Set Goals: Your 2010 Marketing Budget & Plan

The end of the year is a good time to sit back and analyze the year's marketing successes and failures. However, it is also a good time to assess if your marketing efforts match your business goals. When you sit down to plan your 2010 marketing budget and schedule, follow this checklist:

Study Your Business.
Evaluate each of your products/services?
What products/services need to be cut or marginalized?
Who are your target customers for each product/service?
How much money can you devote to marketing?

Set Your Business Goals.
What are your business goals?Where are your best opportunities to grow?
Review Your Marketing Efforts To Date.
Have you over or under promoted any sector of your business?
Where have you dedicated the most money (online, print, radio)?
What efforts offered the best return for your money?
How did budget limitations effect your choices?

Align Your Marketing with Your Budget & Goals.
1. Identify any areas where you might be able to cross-promote.

2. Find out the target demographic of every marketing effort available to you - even if you don't think it's a good fit, analyze the medium's reach, special promotional or partnership opportunities and changes expected to the medium in the next year.

3. Eliminate any avenue that does not hit your target demographic, even though it might appeal to you personally. Then, prioritize the remainder and try to negotiate a bulk buy. Don't forget that sometimes trade or gift cards work as payment for an ad.

4. Don't focus on one medium or one time of year. Make sure your schedule includes a presence online as well as through networking, print, public relations or social media.

5. If you don't have the time or skills for web management, public relations or social media, find an intern or allocate part of your budget to hiring the proper specialist.

6. Measure each effort with a unique Web site landing page, promotion code, coupon or unique phone number.

7. Review your marketing plan quarterly, at minimum. However, ideally you want to reassess monthly.

8. Include Web site updates and maintenance in your monthly schedule.

9. Take your ideal marketing plan and trim it to fit your budget. Keep your marketing efforts that have the most reach at the top of your list.

10. Treat your business as important as your customers and adhere to goals for marketing efforts that require your time.