“If no plan is in place,” notes Alex Detweiler, VP of Business Services at NEWITY, “entrepreneurs essentially throw their marketing budget against the wall and hope that something sticks.”
If you don’t have a marketing background it can be tough to know where to start. Alex Detweiler sat down with Emily Bibb, co-founder of the agency marketplace Breef, to talk about the logistics behind building a marketing roadmap for your business.
As a former small business owner herself, Emily is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs with the knowledge and powerful tools to help them grow their companies.
The Anatomy of the Modern Brand
As a small business owner, the pressure to be “faster, quicker, stronger” is very real. One essential method for achieving this is to utilize social media channels such as Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok, among others – channels that are “always on.” Companies have also been forced to adjust to new norms in the business world, including dispersed teams, unconventional organizational charts, and fluid budgets to adjust strategies efficiently and effectively.
The Opportunities are Endless
Modern marketing doesn’t sleep. The number of potential channels and project areas is growing on a monthly, weekly, and even daily basis – this means that the opportunity for small businesses to get their messages out has never been greater, but the sheer volume of options can feel very overwhelming. This is why sitting down and making a plan is so crucial. Without one, it’s easy to get off track quickly.
What is a Marketing Roadmap?
A roadmap is a specific plan and timeline for your annual marketing projects, initiatives, and campaigns. It is not a checklist. Obviously, things change and businesses need to adjust regularly, so consider it a planning tool to outline priorities and communicate your team’s overall direction internally and externally. Think of it as the “who, what, when, where, and why,” that lead back to specific goals/KPIs such as awareness, conversion, and community. Common (but powerful) tools to put together your business’ roadmap include:
When Should You Outsource Some of These Goals?
The answer to this question boils down to “outsource where you have a gap,” says Emily Bibb. What isn’t covered via the expertise that you have in-house? Is your team strapped for time and can’t meet deadlines? Outsourcing with agencies is often key to help execute initiatives on your marketing roadmap. Examples of times it’s appropriate to outsource include:
- You need experts in a niche industry or area of marketing
- There’s a gap in knowledge or skills on your internal team
- You have a strict timeline
- You’re working within a tight budget
- You don’t have an internal marketing team
