Many small business owners face a common challenge – you become the Chief Everything Officer. With only so many hours in the day, taking a break can feel impossible. This leads to exhaustion and limited scalability due to your central role. But here's the wake-up call: you're the weak link.
Introduction We heard from our customers that there was a strong desire to better integrate marketing with operations. Many felt their ROI from marketing was declining and they were having to work harder whilst getting less. To help, we thought it best to start at the planning stage first before moving into more specific marketing activities. The reasoning being that once you have a high-level plan you will be able to focus on detailed campaigns at the appropriate time and ultimately get more from your effort because it becomes focused and the result will be of higher quality. We would like to offer a simple framework “the 7 Questions” that will help you plan and set your marketing goals. We didn’t invent it, this approach to planning has been refined over centuries by the British Military. We have simply adapted it with the help of others and using our own experiences. There are other methods available, we like this as it can be adapted to most situations. Goal setting is not just about listing down the things you want to achieve. It’s important to have a proper framework in place to make sure you stay on track and make consistent progress. This is what goal setting is all about: clearly define your goals, set a path to achieve them and track the progress you make along the way. These questions will help you create an actionable plan that addresses different aspects of a given problem. The 7 questions (adapted): What is the other side doing and why? - This is your “As Is” state. Simply - What is happening. What are your competitors doing, how is your business performing, how are your customer expectations changing, what channels are being used etc. This question provides general context. How should my marketing goals line up with the business? This is your “To Be” state, or your North Star. What are the core pillars of the overarching business strategy and how can marketing activities support them? What outcomes do I want to have? Essentially, what are you aiming to achieve with your marketing efforts? Using SMART goals that are relevant to the whole business is essential. Don't just have a list of to-do’s but clear objectives, such as increase referrals or attract a new customer segment. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time Based) Where can I best accomplish each outcome? Understand the context and your target market, what works for one group may not work for another. Consider each of the outcomes by your different customer segments and decide what channels, activities and initiatives are going to be most effective in reaching your goals. Prioritise the areas which will be most impactful. What resources do I need to accomplish each outcome? This will help further prioritise your activities. Pick a few things and do them really well, rather than do everything averagely. If you can afford everything, great but in reality you need to balance allocating enough time, and money to each activity. When and where do these actions take place in relation to each other? This is where a sequenced road map should be created. We suggest making a marketing calendar to track and plan activities and keep yourself accountable. Be sure to include the lead times required and post campaign activities such as reviewing the results. Don’t make it exhaustive as it will become a burden and fall by the wayside, but do consider starting with the key marketing activities with each aim. What control measures do I need to impose? This question relates to governance, risk management and benefits tracking. In other words, what could go wrong and how can I adjust in the event that something goes wrong? We believe if you focus on the inputs that you can control, it will ultimately lead to the desired outputs. Effective and consistent measurement allows you to watch for trends, detect any warning signs early, and take appropriate action by addressing anomalies. Conclusion In conclusion, by adopting a structured planning framework, it will enable you to align marketing efforts and prioritise resources effectively. Emphasising SMART goals and consistent measurement ensures adaptability and resilience. With planning and consistent execution, you can navigate challenges, drive meaningful results. We will delve into tools and tactics in future articles. What to see how this approach can be applied to your business? Book a Free Review with us today, and discover how to empower your business for sustainable growth.
