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Software Marketing Plan

Like any other business plan, a "marketing" plan should be designed to assist a marketer in their long-range planning.

Marketing plans should be a "road map" for marketers, with clearly defined goals and objectives. The progress, or lack of progress, should be measurable and documented.

Use the following agenda to develop a solid marketing plan to guide your marketing efforts.

Define The Business
Explain the purpose of the business and the key business objectives.

Business Analysis
It is a good idea to analyze the industry competitors. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your own business, as well as those of your closest competitors.

Marketing Objectives
Define your marketing objectives in detail, and with very specific goals. Detail the time frames in which you expect to reach or accomplish specified goals. Break larger objectives down into smaller and easier-managed stages/phases, so that you can better monitor their progress over time.

Define A Marketing Budget
Determine how much you can afford to spend on marketing efforts. Determine what the expected ROI is, and how the budget will be managed.

Marketing Strategy
Provide details on how you expect to accomplish each of the defined marketing objectives. Set time frames and goals for each strategy outlined. Strategies don't have to be linear -- you can have multiple strategies running at the same time.

Implementation
Detail the steps necessary to accomplish the outlined objectives and goals. Assign responsibilities, and determine which staffers or departments will be responsible for each step outlined in the marketing strategy.

Goals should be achievable and measurable, and defined by a specific deadlines or periods of time. Sometimes the process of writing down a marketing plan helps marketers clarify their marketing concepts into measurable objectives. Writing a marketing plan is an important exercise for businesses, and often well worth the effort.

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