Marketing Road Map Week 6
At last we’ve reached the last section in creating a Marketing Road Map for your business for the year ahead.
So far you have defined where you are now (Week 1 – Position) , where you want to go (Week 2 – Destination), your Unique Selling Point/Core Brand Message (Week 3 – Vehicle), your core Strategy, Product and Platform (Week 4 – Equip) and finally last week your campaigns and social media, email and content plans (Week 5 – Route).
Now it’s time to get really practical into how you are going to get all of this done! This is all about the two main factors time & money.
In the final section of the Marketing Road Map Template, you will see a schedule and budget sheet to round out this process. Sign up here if you haven’t already been getting the Marketing Road Map Template and I’ll send out the whole Google Document.
So let’s get to it!
EXERCISE 1: SCHEDULE
The schedule comes in two parts. Firstly, list out the marketing tasks you need to do “almost” daily such as replying to comments or enquiries, then “weekly” such as social media scheduling & a blog post and finally “monthly” such as sending out an email and reviewing your progress.
All of this should have come out in the previous section on planning for social media, content & email but you might add a few extra general things in like the reporting and networking. Now this list is all in one place for you to refer to.
The next step is to schedule out the major projects and campaigns for the year. In this weeks downloads I’ve also given you an annual planner to print out and play around with to figure out what is the best plan of attack.
Firstly, scheduling in the “must do” projects right at the beginning, like updating your website or product creation.
Then look at the campaigns you have planned, do some need to line up with special dates through the year (such as a change in season or celebratory holidays)? Put those ones in.
Finally, fill in the blanks with any remaining campaigns. Remembering to allow time for the 3 phases of a campaign: Setup, In Progress and Review. Things will always take more time than you expect so give yourself some buffer room!
Once you’ve that all that mapped out (it may take a few attempts) transfer it to the Marketing Road Map Template. I’ve offered two choices either Monthly or Quarterly (feel free to delete the one you don’t choose).
Now step back and look at it. Is this truly realistic for you? How many hours a week or a month can you dedicate to this planning? Make sure it will fit! If not, you might need to do some prioritising.
EXERCISE 2: BUDGET
Even if you are trying to do the marketing as cheaply as possible there are still some costs involved so it is good to map these out in one go so you can effectively make decisions on where it is best you spend your money.
First up, list out the overheads you have for your marketing. This includes your website hosting and domain registration and ongoing monthly subscription fees such as for email marketing, stock photos or social media scheduling tools.
Next, list out the amount of money you would like to dedicate to each campaign or project you have throughout the year. This is over and above the previous amount.
Finally, list out any ancillaries or extras such as graphics design, printing business cards, self-education and equipment. Then add it all up!
Again, do a self-check is this a realistic amount for you? How much would you need to “sell” to make this amount worthwhile?
You might find you don’t need to spend much (Check out my blog post on 54 Ways to Promote your Business for Free and another one on Free Resources/Tools coming out on Thursday). Regardless it’s still good to plan for some spending.
As with anything, this might change. You might start with only a very small facebook advertising budget but if it gives you a great return on investment, paying for itself many times over, it will obviously be worth investing more at the time.
Flexibility and adaption are the key to your Marketing Road Maps success so it is essential that you arrange pit stops throughout the year to check your progress and make any necessary changes in direction.
EXERCISE 3: MOTIVATION
The above concludes the Marketing Road Map Template but I’d like to add one more section to the side notes before we conclude.
As with anything business and planning, everything is so exciting at the beginning and motivation is easy to find. But as the year goes on or when things don’t go exactly to plan it is easy to slide into self doubt and procrastination.
So while you are inspired, list out some ideas and practices that will likely motivate you in these times. Then you can refer to the list through the year.
Examples include: Listen to a Business Podcast or Read an Inspiring Book. Take an “intentional” break or arrange to speak with someone who inspires you.
It can also be useful to write out some reasons why are doing this business. Keep this handy in the times you need reminding!
So that’s it… you are at the end of the challenge!! Well done! Now let the Road Trip begin…. Good luck!!!
