Proactive Planning: Your Ultimate Marketing Asset

Nothing beats the feeling of a plan coming together. I am a firm believer that, no matter what the project, you should take time to plan before you begin. Even when there is the pressure to produce NOW, taking that time to develop a solid plan will save time and give your project focus. 

I strongly believe that taking the time to do thorough market research and plan strategic marketing campaigns benefits a business tenfold. It's the foundation for understanding your audience, crafting messages that resonate, and ultimately achieving significant growth. 

1. Find the why. Why is this product or service important? What is its purpose? Knowing the why provides the whole team (even if it’s a team of one) with something to refer to if (when) the project gets rough or things go sideways.
2. Do your research. What has worked (and not worked) for others? Are there industry benchmarks for success? If you’re working on a new product or service, is there a true need for it?
3. Know your audience. Do you have one specific audience or multiple audiences? Who are they? What are their pain points? This will inform the message, goals and tools you use for the project.
4. Set project goals. Almost as important as the why, goals set clear expectations. They also serve as a compass for the project. Team members can use goals (along with the “why” from tip #1) to determine if tasks support the project (and make a course correction, if needed).
5. Determine your tactics. Whether it’s a webinar, press release or retargeted ad campaign, know which tactics are effective in supporting which goals. A clear connection between tactic and goal eliminates the possibility that time will be wasted on activities that do not support the project as a whole.
6. Outline your plan. With all of these things in place, you are now ready to outline your plan. Make sure to include as many specifics as possible for each task. This will help the team see how each piece works together to make the project a success.
7. Revisit your plan. Things change. Make sure to revisit your plan often to make sure it still serves the purpose of the project and its goals. Document any challenges you encounter (and the solutions) and make changes to the plan as needed.
8. Celebrate successes. OK, so this is not technically part of creating a communications project plan. However, I feel it’s important for me to mention celebrating successes. Whether it's overcoming a challenge, reaching a project milestone, or achieving a project goal, celebrating successes throughout your project (not just at the end) will boost team morale, create a culture of teamwork, and help you achieve even greater success in the future.

I’d love to hear about your planning process. How do you make time to plan? What works for you?