Why a marketing plan is key to success + template
You have launched a product or service. But you get few (if any) customers. It's either because your startup needs to solve an even bigger problem OR because too few potential customers know about it.
With a good marketing plan, you can solve the latter issue. Without it, even the best ideas may go unnoticed.
So what's a marketing plan?
It's a document that answers a couple of questions:
- Who will we market to? Our Buyer Persona.
- Where will we focus our marketing efforts? Social Media, Forums, Email Lists, etc.?
- What will we do for marketing? Paid ads? Content Marketing? Guerilla? Video? Articles?
- How will we acquire customers? What will we do to get their attention? Then what?
Plus, more details such as what marketing tech stack we need, what messages we can use, our unique selling points (aka value proposition), etc.
Do I REALLY need a marketing plan?
As with preparations in general, it sets you up for two things: Saving time and being successful.
- You will save time with a marketing plan because it will be crystal clear what you will focus on.
- When you have tested all your ideas, you will either have a startup with traction or the opportunity to work on something new. Alas, shutting down.
- A good marketing plan will get your product/service in front of your desired audience.
How do I get started?
Download our free marketing template here with real-life examples you can look at. Make a copy and make it yours!
Takeaways
- A marketing plan will help get your product or service in front of your desired audience.
- It will tell you where to focus your efforts, thus saving time.
- It could help you realize when it's time to move on, which is not the case!
Are you in the habit of creating marketing plans when launching a new product/service?
