Being a marketing agency, you might think our own marketing efforts happen like clockwork, or second nature.  

Let me tell you a little secret. We have to constantly plan, adjust and shift our own marketing plans, just like we do for our clients. As a customer-focused business, we know our marketing efforts have to grow and evolve to keep up with the changing media and marketing landscape. 

So would you believe that Approach Marketing follows the same annual planning process that we conduct with clients?  

Like many of you, we’re knee-deep into marketing planning for 2020 and we understand the weight – and importance – of this practice. We recently published a post on fresh ideas for next year to inspire preliminary thinking. Here, we’re encouraging you to take a step back. Before building a plan, what should a business do to make the most of the process? 

In this post, we’re pulling back the curtain to share how we organize internally and with our clients this time of year.  

Gather the right input  
Establish a small and trusted team to participate in the planning process. It’s natural to want to include as many stakeholders as possible or potentially go it alone, but it’s most efficient to hand-select individuals who are involved in the business operations that play a direct role in the company’s measurable success. For example, we include the heads of sales, recruitment/talent, account service and marketing to ensure we’re addressing specific needs.  

Audit the past year  
Take time to assess all that was done (or not) over the past year. Roll all the way back to January to cover everything. Here are some questions to ask. Be as honest and critical as you can!  

• Did we set and follow a/the plan?

• What went well? Use data to guide a response here  

• What didn’t go as planned? Data can also work for this question  

• What feedback did we receive from key stakeholders and customers along the way? Who did it come from? Look for any themes  

• How did the industry evolve over the past year?  

• How did the competition get ahead? In what ways did we outpace competition? Are we (still) evaluating ourselves against the right competitors? 

• Are we following our business focus and honed in on our true expertise?  

• Are there recurring expenses or investments that are critical to success or no longer proving useful (e.g. subscriptions or digital tools)? Revisit contract and expiration dates 

• What do we need in order to reach the next level? This could include talent, physical space, expertise in a new practice area, etc.  

Jot down responses and sit with them for a couple of days to be sure you’ve captured everything.  

Evolve where you need to  
The only way to grow is to set the bar higher and pose new challenges. Give your team and company permission to let go of strategies and tactics that are no longer contributing to the bottom line, or that are taking up too many valuable resources (time, people, money, etc.). It’s easy to fall into auto-pilot mode and repeat the same programming that has been in place for years. However, a marketing plan is best served when each element is scrutinized for impact and value. This step also affords the opportunity to explore alternative options for limited resources.  

Get curious – but do your research  
As part of the evolution, it’s natural to bring up ideas that follow today’s trends. Put those on the table and then assess if they make strategic sense for your business. In reviewing answers to the audit and in considering future goals, are these new tactics truly appropriate for your audience? It’s also perfectly acceptable to shift resources into an existing area of the plan where you’d like to grow and have experienced success.  

Create a timeline  
Like Rome, marketing plans are not built in a day. Establish a timeline so you keep things on track. We generally advise for planning to occur over the course of a month – at least. The timeline should include a period for research, key deadlines and meeting dates, writing, review, and final edits. Reserve important dates in advance. Accountability is key here; protect these dates and deadlines.  

Pull in help  
The planful marketer in me is always surprised by how many calls for help we receive from potential clients one or two weeks out from “go time.” It’s ok! We’re used to it. More time is always better, but reaching out for guidance at all is the most important part. We traditionally collaborate with clients to build out an annual plan (January - December or in timing with their fiscal year). But, this is flexible and we can begin any time of year. We have experience creating and handing off plans for a business to implement or we can come alongside you to partner on the activation.  

Would you like to learn more about how we create customized plans for businesses of all sizes? Contact us today at hello@approachmarketing.com for a consultation so that you’re ready to jumpstart the year ahead.