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Your Strategic Marketing Plan: Setting the Course to Achieving Goals

March 19, 2016 by Richard Abels

Today, I’m delving into why it’s critical to have a strategic marketing plan in place before creating specific activities. After all, implementing a marketing communications program without having a strategic foundation in place is analogous to flying a plane (what we want to do) without knowing your destination (where we need to be) or filing a flight plan (the best way to get there).

Practically every time I speak with a business executive, at least one of the following challenges comes up in conversation – whether in the public, private, governmental or non-profit sectors:

  • Of all of our target audiences, which ones are most important? In what order? Why?
  • How do we align our messaging with the needs of each appropriate audience?
  • Which marketing tools effectively reach these audiences and will our efforts cut through the clutter?
  • Which of these tools are within our budget?
  • When a crisis occurs (and it will), are we ready to respond in a timely, fully-coordinated manner externally and internally?

We help ascertain these answers which essentially become your strategic foundation. Having a documented plan helps organizations reaffirm their most important priorities, synchronize their efforts across all activities and leverage the appropriate resources to best reach their goals.

So before you false-start with just tactics, ask yourself:

  1. What do we need to achieve (goals)
  2. Whom do we have to engage to reach these goals (audiences)
  3. In what order should we contact our audiences (prioritization)
  4. How do we help these audiences meet their needs (messaging)
  5. How can we reach these audiences while staying within budget (tactics)

When you start with a plan, there is now an agreed-upon “destination” and “flight plan”. By sticking to the plan, and adjusting it as needed, your organization remains focused on those marketing communications activities which provide the biggest bang for the buck to achieve your goals. After all, focusing on the first things first is always a good idea.

Why a “Rabbit” Should Be the First Step in Your Marketing Program

November 12, 2015 by Richard Abels

My Gramps always asked “Do you know how to make Rabbit stew? Step #1 – get a rabbit.” As a kid, I thought that was funny.

I quickly learned “rabbit” was a simile for “taking care of the most important thing first.” After all, Rabbit Stew without a rabbit is just…stew.

In business, “getting your rabbit” means creating a strategic marketing communications plan to prioritize audiences and identify points of differentiation in order to develop specific outreach materials.

However, many organizations market themselves without having such a plan. “Let’s try advertising, Maybe PR will work. What about social media? ”This shotgun approach is usually off-target because tactics without a plan is akin to having celery, carrots, onions, and broth but no rabbit…which is not Rabbit Stew.

Here are a few recommendations to start the planning process.

  • Prioritize all of your potential key audiences.
  • Identify your competitive advantages. What is your niche? Where do you shine?
  • Think like your audiences/stakeholders. What do they need to know about your business?
  • Decide which tactics are most important based on opportunity and/or risk.
  • Recognize the pitfalls which put the business at risk and be ready when things go awry.

In the end, your organization’s Rabbit Stew starts with the strategic plan (the rabbit) and then adds the tactics (other ingredients) to reach your goals. It all comes down to this:

  1. Plan your work (have a strategic road map)
  2. Address the most important needs of your target audiences (messaging)
  3. Work the plan (tactical implementation)
  4. Execute flawlessly and prepare for the unexpected (counsel)

So step #1, get your “rabbit” and you’ll be on your way to success!

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