Create Your Marketing Plan for 2025

Creating a Marketing Plan for Your Business

As we make our way through the last quarter of 2024 with the flurry of activity around the holidays, it’s important to make time to create your marketing plan for 2025. The spreadsheet here will help you balance the cost of various marketing efforts with their reach. Considering the three characteristics of each marketing activity will help direct your thinking about how much and where to allocate your dollars. Plan initiatives throughout the year to touch each target audience regularly.

DOWNLOAD THE SPREADSHEET

Column 1: Marketing Activity – see below for more detailed suggestions for each category.

Column 2: Marketing Objective – here you would include goals such as:

Raise Awareness.
Raise Search Engine Ranking.
Establish your company as an authority in your field.

Column 3: Target Audience – you may have more than one. One may be your direct customer. Another might be a someone who can function as a referral partner. Consider existing customers as much of a target as potential customers. Forbes says,

A significant factor in the difference in cost is that consumers tend to buy from brands they trust. This is why it takes a lot more effort to convert a new customer than to hold a loyal one.

Column 4: Measurement Method – Forbes also published an article about measuring the success of your marketing campaigns. Methods might include:

Reports generated from digital marketing (e.g., Google Analytics, Constant Contact reports, etc.)
Anecdotes from salespeople (referrals, etc.)
Records kept by whomever answers the phone and asks, “How did you find us?”

Leads – This column is at the right side of the spreadsheet but in many ways it’s the most important. The number and quality of leads you receive by any given marketing activity will tell you what’s paying off and what’s not. Take time to look at your Marketing Plan each month to record results.

Here are suggestions of the type of information to fill in for each category. Every business is different. Be creative. What will surprise your audience and make you memorable?

Advertising (print and digital)

Claim your profile in online directories such as Yellow Pages, Yelp, etc. Fill these with correct information and key words that a customer might use to find your business.
Building signage.
Ads in print or digital communications to which your target audience subscribes.

Prepare a Press Kit.
Pitch a story to local news outlets.
Put out Press Releases when significant events happen in your company.

Direct Marketing (print)

Postcard Mailing.

Direct E-Marketing

E-mail Newsletter to a general list or to segmented lists based on audience interest.

Events

Put on a general customer event or smaller events for specific target audiences.

Amenities

Promotional items related to your business (pens, pads, stress balls, tote bags, etc.). This is a good place to use humor.

Internet Marketing / Website

Keep information on the website fresh. Post Press Releases here. Write a blog. Make company announcements.
Create sections of your website for specific target audiences.
On-page Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Paid Search (Google AdWords, Facebook Advertising, LinkedIn Advertising).
Post on social media regularly.
Create a Google Business profile.

Proposals & Presentations

For professional services firms, investing in graphics for presentations and proposals will help your company stand out from the crowd.

Sponsorships

Choose organizations where your target audience will be present to see your logo.
If appropriate ask to say a few words about your company.

Trade Shows

Before: Be sure to make your target audience aware that you will be at the show. Plan how you will follow up with the people you meet.

During: Collect contact information of people who stop by your booth.

After: MOST IMPORTANT – Follow up.

Miscellaneous

Marketing training or classes
Marketing software and upgrades
Professional association dues

Once you have filled in the marketing activities and associated costs, review the sheet weekly to record leads and make sure you are actually executing your plan. Feel free to revise during the year if you find something you planned is not working well.

By Lynn Amos,

President and Creative Director, Fyne Lyne Ventures

Contact Lynn:

lynn@fynelyne.com