As a small business owner you probably went into business for the love of what you do, not to thrive on developing a marketing plan to fund your passion.

A marketing plan does not have to be as complex as we bet you’re fearing right now reading this. So let’s remove the word ‘marketing’ and just call it a plan - this plan is important to the success of your business both now and well into the future.

It will allow you to break down those huge goals into small, actionable steps and bit by bit over the following 12 months, your plan really will be worth all the preparation and love it deserved from the beginning.

Here are eight reasons why having a well thought-out plan will help you hit your goals in the next 12 months.

1. Measurable, achievable goals

Don’t wait for next year to roll around to achieve those goals you set for yourself. When you break down your goals into smaller, achievable tasks, they become darn easier to hit and by planning out your marketing to work for you instead of against, contributes to the success of hitting said goals.

Without a plan in place, it’s easy for you to think you are working on these goals in the background, when in reality you may not even be scraping the surface.

Your business at any one time might have a list of outcomes you are chasing, you might want to be an industry leader, the go-to brand in your local community, or the brand everyone wants to work for. Whatever your goals and vision, you need your business to be able to finance them.

2. Encourages strategic thinking

A plan will force you to consider your customers, the product or service you offer and what you as a brand bring to the table. Your brand is the vehicle that drives relationships with your audience, when you make decisions in your business, they must be made with putting your customers needs and wants first.

Think about; WHO are you speaking to? Yes, we’re talkin’ your ideal audience because at the end of the day if you’re giving off all the vibes and the RIGHT people aren’t picking up what you’re putting down, your brand doesn’t stand a chance - and we all know there’s no point in all the effort to see minimal to no dollars walkin’ through that door.

Your brand must be relevant to your potential clients and create an emotional connection with them. Knowing who they are and what aspirations, challenges and needs they have can help you create a brand that will easily connect with your market, grab their attention and create a positive perception of your business in their minds.

From here, you need to find a gap in the market (your potential clients), identify their problems/ needs, research your competitors in this niche and develop unique strategies to set yourself apart from everyone else!

WHAT problem are you solving and what NEED are you catering to your audience that they would struggle to achieve on their own?

When you think about it, determining the problems your ideal clients have can sometimes be so obvious that they smack you in the face and other times they can be tricky to identify. Often the problem you could be solving might be helping a client to achieve an aspiration they are striving for.

If you know your ideal audience really really well, it allows you to create killer content that resonates with them 110%. Put it this way, if you were to put together a special package or promotion that met the needs of this target audience, you could educate them on the WHY as the messaging that you use will talk the talk and walk the walk because it solves their NEED. You’re more likely to convert the sale because they feel the messaging resonates with the need they want to solve.

HOW are you bringing awareness to your brand? Does your brand story ignite sparks and connect with your audience on an emotional level?

The more you spread your message on an array of platforms not only to market your promotions, but also your business! Print marketing IS NOT dead, it’s becoming a rarity, jump back on the bandwagon and cover all bases - one design flooded everywhere isn’t that hard is it?

Get your messaging right, your look on point and speak in VOLUMES to your ideal audience.

3. Helps you manage your time in order of priority

Yes, we may all have the same 24 hours in each day, yet only so many of those hours can be assigned to marketing tasks. You either prioritise the high value activities first up and batch your time or you work on what you think is important in the moment. The reality is when you have a structured plan, each day your to-do-list is aligned with the ‘real’ priorities that will help you reach your goals faster.

4. Brings your team together

Making your team part of the success story in achieving your business goals is rewarding not just for your brand, but for them too. It makes them feel part of something wonderful, something they can look back on and say; “Hey, I was part of that…”

Not to mention knowing what your business is working on at any one time will prepare them to get on board with your vision and strategy too - which will in turn help them to hit their sales targets (win-win!).

5. Lays foundations for a healthy budget

When you plan for upcoming expenses, you remove the element of ‘surprise’ bills - the money is already in the account to cover whatever you planned for.

You know what budgets you must stick to, be mindful in your spending and when a great idea comes to mind you can immediately determine whether or not it’s worth pursuing.

6. Increases the chances of you hitting revenue targets for your business

Same can be said with planning targets to hit for your revenue - you know what you need to make to cover; bills, wages and take a sweet profit too.

PLUS it makes your business worth more when it comes time to sell.

7. Proactive instead of reactive decision making

When we make decisions coming from a reactive mindset, problem solving isn’t necessarily well thought out or strategic in its execution. Having a plan allows for proactive problem solving because you know where you’re going and have actionable steps to get you there.

Sure, business has shifting factors on a daily basis, making it difficult to be less reactive in our decision making process, but the kind of reactive you’ll be is a lot more strategic as opposed to remaining purely in survival mode.

8. Customer service drives home in full force

When you understand your plan, it allows you to serve your customers tenfold, if you are unsure of your ideal customers, then getting clear on them before you create your marketing plan is a must.

Once you understand your customers, creating social media content, providing value and coming up with special offers and promotions becomes easier. And hitting those pain points makes it more than luck.