2017 Marketing Plan: Create A Plan That Works for You in Just 5 Simple Steps

Is creating your 2017 marketing plan for your business still on your list? As coaches, consultants, and speakers, we vow we’ll take time to do this between Christmas and New Years, when the pace is a bit slower and we actually have some time to think. That time slipped right past me, as it  may have for you too. So where do we start with laying out our 2017 marketing plan so this year yields greater results and more success than last year?

Here are 5 simple steps for creating a plan that really works, even if planning is not our favorite thing to do!

  1. Review and assess what happened in your business in 2016. If you created a plan (an annual plan, quarterly plans, or monthly plans) in 2016, review it closely. Honestly assess the results, both the good and the not so good. If you didn’t have a formal plan, go through your calendar and look at the key activities. What really worked to bring in clients and business? If you are like me, you also learned some lessons the hard way. Some things just flat out didn’t work. Learn from those experiences. Stop doing the things that did not work last year and do much more of the things that did work!
  2. Define the results you want this year. Those results can be tied to revenue, number of clients, expansion of your reach, more time off, or anything else you truly want. When we clarify our goals and what we want, the path for how to create those results becomes clearer.
  3. Brainstorm the strategies required to create those results. Write down all your ideas for each of the strategies. For example, you want a bigger audience to offer your programs, products, or services. One way to do that is to build your email list. If one of your goals is to increase your list by 1000 in the next 6 months, what are some ways you can offer your free gift or lead magnet to grow your list? Where can you speak in front of groups to offer the free gift? How can you offer that to your followers on social media? Another way is to do more networking where your ideal clients and best referral partners gather when you can offer your free gift in conversations or follow up.
  4. Create your marketing calendar. First add all your personal priorities (vacations, time away, etc.) and business commitments that are already set (events, conferences, speaking events, etc.). Personal and family time is critical to your success. Then decide what you will be promoting and offering your clients and audience and when. For example you might focus in January and February on securing a set number of new private clients. Then in March you could start promoting a new group program that starts in April or May.  Planning out those promotions in advance and allowing sufficient time to create materials and promote will allow you to focus on what is most important now. Once your key activities are on the calendar, you can focus on the priorities right now (not be wondering “what should I be working on right now?”). This will prevent you from being distracted by bright shiny objects or what is coming up next month. Laying this all out for the full year (allowing for many things that will come up along the way) frees us up to truly focus on making the difference we are here to make and not waste time, energy, and effort.
  5. Put this all into action! A plan is just a calendar or sheets of paper if it is not implemented. Track results and progress. If growing your email list by 1000 in the next 6 months is a goal, what actually happened in the first month? What do you need to tweak or change to make next month’s numbers and results different? Set aside time the end of June to assess the first half of the year and your results. There is time to course correct and revise the plan as needed.

For all those who literally resist (or even hate) planning, just get started! Taking that first step to start creating your 2017 marketing plan will create the momentum to get it done.

Need some help with this? Just click here to set up a time for us to hop on the phone and discuss ways to put together a marketing plan that truly works for you.