7 Steps to Building a Successful Marketing Plan
Insider tips from national marketing communications agency Levo

Posted by Anya Sleezer << back to blog

Last Updated on July 29, 2022

Buy now! Half off! That’s sales. It’ll save you time and improve your life. That’s marketing. While some may confuse the two terms, they’re very different. Sales is essentially pricing. Marketing is how you communicate the value of your products and services to your customers, investors and the world. It’s your image. Your reputation. It’s what emotionally connects people to your products and services. And it’s the very reason people will pay the price on the sales tag.

A good marketing plan is essential to success. That’s what I’ve learned in more than a decade of marketing, communications and design experience for national and international startups to billion-dollar corporations. As a managing partner for Levo today, I focus on powerful emotional connections through messaging, graphic design, web design, branding, copywriting, advertising and authentic conversations to drive results. We call it your #RallyPoint.

“Good advertising does not just circulate information. It penetrates the public mind with desires and belief.”
-Leo Burnett

Once you have your #RallyPoint, your next step is to build a successful, strategic marketing plan. How? Just follow these seven steps:

1. Define Success

First of all, you need to define what success will look like at the end. Otherwise, how will you know you succeeded? So, write down specific, achievable, realistic goals with deadlines for meeting them. Success will look like different things to different companies, depending on the type of business and industry. It may mean achieving X number of dollars in sales, converting X number of people on the website, or having X number of people attend your event. Whatever metric you’re going to use, make sure to define it clearly.

2. Define Your Audience

Figure out who is most likely to buy your products and services and why. Don’t make assumptions. Ask your current or prospective customers what their needs are and listen carefully to their answers. You want to know what their problems or so-called pain points are, so that you’ll be able to include the solution with your messaging.

3. Build a Profile and Prioritize

Draw a clear picture of the person you serve: age, gender, likes, dislikes, location, shopping habits, buying habits, vehicle preferences, lifestyle, annual income, etc. This will tell you who to invest in and who will be a waste of time. It will also tell you who can afford you and who is ready to buy.

4. Brainstorm

Brainstorm with as many people as possible, including customers. Make a list of the available marketing tools that are successful for your industry including: social media, newspaper, magazine ads, television and radio, digital SEM, websites, ecommerce, direct mail, email, phone calls, public relations, conferences and trade shows, collateral (brochures, business cards, etc.). Learn what websites your customers visit, where they hang out on social media, what do they read/watch and more. Those answers will tell you where to find your ideal customers.
Next, make a list of locations or strategic partnerships to help maximize your visibility and success. Partnerships can open you up to new customers, give you more resources, and fill in gaps with services or products you don’t offer. Levo is a perfect example of strategic partnerships. We collaborate with hand-picked experts to deliver the best marketing possible for our clients. This maximizes our visibility and success.

5. Budget and Prioritize

Plan to spend more in the newest areas of marketing. According to multiple surveys, budgets are increasing and the trend is expected to continue for several years. Successful companies budget anywhere from 7% to 12% of their revenue for marketing. In general, studies show B2Bs spend less than companies that sell directly to customers.
Corporations are spending more money on digital like search, email and social media, and less on traditional media including radio, television and newspapers. Most of the marketing dollars go to search and display marketing. According to eMarketer, in 2017, “TV ad spending totaled $72.01 billion, or 35.8% of total media ad spending in the US. Meanwhile, total digital ad spending in 2017 equaled $77.37 billion, or 38.4% of total ad spending.” By 2020, researchers predict digital ad spending will surpass television by 36%, or comprise 71% of marketer’s budgets.
Here are other statistics to help prioritize your marketing budget:
- Companies are spending most of their marketing budget dollars on Search Engine Marketing like SEO and displays like banner ads and online videos.
- Videos are growing faster than any other web marketing tool, with investments in them expected to double by 2021.
- Social media advertising (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) usually represents about one-quarter of total online spending.
- Email marketing is still dominant with the best ROIs reported, while social media marketing comes in a close second.
- For maximum results, companies are prioritizing marketing technologies and automation that tie together their social media marketing, organic searches, SEO techniques, website optimization, and content marketing.

6. Create, Craft and Implement.

Craft your message and materials with your ideal customer in mind. Consider these questions when creating your messaging:
- What makes our product/service different from my competitors?
- What value does our product/service bring?
- Why do our customers care?
- How can we help them?
- What obstacles keep them from taking the next step?
If you’re tight on budget and can’t afford to hire professionals, use your available resources and network. Pay for a few hours of consulting, offer to buy lunch, and look at online options.

7. Measure Results, Adjust, and Repeat!

Measure your results over time. Analyze them for weaknesses and strengths. Get feedback from your customers. What made them purchase or not purchase? Based on those results, adjust your strategy, methods or message and repeat!
Keep in mind that marketing isn’t sales. You still need to follow up and close the deal on the leads you’ve generated. Come up with a follow-up plan of how you’ll turn those leads into sales. Don’t let all of your hard work and money to go to waste.

Anya Sleezer

Anya Sleezer is the owner of Levo, a full–service marketing agency, focused on helping companies from all industries who are concerned with their marketing results, traffic, branding, advertising, or websites.

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