Entries from December 2007
My Shortcuts for Writing a B2B Marketing Plan
- Schedule appointments with yourself in your calendar in block out the time you need to work on your marketing plan.
- Start planning with an outline. Goals. Strategies for meeting those goals. Tactics for implementing those strategies. Costs. Timing. Owner. Due date.
- Write the executive summary last. It might be first in the table of contents, but it is intended to be a summary of the following, more detailed information rather than the starting point in your plan writing.
- Keep the plan high level. For example if your tactics include ads in trade magazines, it may not be necessary to identify the specific magazines or ad formats until it is time to implement. However, you might need to have given that some thought for determining the budget required and in order to be able to answer specific questions that come up when discussing the plan.
- Break the planning and writing into chunks. Work on one specific goal, the strategies for accomplishing that goal, and the tactics for implementing those strategies. Then start on the next goal.
- Interview key stakeholders before finalizing your plan. Your boss. Your boss’ boss. The sales VP. The loudmouth top producer and the quiet but passive-agressive sales rep. This will help insure their buy in and allow you to add in things that they think are important.
- Realize that nobody ever has enough money or staff needed to implement the perfect marketing plan and all the tactics in includes. Instead, prioritize and focus your plan on the five or so most important tactics for implementing each of a handful of strategies designed specifically to help meet the company’s sales goals.
- Consider a three-option plan: The first option designed to meet the company’s minimum sales goal. The second option designed to help meet a target sales goal (the minimum plan + these additional tactics.) The third designed to meet a “double the business” or stretch goal (the target plan + these additional tactics.) Then, rather than cutting your proposed budget, your senior corporate and financial management can pick the plan and corresponding marketing budget that is tied to the right sales goal.
- Add some “nice to have” tactics, in addition to your “need to have” tactics, into the marketing plan and budget. These become the sacrificial lambs if management decides it must cut the budget.
- Add activity calendars and spreadsheets of budget numbers as attachments. Later you can use these same documents to manage the implementation of the plan.
- The audience determines the delivery format: Lender or investor? It must be polished. Internal decision makers and implementers? Depends on the company culture but a PowerPoint™ or spreadsheet might be all you need.
- Bonus tip: Consider renting a hotel room for a day or two and go there to work on pulling together the final written plan and its attachments without interruption.
How to Write a Marketing Plan (with some tips)
The “Marketing-for-leads” Approach
Let me show you how I walk through developing a marketing plan. The primary goal of a “marketing for leads” marketing plan is to stimulate prospects or customers to declare themselves interested in your company’s products or services; to generate sales leads that are opportunities for new sales and/or additional sales to existing customers.
Branding and awareness building is important too, but has different metrics. Blend your branding plan with the marketing-for-leads program for a cohesive strategy. Or let your brand messages come along for the ride with your lead generation messages.
Is there a specific format for a marketing plan?
In general, the format of your marketing plan depends on which audience it needs to communicate to. A simple on-screen presentation may be good enough when it is only being used as an internal working document. However, if you’re presenting to potential investors who you need to impress and who want to see all the thinking that went into your plan, you may opt for something as advanced as a multi-faceted document with tables of contents and numerous graphics and attached spreadsheets.
What information needs to be in it?
A typical marketing plan is written in this order:
- Executive Summary
- Mission Statement
- Situation Analysis
- Goals
- Marketing Strategies
- Marketing communications Tactics
- Resource and Budget Requirements
- Implementation Plan
- Supplementary Information
Executive Summary
The Executive Summary distills the key points from the entire plan into a one-page overview. Keep it readable. Although it appears at the beginning of the plan, write this section last because your plan will go through changes as you write it.
Viral videos for marketing: A difficult balance
Many viral ads are fun, funny or clever, but few do a good job of really selling the product.
While taking a break after teaching a webinar from my home office, I was watching the top five viral videos that were mentioned in an e-newsletter I subscribe to from Marketing Vox.
When my wife, Andrea, came into my office to ask how the webinar went. She sat down and watched with me.
After watching the first one, Gorilla Drummer which was interesting and fun, Andrea said, “I don’t get what this has to do with the product.” The product, a chocolate bar, was only shown briefly at the end.
We both agreed that the second one, loosely promoting a alcoholic green tea beverage, was funny, but way too long.
The third one, sponsored by a leading manufacturer of sunglasses according to Marketing Vox, was interesting, but also never mentioned the brand, Ray-Ban™, directly. I’m guessing they thought that we all would recognize the sunglasses in the video as being their brand. The risk is that the audience of this viral video may be too young to recognized the iconic look of Ray-Bans.
I thought the fourth one from a blender manufacturer, Blendtec, was the most effective overall. It not only was provocative, making it a good candidate for going viral, it also clearly demonstrated the product in action and offered up a website to learn (see?) more. My wife commented that she sure hoped our kids didn’t see the video, as she didn’t want them trying it at home. But she also suggested I send it to a friend of ours.
