For small businesses have a manageable size marketing plan is essential. What do I mean by manageable? One page.

On the one hand you should have just gotten excited, I mean after all who can’t write a one page plan. On the other hand you might saying are you kidding me…I can do just a one page plan.

First, let’s answer the doubters that feel their marketing plan should be more than one page. For them the question is simple. Take a look at your last marketing plan…did you fully implement it? Did it get you the results you wanted? Hmmm…I thought so. For the 2-3% who answered of it did, you can stop reading and go check out something else on the internet.

For the rest of us, keep in mind for small business owners it is implementation not ideas that keeps us from reaching our full potential. So by keeping your marketing plan simple, it by its nature will be easier to carry out. Make sense? So at least to start, try to keep your plan to a single page and be a radical when it comes to implementation. Implementation is so important, because if you don’t full implement something then it is very difficult to evaluate it. The lack of follow through is a killer to your success.

Keep in mind you are likely just like your customers and prospects. So benchmark your marketing behavior against your own response. For instance, will you go to a store or restaurant the first time you see and ad or marketing materials about that business? I think most of us would say probably not. Why, part of the reason is because we have existing habits any loyalties, you know we are creatures of habits. So if you wouldn’t behave this way then don’t expect the rest of the world to react any differently than you would!

That is why having a plan and being consistent in marketing is important. It is doubtful you would have a plan that was to try one thing and then stop all other things for a few months. In fact, the most effective marketing programs are a blend of activities. But if you one execute one of the activities and get too distracted to implement the others can you honestly evaluate your marketing program? I think not.

By the way, the exception to the above comments is if you business is truly unique and has demand. And I mean truly unique like, I have the only place to by sporting goods in fifty miles unique.  Not, my twist on sporting goods is different from the 20 other places people can by sporting goods in a 10 mile radius of my location.