This post is a little long but I keep getting asked about it when I speak to audiences. 
I recently posted a new article on www.entrepreneur.com. In that article, I stated that there are two good times to do marketing planning. Yesterday and now. We have no control over yesterday but we do control, “now.” Many people will wait until the end of the year to plan marketing for the following year. Many will put it off until the actual next planning year starts. Regardless of your situation, your time to plan your marketing is right now. Here are the summary points to consider to get you on your way with your planning.
Marketing Planning Questions
1. What marketing worked well in 2008?
2. What marketing worked partially well in 2008?
3. What marketing did not work well or at all in 2008?
4. Are there any standout reasons for #3 above? #1 above?
5. Define current target market (s).
6. Did 2008 customers fit the current target market definition / goal?
7. What new markets will be targeted in 2009?
a. Geography?
b. Product oriented users / targets?
c. Income / demographics?
8. Revise target market definitions based on No. 7 above.
9. What are the current message components for the target markets?
a. Headlines
b. Benefits
c. Offers
d. Calls to action
e. Other
10. What message components need enhanced, concentrated and revised?
11. What new messaging will be used in 2009 marketing?
12. Based on message delivery and the markets targeted, what marketing vehicles will be used in 2009?
a. Repeat of 2008 marketing vehicles?
b. New marketing vehicles for 2009?
13. What would be the desired frequency of each vehicle / campaign?
14. Based on #12 above and frequency, what costs will be budgeted for 2009?
a. Per vehicle?
b. Per Target Market?
c. Per period of time?
15. Budget revision – after analyzing total costs and desired frequency, what will be the adjusted marketing vehicle use (ad size, designs, printing configurations, etc.)?
16. Given all of the above, lay out the marketing initiatives / marketing activity (X) on a timeline (Y) using a simple spread sheet.
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