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Plans Describing Marketing Strategies: Outlines

Marketing plan outlines are easy to find because all businesses need to take the time to draft a marketing plan whether they completely understand the business and marketing principles or not. Marketing plans are actually not difficult to write; they just require careful analysis, in-depth research, and innovative thinking. There is no one correct way to write a marketing plan. The exact format and layout will vary from business to business depending on each one’s specific goals, functions, products, market, etc. However, there are some consistencies among the different varieties of business marketing plans, and there are some necessary elements that must be included to create a complete, useful plan.

Marketing Plan Outlines Give Structure

One variation in marketing plan outlines can occur as a result of when the plan is being drafted or created. Marketing plans are often written as part of the early business planning process, but they are also elements in the yearly planning discussions of established, successful businesses. Clearly, a marketing plan included in an initial business development plan will be less complete and contain less specific data than a marketing plan that is part of an annual planning process because the initial marketing schemes and strategies will have little or no data to evaluate or on which to base their decisions. The marketing plans of established businesses can provide much greater detail and advice because past results can be analyzed to help advise future decisions.

There are essentially six major parts in marketing plan outlines: purpose and mission; situational analysis; strategies and objectives; tactical marketing projects; budgeting, performance analysis, and implementation; and additional considerations. Additionally, all marketing plans are focused on specific products and product lines of the company. Therefore, a plan must be developed specifically for particular companies; one cannot merely “borrow” another company’s plan and use it as their own because it will be inaccurate and unhelpful.

The drafting of marketing plans becomes much easier when outlines or suggested formats are provided because those things provide a basic organizational framework of headings under which all of the company’s specific data will fit. However, depending on the company and market, there can be variations even among the marketing plan outlines. It is best to research many possible options to determine which one best suits the specific company’s needs. International businesses, for example, will undoubtedly have additional considerations over domestic businesses, and companies that feature a broad range of products will probably have a different marketing focus than companies that are more specific and selective in what they offer.

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