A useful marketing plan begins with a clear picture of the business. I want to understand what customers need, where the business makes money and what the team can deliver before deciding which campaigns to run.
Start with the people closest to the work
My experience spans equipment, safety retail, legal services, gifting and fitness. The categories differ, but the opening questions are similar: why do customers choose us, what holds them back, and what happens after an inquiry or order?
I look for the perspectives of sales, service and the people responsible for delivery. Customer feedback helps test those internal views. At AWS Legal, market analysis and client surveys formed part of my work alongside reporting to the partnership board.
Follow the customer journey
I review how someone discovers the offer, understands it and takes the next step. That can mean checking a product page on a phone, following an inquiry route or examining the information a sales representative needs. A campaign can attract the right person and still lose them through an unclear offer or a difficult next step.
Turn the findings into priorities
I weigh the likely value of an improvement against its effort, dependencies and urgency. An immediate trading need may require a campaign while a larger website issue is being resolved. The plan should explain that trade-off and give the team an achievable sequence.
Make the plan usable
The outcome should be a brief that colleagues can act on and a small set of priorities that management can assess. I stay involved in the creative and implementation work so that the decisions made in planning carry through to the customer experience.
See a sample campaign brief (PDF), written for a fictional fitness supplier.