What Is A Marketing Roadmap

Most people don't realize the true impact of having a marketing plan. Whether your organization is profit or nonprofit, if you have a product, message or mission that you're trying to communicate to the masses, then you definitely need a plan of action. Many businesses have a great product or service, but when asked what their marketing strategy is, they fail to come up with an effective marketing plan to penetrate their targeted audience.

A marketing roadmap is similar to preparing for a trip. How? When taking a trip, you look at where you're headed and map out the best possible route to get to your destination. Let's examine this checklist of seven things you would review prior to traveling on your trip, compared to their navigational significance in your marketing roadmap:

1. TRIP: What is my destination? BUSINESS: What is my goal for my business?

2. TRIP: Who are my traveling companions? BUSINESS: Do I have effective employees, support staff and a targeted market/audience?

3. TRIP: How much money will I need to travel with? BUSINESS: What is my projected marketing budget?

4. TRIP: How will I get to my destination? BUSINESS: What are the marketing vehicles (ie. email, newsletters, mailers, media communication) I will use to reach my targeted market/audience?

5. TRIP: What types of clothes do I need to take with me? BUSINESS: Will I have seasonal, one-time or year-round clients?

6. TRIP: What items do I need to take in case of an emergency? BUSINESS: In the event that something unexpected happens with my initial plans, do I have a backup game plan to continue on the road to reaching my goals?

7. TRIP: What is my trip's ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)? BUSINESS: What are my short and long term business goals (ie. 6 months, 1 year, 5 years and beyond)?

After taking your trip, what were the favorable vs. non-favorable things you experienced? How did you handle any detours? Would you use another mode of transportation for traveling the next time? Did you take enough money with you? These questions can help you understand the dynamics of planning, editing and executing your marketing roadmap. Like reading a map or checking for driving directions online, someone previously traveled down the same road to success that you're traveling and already engineered the best possible routes to take, leading you to through the path of attaining business victory! You don't need to reinvent the wheel, just add an accessory piece to tailor your personalized approach to something already proven to work!

The Most Critical Asset a Job Candidate Must Have to Succeed in Their Job Search - Mindset

Let's face the facts folks. The job market right now is highly competitive. Once upon a time there may have been only 20 people competing for the same job as you. Now, with the economy the way it is, you can multiply that number by 10, if not more. Think about that...quite possibly there are 10, 20, maybe even 30 people competing for the same job as you. Here's where people start to become disheartened, but... I'll tell you a trick that can put you in the forefront of the job race. That secret, that key to your success, is... MINDSET! Mindset and taking stock of yourself can set you apart from the others.

Some people are not familiar with the term mindset and may not know what we mean by that. Mindset is the belief in yourself and your massive potential. You have to reboot your system, and wash away all the propaganda that has been fed to us since birth. Stop thinking about what you are unable to do, or what you don't have the degree for, or that you don't have the right college on your resume. Unleash the concept, and truly believe in the fact that every single person has unique skills and assets to offer any company. Take stock of yourself and understand what your goals are, what would be the ultimate job for you, and how you can go about achieving that job RIGHT NOW.

A useful tip might be to write down on a whiteboard, or even in a journal you might keep, what really drives you. You have to understand yourself enough to know what really drives you, or it will come across in an interview, in your resume, or ultimately land you a job that you are not happy with. Take a personality test. Some may think that is an old-school tactic, but 89 of the Fortune 100 companies rely on the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator to assess each of their candidates, and it has proven to land them the perfect employees time and time again. That shows that these methods are proven, and if they can help employers find employees, then they can certainly help you figure out what job suits you the best.

Once you have taken stock of yourself, and have put yourself in the right mindset to believe that you can truly accomplish every goal you set out for yourself, you will appear more confident in your job search. Your personality and your abilities will shine, and your competitors will appear to be an average candidate...number 256 out of 300, but the interviewer will remember YOU, they will remember your name and the fact that you vocalized that you always wanted to be a chef, a buyer, or a CEO of a technology company. Your passion and conviction will set you apart from the others, and your resume will become merely a list of attributes that is referred back to every now and then.