Start NOW: Your 2011 Marketing Plan!

It's hard to believe it's already November and the holidays and end of the year are quickly approaching. (personally, my mind is still back in the sunny, summer days of August, but I digress…). As a business owner, the end 2010 means focusing on the beginning of 2011—including next year''s marketing plan.

Last week I participated in a webinar hosted by Ilese Benum, co-founder of Marketing Mentor, entitled "Start NOW: Your 2011 Marketing Plan! Over the next three blog posts, I'll share with you some of the key points I learned.

First things first, before you even start your marketing plan, you must decide a few key factors including goals, target audience, and which tools you'll use to keep you on track. So, begin thinking about your goals for next year. Be detailed and specific, including as many dates and figures as possible. Download a worksheet provided by the Marketing Mentor to help you think about your goals. At the same time, start thinking about your ideal clients, who you'd like to focus your marketing efforts on. Here's another worksheet to help you brainstorm who those perfect clients will be. And last, how will you keep track of your efforts. You may choose to simply input all due dates into your calendar (check out a sample Google calendar below), or use a To-Do List such as Things, or a project management program like Paymo (more to come on this little program later!)

Sample Marketing Calendar Task Tool

So, let's get started on the above three key factors: Business Goals; Target Audience; and which tool you'll use to stay on task. Let me know how you do!

Later this week, I'll move onto the different types of marketing tools you may consider using for your 2011 Marketing Plan! Plus, coming Soon: Part 3: Daily, Weekly and Monthly Marketing Tasks!