Small Business Blog

While there are many resources available on how to write a marketing plan, few of them offer practical, straightforward instructions. Some are too complex and off-putting, and others are simply too vague to be useful. Most small business owners and strategists are too short on time to decode lengthy explanations or figure out how to apply boilerplate formulas to their situations. What follows here is a step-by-step plan that will help you organize your ideas and information in the shortest amount of time possible. The information provided is designed specifically for small, emerging businesses and owners who are new to marketing plan development.

The caveat is this: the more effort you put into to analyzing the information that creates your marketing plan, the more useful it will be to you. Consider your plan a work-in-process, and be open to making adjustments as new information about your competitive situation becomes available.

Why make the effort?

Writing a marketing plan is not a quick and easy process. And it is something you can hire a professional to do for you. There are, however, benefits to getting involved in the process, even if you aren’t the one doing the writing. The process of compiling and organizing the data will help you understand your business landscape better. In many cases, it may prompt you to ask deeper questions about your competitors or to do additional consumer research. Plus, since small business owners wear many hats, it’s likely you will be responsible for implementing the plan you create.

If you do choose to hire a professional writer to work with you on the project, make your selection carefully. The professional you choose should be willing to work closely with you, direct you on what information is necessary, and explain in detail what assumptions have been made within the plan. Otherwise, you may end up with a nice looking document that fails to provide any useful information.