How to Write a Marketing Plan

Abstract: Stressing the importance of marketing for the bottom line, Kassel gives seven steps for creating a marketing plan after you've defined your target market and understood its needs.

These steps are:

1. prepare a mission statement;
2. list and describe target or niche markets;
3. describe your services;
4. spell out marketing and promotional strategies;
5. identify and understand the competition;
6. establish marketing goals that are quantifiable; and
7. monitor your results carefully.

Review

I like that Kassel opens with "define your target market and understand its needs" and ends by recommending assessment.

However, I disagree with the way she downplays direct selling. I think that one-on-one, in-person marketing often nets more gain then other channels. Much successful marketing these days is done through the personal touch and succeeds through informal word-of-mouth channels (see Spohr).

Kassel, Amelia. (1999). How to Write a Marketing Plan. Marketing Library Services, 13(5). Retrieved November 9, 2008, from http://www.infotoday.com/mls/jun99/how-to.htm