that will turn people into paying customers and customers into raving fans.
For this exercise, I recommend you use a scratch piece of paper to get the details right, then transfer your plan into an Excel file and/or calendar.
Begin with your objectives
Take your objectives one at a time. Your goal is to translate that objective into specific tasks or projects that will help you achieve it.
For example, if you want to get new customers in a particular niche, tasks may include:
- Purchase a list or get a JV to run your promotion.
- Develop a bait piece.
- Create a landing page with form.
- Develop an autoresponder series.
- Create social media, direct mail, content to promote your offer.
- Attend a networking event in that niche.
Tasks should be specific and actionable. They should also be measurable. You need to be able to put it on a calendar, make it happen, then evaluate its effectiveness at getting you toward your goal.
Create a schedule
No matter how specific your task list is, if you don’t schedule it, it won’t happen. Once you have a task list for all your objectives, sit down with a calendar and determine when you will complete each task.
Think holistically. You want to create a schedule that’s realistic and achievable. While you’re executing a project in spring, you’ll need to be developing a project for summer and planning a project for fall. Make sure you set deadlines that keep you on track — not overwhelm you.
At this point, you may want to create a Workback Schedule. This tool is a great way to keep yourself on track. Here’s how it works:
- Each project is listed with every task necessary to complete it.
- Place a completion date beside your final line item.
- Work backwards, giving each task its own deadline, depending on how long you estimate it will take to complete.
- Continue working backwards through your task list until you arrive at your start date for the first task.
Review the feasibility of your plan
At the minimum, your plan should include your website, content creation, specific promotions you plan to run, and the prospects you plan to target. Go through your calendar and Workback Schedule.
- What is the major focus of each month? Each quarter?
- What tasks need to be completed every week?
- Can you streamline activities to make it easier to get them done?
About 20% of your total time should be spent on marketing. You also need time for fulfilling your plan and serving customers. Make sure you’ve allowed time for everything.
Plan to work your plan
No plan, no matter how good, can be achieved without hard work. Decide right now that you will work every day to achieve your plan. Refer to it often. Check off tasks as you complete them. Track your progress. And get it done.
It is, after all your business. Give it the priority it deserves.
