How to make a marketing plan
Posted: Sun Jan 05, 2025 6:50 am
If you dream of becoming an entrepreneur, are an entrepreneur or work in a company, you have certainly heard that the product, logistics, administration and other operational areas are only part of the story, because after all, without customers the company cannot open its doors. Therefore, a good marketing plan is essential to keep the gears turning.
After a good Google search, you must have found many articles, studies and information about marketing plans, so here we will summarize the essentials and indicate some sources to help you do well with your plan.
The whole thing starts by understanding that marketing, with that ing at the end, literally means “marketing” ( market + ing ), that is, it is in the gerund, which means continuous. Marketing thinking, analysis and actions cannot stop. And the marketing mix, despite thousands of books and supplements, still revolves around the famous quartet of:
– Product: the better the design in relation to the client’s needs, the less effort will be required from other areas;
– Price : there is a strategy behind each price. If it is too high, your brand can either be perceived as premium , the best, or as a meaningless price and be forgotten. If it is too low, people may think that your product is of no quality. That is why you need to understand your competitors’ prices and think very carefully about where you will position yours so that your clients buy from you and still perceive you the way you want;
– Place: in addition to being essential in relation to your target audience, your point of sale or area of operation also helps to position you. A well-valued location increases brand chile phone number data perception, while a popular place increases customer flow but reduces margin. This is where the strategy comes in so that your location does not harm your sales;
– Promotion: communication, advertising, promotions themselves. Without reaching your audience, how will they know what you sell, its benefits, advantages over the competition? Therefore, communicating your business is essential and the master tip is: digital, video and mobile.
And to correctly define each of these points, a good plan helps you get each strategy right or at least make fewer mistakes to make your business take off. We have separated 5 golden paths to start making your plan:
1. Know your marketing environment
With a cool head and without letting your company pride speak louder, write:
– What are your weaknesses? This is what concerns your company, from the inside, without looking at external factors. Be honest!
– What are your strengths: here, keep your feet on the ground, this also concerns only your company or your skills, not the external environment yet, we’ll get there.
– What are your threats: this part concerns everything that comes from outside, such as a Chinese competitor with lower prices, a new technology arriving that you don’t yet master, a tax that the government is about to approve.
– What are the opportunities: now, yes, these are external opportunities, for example, a new demand that is emerging for 'courses on how to use a smartphone ' with the increase in cell phone sales, the increase in demand for cheap health clinics (Dr.Consulta) due to the bankruptcy of the public health system, among thousands of others.
2. Know your competitors
Competitors are companies that compete in the same market as you, even if they don't have the same products. Netflix, for example, is a competitor of Cinemark even though it is not a movie theater.
Therefore, it is worth taking a good look at everything your competitors are doing, their prices, the differences between their products, the locations they are operating in, the channels they are using to communicate.
This doesn't mean you should do the same, but it's a good starting point to improve your products, prices, locations, and communication to differentiate yourself.
After a good Google search, you must have found many articles, studies and information about marketing plans, so here we will summarize the essentials and indicate some sources to help you do well with your plan.
The whole thing starts by understanding that marketing, with that ing at the end, literally means “marketing” ( market + ing ), that is, it is in the gerund, which means continuous. Marketing thinking, analysis and actions cannot stop. And the marketing mix, despite thousands of books and supplements, still revolves around the famous quartet of:
– Product: the better the design in relation to the client’s needs, the less effort will be required from other areas;
– Price : there is a strategy behind each price. If it is too high, your brand can either be perceived as premium , the best, or as a meaningless price and be forgotten. If it is too low, people may think that your product is of no quality. That is why you need to understand your competitors’ prices and think very carefully about where you will position yours so that your clients buy from you and still perceive you the way you want;
– Place: in addition to being essential in relation to your target audience, your point of sale or area of operation also helps to position you. A well-valued location increases brand chile phone number data perception, while a popular place increases customer flow but reduces margin. This is where the strategy comes in so that your location does not harm your sales;
– Promotion: communication, advertising, promotions themselves. Without reaching your audience, how will they know what you sell, its benefits, advantages over the competition? Therefore, communicating your business is essential and the master tip is: digital, video and mobile.
And to correctly define each of these points, a good plan helps you get each strategy right or at least make fewer mistakes to make your business take off. We have separated 5 golden paths to start making your plan:
1. Know your marketing environment
With a cool head and without letting your company pride speak louder, write:
– What are your weaknesses? This is what concerns your company, from the inside, without looking at external factors. Be honest!
– What are your strengths: here, keep your feet on the ground, this also concerns only your company or your skills, not the external environment yet, we’ll get there.
– What are your threats: this part concerns everything that comes from outside, such as a Chinese competitor with lower prices, a new technology arriving that you don’t yet master, a tax that the government is about to approve.
– What are the opportunities: now, yes, these are external opportunities, for example, a new demand that is emerging for 'courses on how to use a smartphone ' with the increase in cell phone sales, the increase in demand for cheap health clinics (Dr.Consulta) due to the bankruptcy of the public health system, among thousands of others.
2. Know your competitors
Competitors are companies that compete in the same market as you, even if they don't have the same products. Netflix, for example, is a competitor of Cinemark even though it is not a movie theater.
Therefore, it is worth taking a good look at everything your competitors are doing, their prices, the differences between their products, the locations they are operating in, the channels they are using to communicate.
This doesn't mean you should do the same, but it's a good starting point to improve your products, prices, locations, and communication to differentiate yourself.