A marketing plan will help you decide when and how you want to be promoting your products and services. There are various different avenues through which products and services are advertised in today’s world, which means that it is more important than ever to have a plan.

This will require time, research and commitment, but will be very beneficial for your business as you’ll be able to stay on top of your promotions.

• Establish who your target audience is and how your product or service is useful to them
• Identify who your competitors are and what gives your business a competitive edge. You should also identify your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.
• Determine your brand image before you plan your marketing campaign. How do you want your brand to be perceived by your audience? Social media has created different ways you can advertise your brand – it can be a lot more casual and friendly.
• Set specific goals that you can measure over the course of your campaign. Take into account all of your strategies and what you expect to achieve from them.
• Map out an exact strategy that you will be adopting to reach your audience. You need to be specific when you create your plan. Include posts and updates, social media channels and the tools you will use to create them.

With a marketing plan, the more specific you are the better!