leadit marketing: what goes in a marketing plan

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What Should Go Into A Marketing Plan?

Presented by Shannon Prager

President, Leadit Marketing

AGENDA

• About Leadit Marketing

• About Me

• Why a marketing plan is important

• What could go in to your marketing plan

• Deep dives into each area of a marketing plan

• A few best practices

• Leadit Marketing’s approach

Copyright Leadit Marketing LLC www.leaditmarketing.com | P: 214-228-7883

http://www.leaditmarketing.com/

ABOUT LEADIT MARKETING

• Integrated B2B demand generation services provider

• Focused on lead generation and campaign execution

• Optimizing the lead flow through marketing

automation and process improvement

• Focus on Sirius Decisions Waterfall Methodology

• Concentration in technology sector

• Founded in 2008



ABOUT SHANNON PRAGER

• 16 years of B2B technology marketing

experience

• Broad range of marketing expertise:

• Demand Generation

• Lead generation

• Public relations

• Analyst relations

• Inside sales

• Field marketing

• Customer relations



WHAT A MARKETING PLAN COULD INCLUDE

• Mission Statement

• Target Markets/Segmentation Strategies

• Buyer Personas

• Messaging/Offerings by Segment

• SWOT Analysis

• Market Influencers

• Content Marketing Audit

• Marketing Objectives and Strategies

• Marketing Tactics

• Expected Results/Goals

• Marketing Budget

• Messaging Platform

• Competitive Analysis

• Existing Marketing Audit



WHY A MARKETING PLAN IS IMPORTANT

• To identify sources of competitive advantage

• Evaluate your mission and vision for relevancy

• Focus on your strategic target markets and their needs

• To help determine and focus on priorities

• To get the resources you need to implement your plans

• To obtain the organization support at all levels

• To set objectives and strategies for chosen segments

• To gain commitment towards goals

• To define strategies, tactics and programs



MISSION STATEMENT

What is the purpose of a mission statement:

• A mission statement should guide the actions of the

organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path,

and guide decision-making

Three parts to your company mission statement:

• To determine your purpose

• To determine your business

• To determine your values



TARGET MARKETS/SEGMENTATION STRATEGIES

Begin with a focus:

• Who are your target markets?

• What industries do they represent?

• What size company do they represent?

• Why do they need your services?

• What is going to make this company buy your

services?

• What is the channel of distribution for this market?

• Who makes up the buying team?



BUYER PERSONAS

Then get even more focused:

• Do you know your buyer?

• Do you know the company they

represent?

• Do you understand their company’s

business?

• Do you know their needs and

requirements?

• Do you know where they buy?

• Do you know who makes up their buying

team?

• Do you know their business processes?

• Do you know how to reach them with your

marketing and sales messages? Copyright Leadit Marketing LLC www.leaditmarketing.com | P: 214-228-7883


MESSAGING AND OFFERINGS BY SEGMENT

• What is the buying process for these customers?

• What are the key decision factors that make them

choose one vendor over another?

• Is the decision around price, service, support or quality,

etc.?

• Is price more important than product/service and why?

• Is product/service more important than price and why?

• Where do these segments go for information about

your services?

• What messages will generate the right response and

what information will be most effective?



SWOT ANALYSIS

• What advantages do you have?

• What do you do better than anyone else?

• What do people in your market see as your strength?

• What could you do to improve?

• What should you avoid?

• What are other companies/people likely to see as your

weakness?

• What are good opportunities for you?

• What could threaten your business?

• Where is the industry going?

• What are your objectives as it relates to this target

market?



MARKET INFLUENCERS/SOCIAL NETWORKING

Identifies key influencers and social networks that

influence your buyers.

This could include:

• Social networks to drive mass impressions

• Journalists

• Academics

• Analysts

• Professional advisors



CONTENT MARKETING AUDIT

Inventory of existing content and marketing assets

• Identifies what can be leveraged in new marketing

campaigns

• Identifies content gaps so we know where to focus

development/resource time

• Each asset will be aligned to a Marketing Purpose (ex:

Thought Leadership, Education, etc.) and Buying Stage

(ex: Awareness, Consideration etc.)



MARKETING OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY

Marketing objectives determine where your want to be and

how you are going to get there.

Marketing Objectives:

• Intended goals of a company’s marketing campaigns.

• Marketing objectives are often listed as Specific

Measurable Actionable Realistic Time sensitive (SMART)



MARKETING OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY

Marketing objectives determine where your want to be and

how you are going to get there.

Marketing Strategy:

• A detailed blueprint on how to achieve the marketing

objectives

• Strategies list which steps to take, specific action

necessary to achieve each step and the expected

timeline by which to accomplish each stage

• Strategies will focus on the 4Ps of marketing: Product

(Service), Promotion, Price, Place (Distribution)



MARKETING TACTICS/GOALS

• Identifying the components of your marketing mix:

• Advertising

• Sales Force Promotion

• Direct Marketing

• Public Relations

• Social Networking and Monitoring

• Partner Events

• Industry Events

• Association Marketing



BUDGET

• Research and capture the price of different marketing

tactics

• Allows you to add up all that you need to do to

accomplish your marketing plan

• Will provide benchmarks/best practices on target leads

to meet goals



Your marketing plan could also include the following:



MESSAGING PLATFORM

The foundation for all future communication

• Corporate positioning statement

• Supporting key messages

• Supporting proof points

• Customer value proposition



COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

Assessment of strengths and weaknesses of current and

potential competitors

• Determines who your competitors are

• Ranks products/services in terms of value and target

markets

• Identifies strategies used by each competitor to

achieve their objectives

• Evaluates how each competitor markets themself



EXISTING MARKETING AUDIT

• Independent audit of your existing marketing

environment

• Reviews roles/responsibilities of current marketing

team

• Reviews current marketing objectives and strategies

• Identifies problem areas and opportunities



MARKETING PLAN BEST PRACTICES

• Focus on selecting only a few target markets

• Play to your strengths and not your weaknesses

• Having too many strategies is worse than having none

at all

• Make sure your marketing plans and budget is practical

and measurable

• Assign specific responsibilities and tasks to specific

people



NEED HELP WITH YOUR MARKETING PLAN?

We do this for a living!

Shannon Prager

P: 214-228-7883

[email protected]

www.leaditmarketing.com


mailto:[email protected]


leadit marketing: what goes in a marketing plan

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