Let's start with the definition of the concept

Successful promotion requires a strategic approach. The key tool that allows you to achieve your goals is a marketing plan. It is the one that determines how a business will position itself in the market, interact with the target audience and stand out from the competition. Today we will tell you how to write a marketing plan so that it brings the desired result.

So, what is a marketing plan? In simple terms, it is a map for your business. Imagine that you are going on a trip. You need to know how to get there, what to take with you, how much it will cost. A marketing plan is a step-by-step guide that describes how to achieve your business goals.

Why a Business Can’t Do Without a Marketing Plan

Any company interested in successful development needs one. Here are just a few reasons why it is worth developing a marketing plan:

Assessing the current situation. The plan helps to conduct a detailed analysis of your business, identify its strengths and weaknesses. This gives a clear understanding of what to focus on.
Setting future goals. Clearly defined objectives help you understand which direction to move in.
Action Guide: The plan provides step-by-step instructions on what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. It also describes the tools and resources needed to achieve your goals.
Time and money management. By breaking down the process into stages, you can more accurately estimate how much time and resources will be required to complete each task.
Strengthening competitive advantages. A marketing plan helps you find opportunities for growth.

We would also like to note that a company’s mobile game development marketing plan and strategy are not the same thing. It describes specific steps necessary to achieve the set goals. And strategy is a description of the general vector of development.

Pros and Cons of a Marketing Plan

Like any tool, a marketing development plan has its strengths and weaknesses. The main advantage is increasing the company’s income. It helps make the right decisions, as it allows you to see how various processes affect profits.

But there are some downsides. Creating awhen snbd host using quality plan takes time and money. For small companies with a limited budget, these costs can be significant, albeit short-term. You also need to understand that even the most thoughtful marketing plan does not guarantee success.

Types of Marketing Plans

They are classified according to three factors:

Goal. Each plan is aimed at achieving a specific task. This could be increasing sales, introducing new products to the market, a SMM development program, etc.
Timeframes. Given the diversity of budgets and business strategies, companies develop plans of varying duration: a short-term marketing plan is for a month, a medium-term plan is for a quarter, and a long-term plan is for a year or more.
Planning model. The chosen approach determines the structure of the plan, as well as the methods for achieving the set objectives.

Next, we will take a closer look at the most common types of marketing plans.

SOSTAC

This is a universal model that is usecomp usa cfo leted thed in different niches of small and large businesses. Its name is an abbreviation formed from the first letters of its constituent elements: Situation Analysis, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action, Control.

The structure of the marketing plan is as follows:

The first block is an assessment of the current situation. It describes the current state of the company: market opportunities, competitive advantages, target audience profile, effective channels for attracting it.
The second block is defining goals. It is important that they meet such criteria as specificity, measurability, feasibility and relevance. And also be limited in time.
The third block is strategy. It describes the path to achieving each goal.
The fourth block is the tactics of strategy implementation. This describes the tools that will be needed to achieve the desired result.
The fifth block is an action plan. It includes a detailed description of specific steps (for example, developing a lead magnet, building a sales funnel in social networks, etc.)
The sixth block includes key performance indicators, monitoring tools and distribution of responsibilities.

One Page Plan

The one-page company promotion plan covers three key stages of interaction with the client:

Attention-grabbing stage. This section focuses on defining the target audience, formulating a message for each segment of potential buyers, and choosing effective communication channels.
Conversion stage. This section describes how to generate leads and convert them into clients.
Retention stage. This block includes a description of ways to create a positive customer experience, increase the lifetime value of the customer, and a program for attracting new customers through existing ones.

This option is suitable for beginners. With its help, you can write down tasks step by step and gradually complete them. Here is one of the templates:

The shortest plan

This brand plan is a table with six columns and four rows and is suitable for simplified planning. The structure of the plan is designed to cover all the key aspects of the marketing strategy without overloading the user with unnecessary details. This format is especially suitable when quick decisions are required or when resources are limited.