Marketing Plan Examples

Q:I am currently in the process of writing our company's marketing plan (Alphanumerica is a Web development company), and any added perspective would be a big help. Does anyone know any sources for this? Or, if you have ideas yourself, and would not mind emailing me, it would be most appreciated.

A:Some weeks ago, another person asked for examples of marketing plans to be posted here. As I expected, nothing appeared. Such plans are core to any business, they are not lightly disclosed to anybody, and certainly not to a possible competitor. So I think you may be a little too optimistic in hoping another web developer would send you their plan! Any employee who did so could be laying themselves open both to immediate dismissal, and even court action by their current employer. Anyway, a plan that's right for one organization need not have bearing on what's appropriate for another. If you are based in the UK or Europe, it may be worth your while to contact the Chartered Institute of Marketing (for contact details see their web site), and ask them for help. Another possibility, of course, might be to hire a strategic marketing manager. The Business to Business phone directory in Maryland has the outline of what should be included in a marketing plan in the front section! Also, http://www.isquare.com, The Small Business Advisor, have this information and a lot more. There are many sources of plans, the SBA site was mentioned, among others. They are all worthwhile and will probably work. I have created several plans for companies that I've been associated with, and depending on WHY you are writing your plan, you will want to focus on several things such as: Who are you selling to plan to? What buttons should you push? Are you going to present your plan to a potential investor, he/she will most likely focus on the money. If it is an internal document to determine budgets and future growth, then it would most likely focus on infrastructure and management. If it is being done to just get your head on straight so you have a better sense of where you're going, you have to look inward at your understanding of the potential market: How do others perceive your product? Is your pricing realistic? Do you have a marketing plan? How will you test your market? Who will analyize the results? What will you do if your tests fail (or succeed)? One other thing. See your business plan as a flexible one. Provide the means to change it frequently. Be realistic about your expenses as well, it's not uncommon for people to minimize expenses to make their plans look good, but it will come back to haunt you. Taxes, payroll, insurance, and utilities are often much more than expected.