Many businesses don’t bother to put together a marketing plan, and many also tend to execute a nonexistent plan based on an annual schedule. If your marketing plan and execution are based on “we do this every November”, you’re not adequately meeting your own marketing needs – and likely losing profits.
So, coming up with a marketing plan is a great idea for your business – but where do you go from there? You may have an idea of what kind of marketing you want to execute throughout the year, but how do you actually make it happen?
What are the next steps to get your marketing materials out there?
Set Up a TimeTable
You probably have some ideas in your marketing plan that need to be executed at a certain time of year. A great marketing plan is also going to include a calendar that will help you figure out when to execute.
If you don’t have this calendar in place, it makes sense to develop a time table that will address major holidays and calendar events throughout the year that you’ll need to advertise around. This includes your November promotions, spring sales and anything else your dealership typically promotes.
In addition, you should also have deadlines in place for when you’ll need to send automotive direct mailers and other marketing materials off to print. Deadlines for promotional activities and communications are incredibly important to feature in your time table, as well as any major marketing decisions you’ll need to make throughout the year.
Get Your Staff on It
When your time table is set up, get your staff on board with execution. If you have more than one person on a job, a reliable, in-house CRM might help. Take a look at some popular CRMs like Highrise or Batchbook. There are also some free project management tools like Zoho you can use to get your staff on track.
Your staff will need to know who’s responsible for heading up certain promotional activities so they can know who to report to. Clearly designate the project manager, and make sure they lead and delegate tasks well.
When it comes to executing a marketing plan, there are several steps in place to make sure everyone’s on the same page. Sacrificing the details can ensure you have a hodgepodge of activities with no clear person in charge, so the sensible thing to do is eliminate these roadblocks early on.
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