Putting Your Marketing Programs Into Motion
by Bobette Kyle

Once you decide upon a particular marketing program, you are likely eager to take some action. Before implementing a program, however, you should set measurable goals that tie into a supporting strategy. When planning your programs, be sure to build in ways to track and measure so that later, when analyzing performance, you can tell if a marketing program was successful. Also be sure to document any assumptions you made when goal setting. This will help with post-program analysis. Finally, when choosing any outside vendors for your marketing programs, check out their reliability and reputation.  

Developing Action Plans

Some marketing programs will require detailed action plans, others will not. There are likely some you have a handle on – those you can just do. For those programs, there is often little need for formal pen-to-paper (fingers-to-keyboard) planning. A start and completion date may be sufficient. If, however, your program is unfamiliar or complex, something like “Set up an effective, complete affiliate program for my company,” for example, then an action plan could save your sanity. Your action plan should include a description of the program, reference to the general marketing strategy it supports, a budget amount, the person accountable for the project’s completion, and a timeline.

Timelines

The major portion of an action plan is the timeline, which you can reference throughout the project. With a timeline for your project, it is easier to:

1) Know when you are off schedule,

2) Identify why you are off schedule, and

3) Figure out how to get back on schedule.

To create a timeline:

First, list the project’s major tasks in the order they should be finished.

Then, for each task, assign someone the responsibility for completing it. This can be you, someone in your company, or someone outside of your company. (A freelancer, agency, supplier, etc.)

Finally, starting with the first task, fill in a completion date for each. Also include a start date and the number of days needed for completing each task.

You may want to include other information on your marketing program’s timeline as well. Your budget amount for the project, cost of each task, and comments are all useful features. To make adjusting your timeline easier, you can put it on a spreadsheet, use project management software, or set it up on a planning Web site.

Example Action Plan

In this example, a marketing department decides that client research is a high priority item, as input into development of its new Website. If kept completely in-house, an action plan for the research project may look like the one below.

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Client Research Project

Program: Conduct research with key clients to identify specific content for Website. Supports General Marketing Strategy to enhance client service through improved online communication, information, and education.
Budget: $500
Person Accountable: Arthur

Develop client research list
Start - End Date: 2/4/06 - 2/6/06
Cost: $0
Comment: 15 - 20 key clients.

Develop questions for questionnaire
Start - End Date: 2/4/06 - 2/18/06
Cost: $25
Comment: Includes studying up on proper questionnaire form ($25 for market research book).

Conduct Telephone Research
Start - End Date: 2/18/06 – 3/08/06
Cost: $0
Comment: 1-2 respondents per work day.

Compile Research
Start - End Date: 3/08/06 – 3/10/06
Cost: $400
Comment: $16 hours at $25 per hour for assistant.

Interpret Results
Start - End Date: 3/10/06 – 3/12/06
Cost: $0
Comment: Prepare in format useful for input into Website design.

Total Cost: $425
Budget Amount Remaining: $75

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From the timeline, the Marketing Director knows he can begin working on the Website redesign soon after March 12th, the research completion date. Should he fall behind in the research schedule, he will have to either make up the time or delay the site redesign.

Ways to Complete Project Action Plans and Timelines

An action plan similar to the one above can be completed manually with a spreadsheet or Word processing program. There are tools available, however, that can help you more efficiently set up project action plans and timelines. Microsoft Project and SureTrak Project Manager both offer flexibility in planning and updating projects, along with other features. For those with a smaller budget, books filled with tips and worksheets – such as Jan King’s Business Plans to Game Plans: A Practical System for Turning Strategies into Action – can help improve action plan implementation.

Whichever way you choose to manage and carry out action plans, smart implementation can make the difference between success and failure.