How Far Ahead Should You Plan Your Marketing Strategy?

Therese Adams

Therese Adams About The Author

Aug 11, 2021 12:33:00 PM

How Far Ahead Should You Plan Your Marketing Strategy?

Both time and time management are significant when it comes to developing successful marketing campaigns. If you wait too long to plan your strategies, the less likely they will be to succeed. On the other hand, creating a measurable timeline can help carry out business objectives and ensure you don't fall behind.  

However, you might be wondering how far ahead to plan a marketing strategy. Here we'll go over how to establish a realistic and efficient timeline to follow. 

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Know the Basics First 

Screen Shot 2021-08-09 at 12.28.20 PMAs you begin planning, certain factors are determined before you can choose how far in advance to create a marketing strategy. First, you should know the number of employees you have to help develop and roll out your strategy. You also need to think about what kinds of plans and objectives to pursue. Additionally, consider how often and how many campaigns you can plan and launch within a year. The length of a successful marketing campaign will vary depending on these factors. 

Think about your end goals and identify them early on in your campaigns. For example, how quickly does your industry change, and how might that affect your strategy? Taking all of these aspects into consideration from the start will help orient your campaigns. 

Plan the Busiest Times of Year Six Months Ahead 

It's best to plan your strategies six months ahead for your busiest season. Your busy seasons could include the summer, holidays, Black Friday, or others. Regardless of which season is best for your business, give yourself ample time to prepare for them. You'll need plenty of time to get ready, advertise, build lists of leads, promote the coming holiday, and take other steps.  

Once you’re prepared, you'll have everything in place to drive optimal results. During the busy season, you can begin planning for the slower seasons and making the most of potential slumps in sales and audience engagement

Plan Marketing Game Plans Each Quarter 

Screen Shot 2021-08-09 at 12.28.26 PMOnce per quarter is a good time to prepare your marketing initiatives. During these times, get organized and create a plan for the next three months, which will allow you plenty of time to get your project ready. In the process, you can set three-month goals to reach, which will give your campaigns a clear direction each quarter.  

Over time, the quarterly planning process will become increasingly efficient as you pin down what works and needs improvement. Getting into this habit will ultimately make it easier to develop your plans in the long term. 

Plan Daily Marketing Content (At Least) One Month Ahead 

One of the critical ingredients of a successful marketing strategy is consistently great content. This is why you need to plan your daily content at least one month ahead, but ideally even earlier. For example, the content you plan a month in advance could include blogs, emails, videos, and social media posts, among other types of regularly updated content.   

If you can implement this practice, you'll be able to make sure that content doesn't overlap at any point. At the same time, you'll leave little room for error, and the content will be consistently timely and relevant. In turn, you'll also drive more audience engagement. 

Create an Action Plan for Success 

Screen Shot 2021-08-09 at 12.28.31 PMIn developing and running a successful marketing campaign, write down a specific action plan and try to stick with it as much as possible. With a strong action plan in place, you can track your timeline more effectively and stay organized. You won't have to worry about losing track of your campaigns while making sure it launches as planned.  

Creating a plan can also help ensure that everyone on your team is on the same page. Otherwise, your campaigns might not flourish if your team members are unaware of certain changes or progress. 

Remain Efficient with a Well-Planned Marketing Strategy 

If you can develop and implement an ongoing marketing strategy that's worth sticking to, you'll be able to drive success for your business in several ways. With sufficient planning, you can keep all of your marketing efforts organized, set realistic and attainable goals, achieve those goals, and significantly boost sales. You'll also have the chance to increase and maintain audience engagement with high-quality content, adapt to changes in your industry faster, and take other steps to stay ahead of competitors. 

By planning well ahead and taking the time to put a solid plan into effect, you'll give your business the ability to thrive. As you familiarize yourself with the planning process, you'll also get increasingly efficient along with your employees. The more time and effort you spend on your marketing plans, the more successful they'll be as you figure out what works for your business.