What Is A Marketing Roadmap

Most people don't realize the true impact of having a marketing plan. Whether your organization is profit or nonprofit, if you have a product, message or mission that you're trying to communicate to the masses, then you definitely need a plan of action. Many businesses have a great product or service, but when asked what their marketing strategy is, they fail to come up with an effective marketing plan to penetrate their targeted audience.

A marketing roadmap is similar to preparing for a trip. How? When taking a trip, you look at where you're headed and map out the best possible route to get to your destination. Let's examine this checklist of seven things you would review prior to traveling on your trip, compared to their navigational significance in your marketing roadmap:

MISSIONS TRIPS

1. TRIP: What is my destination?
BUSINESS: What is my goal for my business?

2. TRIP: Who are my traveling companions?
BUSINESS: Do I have effective employees, support staff and a targeted market/audience?

3. TRIP: How much money will I need to travel with?
BUSINESS: What is my projected marketing budget?

4. TRIP: How will I get to my destination?
BUSINESS: What are the marketing vehicles (ie. email, newsletters, mailers, media communication) I will use to reach my targeted market/audience?

5. TRIP: What types of clothes do I need to take with me?
BUSINESS: Will I have seasonal, one-time or year-round clients?

6. TRIP: What items do I need to take in case of an emergency?
BUSINESS: In the event that something unexpected happens with my initial plans, do I have a backup game plan to continue on the road to reaching my goals?

7. TRIP: What is my trip's ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)?
BUSINESS: What are my short and long term business goals (ie. 6 months, 1 year, 5 years and beyond)?

After taking your trip, what were the favorable vs. non-favorable things you experienced? How did you handle any detours? Would you use another mode of transportation for traveling the next time? Did you take enough money with you? These questions can help you understand the dynamics of planning, editing and executing your marketing roadmap. Like reading a map or checking for driving directions online, someone previously traveled down the same road to success that you're traveling and already engineered the best possible routes to take, leading you to through the path of attaining business victory! You don't need to reinvent the wheel, just add an accessory piece to tailor your personalized approach to something already proven to work!

What Is A Marketing Roadmap

MISSIONS TRIPS