|
Author: Bob Evans Article source: http://www.market4profit.net/. Used with author's permission.
Are you a good or bad planner? Do you cringe at the very mention of the word 'plan'? If you do then you are not alone. Thousands of online (and offline) marketers find themselves in the same position.
A good many of these people may well have never considered a plan of action as part of their daily marketing activities. Others may think they are too busy to spare any time for planning. Still others may feel they do need to plan, can see the benefits to be gained from planning, but don't think their skills or personality are suited to this task.
It seems perfectly clear to me that without planning, the long term success of any business,large or small, is unlikely to be realised!
A plan need not be elaborate. It need not be detailed, but you should at least commit something to paper.
Start off by taking a positive view of planning. Don't just look at it as 'another boring chore I've got to do'. Say to yourself 'This is my plan for success.'
Also consider the following benefits to be gained from good planning:
* you can meet deadlines
* you can meet or even exceed your targets
* you can create a feeling of achievement for each step you fulfill
* you can monitor and control your marketing activities to greater effect
* you can initiate improvements
* you can achieve personal growth and success
Once you have accepted that planning for success is a positive thing, it is then time to think about your goals. And just what do you want to achieve? Why are you marketing this or that product in the first place? Do you know what your short term and long term aims are?
Answering these questions accurately will enable you to take a big step forward to achieving whatever goals you ultimately set yourself. So what are your goals? And how do you plan to achieve them?
The great thing about targets is they give you a way to measure your performance and give you a sense of direction - you are going somewhere. It is important also to consider that in order for your goals to have substance and meaning they should satisfy the following criteria:
* they should be achievable
* they should be measurable
* they should be challenging though NOT impossible
Here are THREE achievable, measurable and challenging goals that Bill, an Ezine owner, has set himself:
* to get 200 subscribers within the first three months following launch
* to ensure that AT LEAST 70% of subscribers are still in place after 6 months
* to increase the number of subscribers by 800 in the year following the initial 6 month target
What three goals relating to your business can you think of that meet the above criteria? Write them down.
Now let's look more in depth at each of Bill's goals to see how he can evolve an Action Plan that will enable him to meet each goal in a systematic, cost-effective way.
In order to work out the Action Plan he should consider a set of specific questions he should ask. These questions are:
When should this happen?
How is it going to be carried out?
Who is going to do it?
How much is it going to cost?
GOAL ONE:
To bring in 30 subscribers
WHEN: Within the first 30 days
HOW: By advertising in Ezines, on PPC Search Engines, via opt-in email lists, and via other media such as Classified Ad sites and also offline via magazines and periodicals
WHO: In the first instance Bill himself and then by others as the subscriber base grows
HOW MUCH: The budget is under $50 a month
Bill's next step is to start to put together the Action Plan in more detail. This is a very important stage of the overall plan because it focuses on specifics:
* how many hours is he going to devote?
* which specific advertising media is he going to use and how often?
* which advertisements is he going to use?
When getting down to the nitty gritty of executing his plan, Bill will try to keep in mind:
* his daily advertising routine (stick to it)
* whether he is keeping to the budget
* his target
When considering your own marketing campaign always think to yourself that EVERY day you follow your Action Plan is a step closer to the achievement of your goal!
Copyright 2005 Robert Evans Bob Evans has been doing business online since October 2000. He utilises a powerful marketing action plan of his own to generate targeted traffic to any website: http://www.market4profit.net/marketing-action-plan.php
The Five Second Flirt Technique
Flirting is potent. It's the way you invite him by your own body language to come across the room and ask you out. You don't have to do anything more than smi...
New Age Music - What Is It Good For?
Discusses the reasons for playing and performing New Age music.
A Wedding Band: Traditional or Cultural?
What does your wedding ring look like or what do you want your ring to look like when you get married?
Travel Cambodia – Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat, Sihanoukville and Roads From Hell
Cambodia is a land on the mend. From 1977 through 1980, the Khmer Rouge ruled the country, fanatics bent on genocide. Millions were killed and the period was pu...
Personal Finance – Why You Should Compare, not Despair
Personal finance - how to get a grip on your credit cards, insurance, mortgage and outstanding loans...
How To Choose The Right Niche To Promote
Easy profit, a worldwide market, manageability of business at home level—all these and a variety of other reasons contributed to the popularity of online busine...
Pacemaster Treadmill Intelligence
Pacemaster treadmills offer the complete fitness and exercise solution. Pacemaster's unique interactive programming not only evaluates users current fitness lev...
Dressing For Less
You can look great without spending a lot of money if you use good judgment and follow a few simple rules:
So, The Thing Is... We Reap What We Sow
So, the thing is… we reap what we sow. A few weeks ago, my daughters and I planted some seeds. It was a fun project to do together because it involved digging...
Why Your Credit Score is Important
Your credit score can either haunt you or reward you. It all depends on how you handle your credit and payment activities. Your credit score determines what int...
Five Roulette Tips to Dramatically Increase Your Profits!
Roulette is the third most popular casino game worldwide, after slots and video poker. Why is it so popular? Well it is fun, exciting, easy to play, and has cer...
How to Take Control of Your Self Confidence
Having confidence is all about believing in yourself and the only way you can build your belief in what you are capable of is by taking action in the world and ...
Reactions to Job Loss; Getting Past the Emotions
Most of us invest so much of ourselves in what we do that job loss can take away our sense of status and belonging, as well as the routine and support that work...
An Overview of Easements
Title insurance is generally associated with insuring a purchaser's or lender's interest in a particular piece of real estate. The right to use an easement is o...
A Look at Retractable Awnings
Awnings are popular for many reasons. They not only add style and elegance to both residential and commercial buildings, but can also greatly increase energy ef...
Just What Do We Mean by ABUSE Anyway?
For most people, the word abuse implies violent and
malicious behavior. In fact, most mistreatment does NOT
fall into that category. Sadly, maltreatment is f...
Budgeting Your Way to Financial Freedom
Financial freedom cannot be achieved without budgeting. Budgeting involves tracking your sources of income and more importantly tracking your expenses. It is no...
Angel to Angel
Years ago, my minister spoke to us about how you could solicit the help of your guardian angels to help with conflict resolution. She told us stories about how...
Quit Your Day Job: 10 Steps to Venturing Out on Your Own
If you've been thinking about starting a business, here are the steps you need to get started. Seize your entrepreneurial dreams!
Can Caffeine Tights Beat Cellulite?
Work even without the gym
I just wanted to let you know how amazing these tights really are - it's not a con they really do work. I don't know how they work bu...
We Live in Our Own Time Cages
You might remember the earlier which I had quoted in which I mentioned the farmer, a jailbird and the couple in love. It might have been difficult to figure out...
How To Self Talk Your Way To Success?
If you are looking for self talk as a possible self help tool, then this article is for you.
Business Innovation – the Best Ideas
Some ideas are better than others. No doubt about it. But some types of ideas are also better than others:
Restaurant Website Promotion - How to Boost Your Business Using Tested Online Marketing Tactics
Watch the Success of Your Restaurant Skyrocket by Applying These Powerful Internet Marketing Techniques
|
Print this page