How to define your marketing plan.

The Marketing Plan item is an early part of the financial planning process, and a thorough analysis should be done to develop a plan for how the money will be raised, how much will be raised, who the target market is, what advertising strategy is best for that market, and how long the desired campaign or program will last. A comprehensive marketing plan formulates clear objectives to formulate strategic marketing schemes. The plan can also involve developing expectations regarding social media marketing and other innovative modern tools to give your company a competitive edge over rivals.

Additional Categories

As a business owner, you need to consider other categories in your financial planning and budgeting. These categories include income, payroll, sales, and expenses. The process includes assessing the market situation, the necessary funds, and financial resources. Marketing and sales goals are also taken into account while qualifying their contribution to the revenue and profit objectives of the business.

Assigning Value to Marketing Plan Elements

If an organization is serious about its marketing plan, it must determine how much each element should be worth and how much each element will cost. The process for assigning value can include determining what each element contributes to revenue or profit growth. For example, the value of a customer acquisition campaign will play an important role in determining its cost. The same is true for other elements such as advertising and public relations.

The marketing plan will also define the goals and objectives of each element. The elements include acquiring and retaining clients, the generation of leads, sales, referrals, and other contacts with clients. Each element will have a defined timeline that includes when it begins, when it should be implemented, how long it remains in place, after which an evaluation will be made to determine if its goals have been met.

Marketing Strategy

The marketing strategy provides an overview of the marketing plan by explaining how it all fits together. The section may also address what you hope to achieve and your expectations for the future. It will describe your overall management philosophy and how you intend to approach strategic management issues like pricing decisions and new product development.