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How to choose the right marketing activities and make an annual marketing plan
Careful strategic planning and knowledge of the target groups are the basis for the selection of marketing measures and the preparation of the annual plan.
Check if your strategy is up to date
Even a small company should do continuous strategy work and take stock of its competitive field and current situation often enough to plan carefully where it is heading in the future. To do this, it is a good idea to conduct regular target group research and data monitoring to find out which customers are interested in the products, services or information your organisation offers.
Heilimo Creative will help you develop a marketing strategy for your company and draw up guidelines, making it easier to choose the most appropriate and effective ways to use different marketing measures in relation to your marketing budget. Together, we can also ensure that the basics, such as search engine optimisation of your website, are in place and that your site can be found organically.
Read also tips on how to prepare a marketing plan in our article.
Different companies and different marketing channels
Do you provide local services, run an online shop or are you a consultant in your field? Different environments and businesses benefit most from slightly different marketing channels and activities. The key is to know where your customers are looking for your services. Different channels also have a slightly different approach, and it's a good idea to think about what your company's communication style, or tone of voice, might look and sound like when adapted to each marketing channel.
It is also essential to consider whether your customer is most likely to have an existing need to buy, i.e. whether they are already looking for the products or services you offer with their pants on, or whether they can be triggered by a spontaneous presentation in the right channel. The choice of marketing channel is highly dependent on your customer's purchasing needs mechanism and the issues that are most likely to lead to a purchase decision in your particular industry.
The existing marketing budget should of course be divided between the selected marketing channels. The selection and budgeting will be based on the available information on which measures will best deliver measurable results for the marketing budget.
It should also be remembered that the age and reputation of the company will influence how much of the marketing budget is spent on general brand awareness and how much is spent on direct advertising. Often, strengthening a brand can bring more loyal customers and better sales results in the longer term, even if it requires a higher initial investment and perseverance.
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How to make an annual marketing plan
The annual plan helpsto find the marketing thread. The annual plan records the key dates and events related to your company's business. The frequency and timing of publications in each channel is also considered, as well as outline and thematic campaign plans and other measures for each channel.
To help you draw up your annual plan, check the marketer's calendar for common national and international holidays and other themed days to get ideas for your campaign planning. The calendar can be ordered with our marketing guide using the form below.
When designing campaigns, it is worth giving the opportunity to test different marketing approaches and measure results. Also remember that it is good to leave room in the marketing plan for spontaneous ideas!
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