Marketing Plans for 2010

Welcome back! I'm sure many of you have been like me and taking a little time off for the holidays. Now, it's time to get back into the swing of things. {Wow! That flew by, didn't it?}

I thought today would be a great day to talk about planning. As you know, there is a ton of planning that goes into running a business. The same is true for marketing. I've been working diligently on my marketing plan for 2010. {And, I must say, I'm pretty excited about it!} Have you?

If not, it's time to get started! First, you should start with an outline. What are your most important goals? Who do you want to reach? What do you want to accomplish? What type of budget do you have? Whether your business is brand new, or seasoned, a healthy marketing plan can help push you to the next level and/or help you maintain success.

After you have an outline, it's time to take it beyond brainstorming and flush out your ideas and plans. Here is an example of the marketing plan format I've used for the past couple of years.

1. Cover Page
2. Executive Summary:: Your company's mission statement and overall goal for 2010.
3. Previous Year Analysis:: What are you building on?
4. Target Market:: Who do you hope to reach out to?
5. Overall Goals:: What do you hope to accomplish?
6. Specific Goals/Initiatives:: This is how you plan to reach your overall goals. I set specific goals {by category} with a goal completion date and estimated cost for each.
7. Budget:: It always helps to see your marketing budget in black and white!
8. Conclusion/Summary:: A brief summary and notes on how you will track and measure success.

This may take you a page or two to accomplish, or it may be more detailed and take 10-15 pages. It all depends on your business size, age, budget and what you hope to accomplish this year. You, of course have the freedom to make adjustments and create a plan that works best for you and your business.

At a loss? Remember, Market Mommy can help! We offer low-cost consulation for mom business owners. Need a little help with one aspect of your plan? We'd be glad to help. Need a lot of help with your entire plan? We can do that too! Our hourly consultation fee starts at just $25. E-mail us, or click here for more information about the services we offer.

Happy 2010!