Spring is here again in New England!  The sun is shining a bit more warmly, the birds are singing in the morning, the bees are buzzing around the blossoms.  Everything is greening up and feeling fresh.  It makes me want to refresh my surroundings with productive spring cleaning.  What does this have to do with marketing?  Lots.

Marketing plans should undergo a spring refresh as well.  We are approaching the half-way mark in the year and what have we done so far to further business? To find out, pull out your marketing plan and read it through. Here are a few things you should be looking at specifically:

• What are your goals?  Are the goals you set this winter still appropriate?  Do you need to tweak them or add something new?
• What are your priorities?  You really can’t do everything at once, so selecting the most critical components of your plan and then attaching actionable items will help you to be successful.
• What have you made progress on?  Compare your outlook calendar to the actionable items of your plan. Do they line up?  Have you scheduled yourself to act upon your goals in small, attainable steps?
• What to do next?  Look at what you set out to do in the start of the year and compare what you have actually accomplished.  What is the next logical step for you to take?
• Is your plan missing something that you could be working on?  If you notice any gaps, fill them in and add actionable items to your calendar and plan.

These are some very high level questions to ask yourself, but they will lead you in the right direction for reconnecting with your goals.

We all know that marketing plans only work if they are used. So, don’t allow your plan to sit on a shelf in the shadows. If your plan isn’t being used, it is time to edit it so that it becomes your road map. Remember, we are talking baby steps here. Don’t be afraid to act upon something. Sudden change should never derail you, but rather invigorate you to try something new within your plan. Just be sure that everything you undertake furthers your business goals.

Finally, calendar appointments to remind yourself to review and update your plan from time to time.  Keeping it in the forefront of your to-do list keeps marketing top of mind.  Continuously working at it will make you successful.