Marketing is essential to the success of any business. The main task of marketing is to decide which customers to target with the company’s services or products. Marketing also helps you decide how to reach your customers.
Marketing planning is the key to the success of your communication strategy, whatever your field of activity. It provides you with a coherent plan to follow in order to increase your sales and, by extension, your turnover. In this article, you’ll find out all about marketing planning and the elements you need to take into account to make it a success.
External analysis for successful marketing planning
The first step in marketing planning is to carry out an analysis of the company’s external environment. To do this, you’ll need to take several environments into account:
- Policy: this refers to the various decisions that have an impact on taxation, as well as the different forms of state aid available to companies.
- Economic: interest rates, exchange rates, minimum wage, etc. will have to be taken into account.
- Social: this involves taking into account the different habits of consumers, as well as the various changes in their lifestyles.
- Technological: we’re talking about the various new techniques used in production, for example, in the field in which your company operates, or new innovations such as improving customer service by setting up a chatbot.
- Ecological: don’t forget to take into account the various ecological and sustainable development measures.
- Legal: this refers to the various laws that govern your sector of activity as a company.
In addition to all this, it’s vital to analyze your competitive environment. What is your marketing positioning in relation to competitors, for example, your market share, consumer opinion, etc.? Don’t forget to carry out a complete study of your reputation and e-reputation.
Marketing planning with SWOT analysis
SWOT analysis refers to the analysis of internal strengths and weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats. First of all, strength analysis refers to the study of your strong points, which can be great expertise in the field, dedicated employees, large market shares, etc. Note what really sets you apart from the competition. Note what really sets you apart from the competition.
Weaknesses are, on the contrary, what you need to improve. They can be insufficient advertising communication, delays in implementing new tools (crm, livechat, chatbot, etc.), too frequent employee turnover (high resignation or abandonment rates), etc.
Opportunities and threats are external factors over which you have no control, but you need to use them to succeed in your marketing planning. For example, changing consumer lifestyles can be both a threat and an opportunity. The key to successful marketing planning is anticipation.
In short, SWOT analysis can help you identify the best customers to target and how to target them more effectively. You’ll also know which are the best channels to use to deliver your advertising message, thanks to this analysis.
Defining your marketing planning objectives
Every good plan needs goals. In order for your business to move forward and make great profits, you’ll need to determine your objectives. These could be doubling sales over the course of a year, targeting 1,000 additional customers each month, improving product quality, etc. Whatever your objectives, they must be SMART to avoid losing your way:
- Strategic: set yourself a single, well-defined strategic objective. As mentioned above, this could be targeting new customers.
- Measurable: it’s important that your objectives are measurable, so that you can constantly check your progress.
- Achievable: you need to make sure you have all the resources you need to reach your goals. For example, you won’t be able to increase your production if you don’t have additional equipment or marketing tools.
- Achievable: your objectives must be realistic and reasonable. Don’t set your goals too high, as this could demotivate you and derail your marketing planning.
- in Time: of course, you need to give yourself a deadline, as your objectives should not extend over time. It could be a month, a year or even 10 years.
If you’re having trouble setting goals for your marketing planning, you can call on a marketing professional to help you do it.
