Concepts for Marketing Campaigns that aren't Put Into Action Will Fail

Concepts for Marketing Campaigns that aren't Put Into Action Will Fail

You want to expand your company, but you're not sure how. The majority of the companies I consult with have no idea what works best, how to get started, or where to begin.

We've all heard of "marketing," but what exactly are we expected to gain from it?

• Raise product visibility and name recognition
• Raise brand awareness
• To expand market share
• Get more customers
• Create inbound links
• Bring in more recurring customers

You could have previously attempted marketing strategies such as brochures, yellow pages ads, and Chamber of Commerce networking, but you may have been dissatisfied with the outcomes and have since abandoned them. Also, it appears that others are always eager to provide you with guidance. You can ignore the fact that they have no understanding of what they're doing.

Why aren't you advertising if you know you should? When you're trying to keep the business afloat and expand, you've got a million other things on your plate.

Even if you have a lot of ideas, they may not be put into action. Do you suffer from the over-analysis that plagues so many startup companies? perfectionism? worry about falling short?

If this seems familiar, it's because many people's plans never make it past the brainstorming stage. To top it all off, you've never been able to make your company as successful as you'd hoped.

Taking no action is just as bad as having no plan.

There is also the polar opposite, which is equally perilous to your company's future success.

Taking action without first coming up with a plan can result in a lot of busy work but nothing in the way of new business growth. At least you're making an effort, and luck could be on your side. The outcomes, however, are likely to fall short of your requirements or expectations.

To implement ideas, you must have a strategy.

The importance of having a marketing strategy is something I won't go into detail about today, though. First and foremost, you need to know where you're going and what you want to achieve. Visit my website, proven-small-business-marketing-solutions.com, for additional information on how to effectively plan your marketing strategy.

Here, I'll assume that you have some concepts in mind but lack the necessary action and outcomes to move forward with them. You've done your homework, picked up some useful skills, and have a good idea of what has to be accomplished, and you're completely sincere in your efforts. And yet, you still don't seem to be able to get any marketing done.

While well-thought-out marketing strategies are undoubtedly important, they are by no means sufficient. Marketing strategies fail to bear fruit when left unchecked.

There's just one more thing you need to put your plans into motion. Here are three ways to get your business's marketing plan off the ground:

Draft a Basic Strategy

Have a strategy ready to go. In my opinion, the "what you want to do" section of most marketing plans is more comprehensive than the "plan to actually get it done."

With the help of an action plan, the "what" of your goals can be broken down into actionable steps. Be specific enough in your action plan so you can understand what steps are necessary to put your ideas and tactics into motion.

A simple checklist of all the marketing actions you wish to implement might serve as the basis of your marketing action plan. Keep the checklist close at hand and cross off items as you finish them.

A marketing checklist such as this one can serve as a sort of scorecard, helping you keep tabs on progress and items remaining on the to-do list.

A simple marketing action plan based on a checklist may not be sufficient for some. In order to put your ideas into action, you may need to put in a bit more effort into developing a more specific plan.

Don't discount this strategy. Choose your top three objectives for the next six months. Now, for each of those outcomes, pinpoint three critical steps that must be taken over the next three months to bring you closer to reaching your goal.

Finally, divide each of those three main points into three or four smaller assignments. I would recommend narrowing it down to the most important things that need to be done in the next month. Last but not least, return to your plan and begin entering target completion dates.

• You've got a game plan to help you get where you want to go now.
• Have a schedule for your marketing efforts.
• After you know what steps to take, put them on a calendar.

One of the most common issues for startups is paralysis by analysis, or the inability to get anything done due to the sheer volume of tasks staring them in the face.

Choose a handful of marketing approaches that you have the most confidence in and that you think will yield the best results. Set a schedule for how often each plan will be implemented. You may, for instance, set a goal of attending five networking events every month, making one presentation every three months, publishing one eZine every month, and having lunch with two prospective business partners every month.

Now take out a calendar and plan out your activities for each month of the year. Monthly, commit to a minimum of two major marketing initiatives or strategies.

Check the schedule to make sure you've included a good distribution of the methods you've settled on. Keep tabs on anything related to marketing so you know what to add, move around, or scrap.

Put down a marketing schedule and keep it posted near your work area. A basic strategy like this can be extremely effective in realizing your goals. The most important thing is to write down your plan in a way that will encourage you to follow through with it.

Set Up Marketing Meetings

Set a recurring appointment with yourself on your calendar. Setting up a marketing appointment for yourself as if it were with your biggest client is a great way to force yourself to actually get around to doing some marketing.

Stop fooling yourself. Great marketing success requires a commitment to doing things on a regular and consistent basis. Taking the time to do things on a regular and consistent basis is something you may accomplish by setting aside specific blocks of time. Then, don't book anything else within that time slot on the calendar.

You shouldn't let anyone interrupt this time not even your finest customer unless absolutely necessary. If someone tries to plan an appointment with you during this window but it would conflict with another, explain to them that you're already committed and ask if they can reschedule. They need not know that the time you've blocked out for yourself is vital to you.

Make it a point to always be on time for this meeting with yourself. Put your time to good use by developing your thoughts into plans of action and then following through on those plans.

I think you'll start looking forward to this period as you start implementing your ideas and seeing improved marketing outcomes. If you want to get somewhere with your ideas, you need to put them into action, so even taking small steps today can help. Ready? Go!