Posted By Amanda Collins on August 9, 2011

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Remember when your mom made spaghetti for dinner, and to test if it was done, she’d throw it at the wall to see if it would stick? If it stuck, it was done and ready to be served. These days, it seems like many companies are using the same strategy when it comes to their marketing initiatives: they just keep throwing things at the wall to see what sticks.

If you have an unlimited budget and just want to spend money like it’s water, you can stop reading now. However, if you’re like most of us and you need to watch every penny you spend and track ROI, read on.

Strategy should drive everything you do. While there will inevitably be some things you’ll hope will work and you’ll try them to see, be sure you have some kind of strategy before you move forward. That should start with knowing your target market. So many times, I speak with clients who have no idea who their target market is—and then they can’t understand why they don’t get a return on their efforts. Once you know your target, figure out where they are. If you’re looking for office fronts in a small town, social media won’t reach them. However, if you want to reach small-business owners, blogs and Twitter can be great outlets.

Then figure out what you’ll do first, second, third, and so on. How many “touches” do your clients need? What kind of drip system will you build? Will you only use social media or will you incorporate phone calls, mailings, and newsletters as well? What’s your budget for this endeavor? What is your ultimate goal? As you can see, there are many questions you need to ask yourself before you build your plan…and you need a plan before you start your efforts.

If you’re not quite sure how to create your own marketing-communications plan, we can help. Contact us to set up a strategy session. You don’t know what you don’t know—and without that strategy, you might only end up with a bowl of pasta.

Category: Business Development
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