Writing a Marketing Plan and why its so important!

Georgie K
Apr 20, 2023
3 min read

Here is my 11 Step Guide!

Who’s with me and one for all the ideas 💭 (I’m talking lots) some working some not…. But when it comes to getting all grown up and making an actual business plan! I’m one for knowing I should but always finding something slightly more exciting!! However…… she says! When in business having a proper business plan will have so many benefits to your success! As they say… Rome was not built in a day!! 🏛 So making a plan and timeline where you are and where you need to be. Will ensure you stay focused! Ensure you create goals! Will ensure your time is actually quantified and you’re not flitting from one idea to the next hoping something will work out and saying when this happens it will all be ok!! And having nothing to show for it! As starting a business, you can get carried away with all the exciting fluffy bits! that lead you to starting the idea in the first place. But I promise if you have and make a proper 5-year plan! This will ensure your business grows in the right direction or pull you up where you need to work on certain areas more than others and lots more including you’re paying yourself for your time, your products/service are meeting your consumer needs, your employing the right team and your constantly evaluating what you are doing ensuring you’re on the right track for a long a fruitful business!

So, get planning! And here’s how! Follow this 11-step guide and let me know how you get on!

(My advice is to answer each of these points for each year! If your clever and can use excel (I cannot! (Hence I delegate that to someone I know I can – maybe set yourself up a nice spread sheet to fill each section which will also keep you on tract and ensure your completing this very exciting (ok I am over exaggerating) well actually I take it back – it is exciting as this is not only ensuring you’re going to be working on your business in the best way possible it also will be a great tool projecting and manifesting your business goals! SO, get cracking!! (I’m a huge believer in manifesting and dream board creator) so if you’re struggling to think of this as an essential tool for you to grow your business – think of it a brilliant manifesting tool!

1. Write your overall goals for the next 5 years! 2. Write a detailed mission statement (this is statement that declares the purpose of your business) 3. SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) 4. Your goals 5. Business Metrics (sales, Net profit, Gross profit) sometimes this is known as KPI! For the wonderful people that create more jargon for us to keep up with (key performance indicator) 6. Target Audience - who’s your target market, or customer (check my blog post on website to help with this) 7. Industry Analysis - the industry you’re in have you research it? Is it in an area of growth or decline? Who are your competitors. 8. Marketing plan - what strategies are you going to use? Do you have a budget? Will your budget grow over time? Will you outsource? 9. Team members - who’s doing what? Will you employ? Is your goal to employ? 10. Financial projections - very important!!! As its all to easy to start a business and not see all your efforts actually pay off! Are you margins right? Are you quantifying your time? Are there areas money could be used or spent more effectively? 11. Conclusion. – I would conclude each year – where you want to be and what is the next years goals and are they aligning.