As we near the end of the third quarter, now is the perfect time to start creating your marketing plan for next year. While each of our plans are unique, they all include the same kinds of information. In this article, we’re sharing the tested framework we use time and again.

At the beginning of each marketing plan, we identify the goals and objectives. Goals should be broad ideas, while objectives point to how success is measured. All of the other components should relate back to these two items.

The following section should identify your audiences, as well as opportunities and challenges. Opportunities could be related to gaps in the market, new services, or a strategic hire. When composing the list of challenges, be honest with yourself. Consider what your organization does well and identify where there are holes in your capabilities.

Next, we outline strategies. These are the tools we’ll use to hit our goals and reach our targets. For example, it could be something like, “Support recruiting efforts with engaging social media” or “Develop new webinar series for sales team.” This section provides a great opportunity to address the opportunities and challenges you’ve just identified.

From here, you’ll determine the tasks that connect best with the information you’ve outlined. These should fall into larger categories, like social media, web content, events, advertising, and more. With each group, we recommend listing the individual tasks along with descriptions of how you envision the outcome. This could mean stating the portfolio section will be reviewed and updated or sharing the kinds of blog posts you’ll add to the site.

The final section depends on the size of your marketing team. If you have more than one person on staff, it can be very helpful to outline in detail the roles and responsibilities for each person. When a draft is in place, have all stakeholders review this section at a minimum to make sure everyone is on the same page.

With these components in place, we recommend writing an executive summary. This should give a brief overview of where the organization is and where it’s heading. It should also provide a high-level view of any challenges or achievements from recent years. This section sets the tone for the plan and gives it context.

Last, but not least, go back through your plan. Make sure all your tactics connect back to your goals. Review to see what is missing and redefine any items that are unclear.

Let’s create a strategic marketing plan for your organization. Contact us for more details about our approach and how it could work for your organization.