Spring is here, and with summer just around the corner, there is a strong likelihood that many of your clients will be taking extended vacations with their families. This might allow you more “free time” to focus on other areas of your business development. One area in particular, is the overall development of generating leads to your company.

Many companies have a documented marketing plan that is set up by their marketing department or by a contracted hire. It outlines the details of future marketing endeavors and the progression of business growth versus the rate of return over time.The cost of this document to be produced can be pricey for a company, especially if the company is not proactive about pursuing the marketing recommendations produced in this lengthy document. Take these simple initiatives to create a solid foundation for developing an effective marketing strategy.

Here are 3 ways to start effectively implementing a marketing strategy for your company.

1. Set up realistic expectations and a detailed timeline.

Remember that good marketing is constantly adapting and changing to a clients’ desires. It does take a certain amount of time and effort to see your marketing efforts grow, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see the results you want right away. Make sure that your team is on the same page in terms of understanding the time it will take to reach these marketing goals.

Your current marketing strategy should have a detailed project timeline. This will help employees understand when certain tasks need to be done and keep things organized overall. We recommend utilizing a content calendar which has specific dates and times to release social media posts. You can also use project management platforms to make management easier.

2. Have a clear end goal.

Where do you want to see your business a year from now? A month from now, or even by the end of this week? Having goals sets up a direction for yourself and your company to work towards and allows for progress to actually be measured, which will be both helpful and encouraging for you and your team. Use SMART Goals to help you create attainable objectives for your inbound marketing strategy.

Sensible expectations

Measurable efforts

Achievable plans

Realistic objectives

Time specific goals to keep you motivated

3. Execute precise competitor analysis.

Tracking competitors is vital in knowing your progress in terms of your industry growth. Looking at core competitor’s marketing strengths, whether its their website or campaigns, can help you determine what your company should be capitalizing its marketing resources on. Using marketing reporting software can be expensive, but it helps with competitor research for online marketing. The purpose of the competitive analysis is to determine the strengths and weaknesses of competitors within your market. Use the competition’s strengths to learn from and exploit any weaknesses that can be used to disrupt the product life cycle. There are also free analytics tools through various social media platforms that are helpful