Creating a Marketing Plan

Methodology

The methodology I use to create marketing plans is detailed in my book The Marketing Plan Handbook (Entrepreneur Press, 2010).

The basic steps include:

• Writing a vision statement.
• Creating a unique selling proposition.
• Finding your niche.
• Profiling your ideal customer.
• Calculating lifetime customer value.
• Analyzing the competition.
• Building out a product line.
• Assessing your marketing tactics.
• Integrating online and offline promotion.
• Using analytics to measure key performance metrics.
• Writing the formal marketing plan.
• Implementing the plan.
• Reviewing and troubleshooting the plan.

Formal Marketing Plans

The most detailed and expensive planning process is to retain me to create a formal marketing plan for your business, following the outline and methods used in The Marketing Plan Handbook.

The least expensive option is to buy the book (it’s less than $20) and do the plan yourself following my methods and guidelines.

Marketing Recommendations

A more affordable option is to eschew a formal plan and have me make informal marketing recommendations – ideas on how to promote your product and increase sales, presented in writing.

Marketing Audit

Another affordable option, the marketing audit is a review of your current marketing programs with a critique and recommendations for improvement.

The Next Step

If you seek help in planning your marketing, call Bob Bly at 973-263-0562 or e-mail rwbly@bly.com