Experts recommend businesses spend 7% to 8% of their total sales on marketing. Of course, it takes a strong marketing plan to get the most out of that investment.
If your current marketing strategy isn’t increasing sales, you can make a few simple changes to improve it. Remember that it takes a lot of trial and error to lock down the perfect business strategy.
The following guide will cover the importance of marketing tactics and give business tips to help strengthen your plan.
Setting Goals
Business plans help companies set clear goals that they can measure over time. Without a clear goal in your plan, you won’t know which marketing efforts are working and which ones aren’t.
When you work towards a defined goal, you’ll see improved sales and better efficiency throughout the year. Check your current plan, ensure it’s working toward a specific target, and create one if you can’t find one.
Improved Consistency
Small and large teams must stay on the same page for a business to thrive. Every team member, from top to bottom, must have the same instructions on what to do each day.
You’ll have a splintered and counterproductive plan if you have a weak or vague marketing strategy. Consider holding a meeting to make sure that everyone in your company understands your plan and goals.
Some employees might work in social media or email marketing. Their efforts and branding must match those working in print and radio ads. Account-based marketing, as explained in this blog from Adobe Experience Cloud, can help link them together.
Staying On Budget
Even large, established businesses must stick to a set budget. Marketing plans help prioritize certain activities over others to get optimal results.
Without a strong plan, you might spend time and money in areas that aren’t worth it. Most startups can’t afford to waste any money on poor strategies if they want to survive.
Improved Customer Service
A good marketing plan can also help improve your relationship with customers. It helps define a target customer so that you can give them the most relevant information and help possible.
You can’t build trust if you don’t have a plan that defines who your customers are. Make sure you have a target audience defined in your plan to retain customers and improve sales.
Set Milestones
Most businesses tend to have more than one goal, but it can get complicated quickly without a good plan. A plan sets milestones and lets management know if they’re on track to meet marketing targets.
Plans help align strategies and minor goals so that they stay on track and work towards your main goal. They help businesses keep their expectations realistic and recognize steady progress.
Update Your Marketing Plan
So, does your current marketing plan accomplish the examples mentioned in this guide? Remember these tips and update your plan to stay consistent, follow your budget, track goals, and improve customer relationships.
Look at our business section under the “life advice” tab for more helpful tips.
