To gain the most impact from your creative endeavors, consider opportunities for promotion and marketing by developing a detailed marketing plan. Approaching the awesome task of gaining awareness for your latest project takes a coordinated effort, so charting a roadmap for spreading the word is worth a look. Some steps you can take to formulate a plan include:
- Create a calendar of activities for the year
Forecasting upcoming activities each month helps to maximize your time, ensuring you aren’t duplicating tasks or missing valuable opportunities. Putting together a simple calendar with marketing and promotion items each month provides a framework for getting those items completed on time.
For example, put together monthly publications of content at least three to four months in advance. Use the marketing plan to determine when media outreach will occur and which content will be pitched to the media.
- Research, research, research!
For a marketing plan to be effective, the activities should be based on the research of the geographical area and media trends. Apply this information to create a plan that can be executed. Research the types of public service programs or local daytime talk shows that could potentially offer interviews. Are there reporters that cover your area of expertise that you can reach out to? Find those potential media opportunities and reach out to them and ask if they can keep your information for future use as an expert interview.
Know your industry and competitors. It’s important to understand the industry, its trends, and who the movers and shakers are. The influential people in the industry may have insight into how to best market within the industry. Knowing the competition and what they are doing successfully can provide solid marketing ideas. Include those insights in the plan as a SWOT analysis (Strengthens, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats).
- Create a realistic marketing budget based on activities
A major part of a marketing plan includes a budget for marketing activities. The research will assist in understanding what monetary resources are needed to implement that plan. The research will also uncover no cost or low-cost marketing streams like email platforms, web listings or public speaking opportunities.
Creating a marketing plan is no simple task but it can be a valuable tool to increasing awareness for an upcoming project. Check out my website, and find out what marketing opportunities exist that can lead to new ways to promote and increase your visibility.