The fifth video, although clearly not aimed at my demographic (old and married), was clearly effective at selling the implied “benefit” of a body spray for young men. I’m guessing any male teenager with horomones raging would understand the message clearly. Even this old guy got the message, as did his wife.
Although these are the top five viral ad videos, I’ll bet these last two translated into far more sales than the first three!
Even though these examples are not business-to-business advertising, I think there are lessons we B2B marketers can learn from them.
The main lesson is that the hard part is making the video interesting, funny or provocative enough to go viral, while selling the product at the same time. Hats off to Blendtec and Lynx and/or their agencies for doing so.
I also wonder, is anyone tracking results such as a lift in sales as a measure of success? Or are they only bragging about how many views the videos got?
Get in your prospect’s comfort zone: The right offer at the right time
“Will you marry me?”
This offer will get you a chilly reception from someone you’ve just met. You’d sound half-crazy popping the question unless you nurture the relationship at the right pace and offer what the other person is looking for.
Same thing goes for B2B marketing. Sure, a salesperson can get lucky with an occasional prospect, but counting on the magic happening instantly isn’t the way to build a stream of sales-ready leads. Build trust by developing the relationship.
“Will you go out with me?”
Here’s the “first date” of the sales cycle. You’ve just identified a prospective customer and you need to provide background information and answer the questions that are important to that specific customer. Offer educational materials such as case studies, white papers, how-to articles and decision-maker kits until they’re ready to go to the next level.
“Here’s what we’re really like.”
In this “middle date” stage, the interest has been shown and you can move into more details. A self-assessment tool, technical white papers and webinars require more participation from potential customers, but they also target the solutions to each prospect’s situation. Show you’ll be there for them to help build a sales-winning relationship.
“So how about it?”
When the prospect gets comfortable with your company, start to make more serious advances: offers or calls-to-action. Although it’s not time to pop the question, smaller commitments move prospects toward choosing your company. For instance:
- Invite them to all-day seminars delving into implementation details.
- Offer demos or low-cost or free needs assessments.
- Ask whether your salespeople can meet with their decision makers to present customized proposals or quotations.
- Consider making “buy now” deals offering discounts or additional products or services bundled in for a lower cost.
What if you don’t know where prospects are in their buying cycles? In that case, make offers appropriate for every stage and let people find their own comfort zone.
How to propose
What makes a good offer or call-to-action?
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They must be genuinely enticing.
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They must move the buying process forward. Satisfy prospects’ key concerns.
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They should be “self-qualifying.” Don’t offer something anyone would want. Provide what a qualified prospect is looking for.
How do you put them together?
- Repackage or update the information you already have.
- See if your suppliers have white papers, evaluation guides or other materials you may use.
- Join forces with your suppliers to provide combination sales pieces or newsletters.
Prospects must clearly understand what they’ll gain from choosing your company and its products or services. They need to believe that what you’re marketing will help them achieve their goals, and they must trust your company to deliver on its promises.
Getting to that point requires making the right offers or calls-to-action for each stage of your prospect’s buying process, from awareness and inquiry to consideration to purchase. You’ll build strong, valuable relationships with your customers that will last for many years to come.
Reminder: Mac McIntosh’s B2B Marketing Webinar is Next Thursday, Dec. 13
A fresh quote from an attendee to a live seminar I gave November 29th:
I just finished (Mac’s) marketing boot camp this afternoon. All I can say is it was AWESOME!!! and an excellent use of our time.
Michael Noel
Creative 2000 Computer Solutions
Webinar: Proven B2B Marketing Strategies & Tactics for Generating More Qualified Sales Leads
Date: Thu Dec 13, 2007
Time: 2:00 PM, USA Eastern (11:00 AM, USA Pacific)
Duration: 1 Hour
Price: $127.00
If you’ve already registered for this live online seminar, here’s a reminder to tune in at 2:00 PM Eastern, 11:00 AM Pacific on December 13. If you haven’t registered yet, I hope you’ll join me for a session that will make your B2B marketing take off!
By attending you’ll learn lots of proven, cost-effective marketing strategies, tactics and tips you can put to work right away to generate more sales-ready, qualified leads that your salespeople, reps, resellers and distributors can turn into new business.
Crowd as many people as you want around your monitor, or set it up in your conference room. I’m sure others in your organization will be able to take advantage of the useful tips and techniques that work for my clients time and again. I believe the $97 and hour you spend with me online will help you get much more bang for your marketing buck!
As a special bonus for the readers of this blog, get $30 off the $127 registration fee when you register:
- $30 Off Promotion Code: Learn (Add it on the registration page that asks for your credit card information)
- Registration & Information
Feel free to email me at or call me at 401-294-7730 with any questions.
