Set aside some time for strategic planning right now! And if your counter-argument is that there is no possible way for you to do it, then ask yourself: are you a strategic marketer or an occasional marketer? If you want to grow the business and achieve your professional goals, then you need to have a solid plan. Occasional success is simply not good enough!
Prioritize strategic planning
If you often find yourself choosing urgent over strategic, then this can be caused by your subconscious desire to procrastinate. Our brains are wired for easy and familiar, which is why taking care of the constant stream of emails and daily tasks is a simple fix and a way to experience immediate ‘success’. But instead of always reacting and putting out fires, wouldn’t it be better to work proactively? To focus on creating value and to purposefully work towards achieving your goals?
While it may seem ‘impossible’ at first, then doing so will bring about your development as a professional, as well as a true sense of accomplishment! Be the leader of your time, work and life by finding time to focus on things that matter the most in the long run! This means that you need to learn how to plan, and just as importantly, how to implement your plan!
If you struggle with the concept of planning and have more of a go-with-the-flow type of personality, then massive spreadsheets and Gantt charts may seem rather frightening than helpful to you. That is why we have made your life so much easier by building a simple 12-month Marketing Plan template. It is a fool-proof, fully customizable plan with pre-built categories to ensure you won’t forget anything important. Read from our previous blog post what a marketing plan should consist of, and watch the video tutorial on using the template down below!
Remember, a good marketing plan is concise, timed, measurable and actionable. It should act as a guide for you at the beginning of each year, month and week, when you have to choose where to put your effort and energy. Marketing plan is a source of valuable information for you and the entire team, as it highlights the priorities of your business and enables you to turn the cost of marketing into a well-planned investment!
Watch the video tutorial on how to use the 12-month Marketing Plan template.
PS! If you're looking for a framework to build your marketing strategy and a comprehensive template for your marketing plan and budget, then check out our Strategy Building Tool & 12 Month Marketing Plan.
