A marketing plan assists you to integrate your total marketing effort. It ensures a systematic approach to developing products and services to meet and satisfy your customers’ needs.

When you’re writing a marketing plan you need to be clear about your objectives and how you’ll achieve them. A good marketing plan sets clear, realistic and measurable objectives, includes deadlines, provides a budget and allocates responsibilities. A plan can consist of these elements:

analysis of your current market
your business objectives
key strategies
steps to achieving your objectives
proposed budget
timing

Remember that your marketing plan should remain an ongoing process throughout the life of your business.