Do you have a strong marketing plan?
Do you have a strong marketing plan? Of course every business owner hopes their public relations efforts are sound, but unfortunately, many make costly errors and undermine their efforts. How can you make sure your digital strategy is as successful as possible? From thinking about the big picture to using marketing resources effectively, here are six mistakes to avoid at all costs:
- Not thinking about the big picture. As you created your marketing plan and digital strategy, did you think about what else was going on in the world? I think this article on PR Daily sums it up well: “Sometimes the planning process is too internally focused…its chances of success are greater when it’s informed by external insights—key trends, disruptors and specific industry changes that will affect the company over the long term. The best plans also start with a thorough brand communications audit that includes insights into customer, channel partner and employee perceptions of the business or its products.”
- Not setting realistic, measurable goals. Sometimes it’s your job to dream big. But other times it’s important to be a little more realistic in your expectations. As you sit down and create your marketing plan and digital strategy, think about what you want to achieve in the next 6 months to a year. How will you get there?
- Not writing it down. I’m sure you have a lot of great ideas floating around in your head, but it’s vital you actually write down your plan. In addition to keeping it from changing partway through the year, you’ll be able to share it with your staff so everyone can get and stay on the same page from month to month.
- Not giving it time. Public relations and marketing take time. Yes, there are examples of businesses that experience overnight success, but the reality is this isn’t the norm. Plan on your digital strategy taking some time and, no matter how great the temptation is, don’t change it up for at least 6 months. You need to make sure you give your efforts time to work before you evaluate how effective they are.
- Not using marketing resources regularly. There is a wealth of marketing resources available to small business owners and entrepreneurs thanks to the Internet. Carve out some time on a regular basis to read blogs, talk to other professionals and do everything you can to get the word out about your business. Feel free to outsource some (if not all) of your work to a public relations firm like Three Girls Media; a partnership with digital strategy experts can be one of the most valuable marketing resources out there.
- Not referring to it every day. Print out your marketing plan and put it somewhere you and your staff will see it regularly. This will serve as a valuable reminder to what your overall goals are, in addition to the steps you plan on taking to get there; it’s a great way to refocus yourself on a daily basis, too!
Are you guilty of any of these mistakes? What marketing resources have you relied on to get the word out about your business?
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