By Published On: December 22, 2018

Planning is an essential part of almost everything. Without a plan, we’re all just aimlessly going about our various business’ (likely for a very short period of time). You wouldn’t build a house without blueprints, and you wouldn’t begin driving somewhere without some sort of an idea on where you want to go, right? The same goes for marketing. A plan can give a team focus and will provide a guide for your efforts (and budget).

Take a typical day for instance. A short (or long) checklist of your “to-dos” is a great way to plan your day. Even if you have some unforeseen curveballs happen along the way, you can get back on track relatively easily by looking at the list you made. One tip that I’ve found helpful is getting that list together before you leave for the day (rather than at the beginning). That way, you’re still in work-mode when you’re writing it.

Of course, we have more complicated plans that need to be hashed out as marketers as well. We have to plan on making plans! Consider how you want to initially approach your prospect/customer. Have you thought about how you want to follow up with that initial message? Has the customer journey been considered? When a customer purchases something from you, do you believe it’s the end of your relationship (hopefully not!). A good marketing plan should think of first, second, and even third points of contact. In addition to that, think about how those points of contact could be broken, and what to do about it if that happens. Interactions in today’s business climate are rarely from point-A to point-B. You need to consider that there will be a point-a1 or point-a2 as well.

Working on a marketing plan without support can be a daunting task. But that daunting task can help set you apart from your competitors and will alleviate stress in the long run (at least some of the stress). It is worth looking into having a third-party help you evaluate your current strategy and plan a future one. One of the many advantages of having third-party help is that they may find something that would be missed internally. You can also lean on your third-party support as much (or as little) as you like.

At d.trio marketing group, we have found that more and more of our clients are planning further ahead and we are thrilled to be helping them in those endeavors. If you’re reading this blog, and still trying to work out a plan of your own, maybe the first step is to put “contact d.trio” on that daily checklist.

About the Author: Tim Swenson

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