The "Internet Marketing Plan" - Your Roadmap to Success
It never ceases to amaze me how few companies have a suitable Internet
marketing plan, let alone one that is actively maintained.
Many companies operate under the myth that their overall marketing
plan can simply include an online component. The Internet however,
is not just another channel. It offers an entirely new way of doing
business. It deserves - and necessitates - a separate, in-depth
marketing plan.
Having a "site map" but no Internet marketing plan is like having
a street map for the wrong city. An Internet marketing plan is your
compass that points you in the right direction.
One of the more important concepts to grasp when developing your
plan is the difference between objectives, strategies and tactics.
Objectives set the vision, and as such must be defined first. Strategies
are ideas and approaches put that vision into action. Finally follow
the tactics and technologies that bring those strategies to fruition.
A plan thought out in any other order puts the cart before the horse.
A typical plan is broken down into the following sections: Executive
Summary, Statistics, Strategies, Budget, Task Force, Program Implementation,
and Summary. It’s not that different from a traditional marketing
plan.
- Executive Summary: This is a succinct overview of your
plan at the 30,000 foot level. Include why you are writing an
Internet marketing plan, company goals, background and historical
analysis, products and services overview, market size and outlook,
competitors, and potential opportunities.
- Internet Market Statistics: This section portrays the
size and make-up of your market. It includes estimated numbers
of users, users demographics, usage trends in general and within
your industry, user behavior and purchasing authority.
- Marketing Communications Strategies: This section defines
your marketing objectives and goals, and offers specific strategies
for achieving these goals. Before deciding on strategies, you
should review trade publications, competitors’ Web sites and literature,
industry analysts’ reports, etc. for market trends, case studies,
quotes and interviews. Use this information to identify those
market opportunities worth exploring.
- Internet Marketing Budget: In this section, you estimate
costs for the necessary hardware, software, Internet connectivity,
consulting services, employee salaries, advertising, etc.
- Internet Marketing Task Force: Recruit existing staff
from Marketing, Sales, Customer Service, Information Systems,
and Research & Development. You may wish to consider temporary
personnel as needed to fill internal gaps. In-house roles you
will need to fill will include team leader, decision makers, contentmaster,
editor, webmaster, and contributors.
Outside vendors may include Internet Service Providers, Web developers,
interactive agencies, and consultants. Required outsourced roles
will include producer (i.e. project manager), account manager,
design staff, production staff (programmers and HTML coders),
and systems administrator.
- Internet Marketing Program Implementation: In this section,
you should delineate your online marketing activities, discuss
how each activity complements and impacts your traditional marketing,
identify cross-promotional opportunities, evaluate of outside
vendors, and lay out the program launch, schedule and timeline.
- Summary: This section summarizes overall recommendations
for action, reasoning, and timing considerations.
Preparing an Internet Marketing Plan can appear to be a daunting
task. Kim Bayne's book The Internet Marketing Plan will provide
you with a wealth of additional information and templates to help
you on your way.
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