How to Write a Winning Marketing Plan by Alexandra Fay You’ve created your business plan and now you’re ready to start your company and put your business plan into action. You’ve made the necessary investments to start and run your business and everything is going well. You think that you have what it takes to succeed and then one of two things happens, either you get slammed with a huge loss, or, even worse, you never really see any action or results, you are left wondering what is going on. You’ve now come to the realization that you have major issues with your business and the reason why is because your marketing plan does not work. If this has happened to you, don’t feel bad; we’ve all been in that place. When we first started on our entrepreneurial path, all of us at one time or another made a mistake in the way we approached our company and our marketing plans. Some mistakes made were from naiveté, others from simple bad planning. Most marketing plans will never work. Think about it. The reason why is because the plan is simply not feasible and the result will be a failure and likely it will cost you a lot of money. Here are the main problems that arise with your plan: 1. No one knows the plan! In order for your plan to work, you need to have your marketing plan well-written, easy to understand and in alignment with your business plan. The problem is that when most of us first start off, all we have is a general idea of the plan. We often think that if we write everything down it will help us reach our goals but in most cases, this is not the case. If it is, then it is because you have a clear plan; if not, you will have to ask yourself, what steps can you take now to make this happen? 2. You don’t have the right people working for you. The reason why many people fail at their plans is because they don’t have the right people in place. This is a critical problem because having the right people help bring about the proper goals and action. One thing to make note of is that many people simply lack the experience necessary to get their goals. Either they have never done it before or perhaps they’ve never done it their way. Either way, you can do your own marketing plan for free by downloading our free marketing plan software below. 3. Your plan does not reflect your business plan. Most often when you first start your business and create a marketing plan, you will never be able to completely see the vision. This is because there are many angles that you’ve never thought of. Let’s face it, you’ve just started your business and there are so many new situations that you’ve never thought of; however, having said that, if you are able to see your full business plan in action then you will know exactly what the market needs. If you’re having trouble seeing the vision then again, all is not lost, just make a note and adjust. 4. You are not sure what you’re doing. Most often this is because you simply do not know how to properly get your company going, how to plan it properly, or even the right people to hire to help you achieve your goals. The only thing that you should be doing at this point is looking around for business support resources and learning about marketing plans. It’s important to note that if you’re confused with what you should be doing, just ask someone. Even a seasoned entrepreneur can be in need of an advisor in order to get a handle on your business plan. Don’t worry if you think that you might not be able to do a great job at creating a marketing plan; just take action. If you need some help and want some input on what to do first, then our team of professionals will be there for you. You can reach us at our Contact page and see how we can help your business grow and prosper! About the Author: Alexandra Fay is a digital marketer who enjoys all things entrepreneurial. You can find her sharing her experience on all topics related to business. She has created several successful businesses, and at one time had worked for 3 different agencies before starting her own. Share this: Related Looking For Something? Subscribe to the Newsletter Join our community of readers and get the latest in internet marketing.