5 Key Reasons to Map out an Effective Marketing Plan

3. To bring focus to your marketing efforts.' A'thoughtful marketing plan and budget will help you be more effective in your marketing activities on a day-to-day basis if there are benchmarks of what you are trying to achieve and for whom.

Lawyers should spend most marketing dollars and, more importantly, time, on initiatives which'will result in actually achieving measurable goals such as:

1. ' '1. Developing a strong network of business contacts;
2. ' '2. Increasing name recognition among prospects and prospective referral sources;
3. ' '3. Targeting new clients.

4.'A Marketing Plan and Budget Creates'Measurable Objectives'to Evaluate Success.' How will you evaluate'if it'has been a successful year? Will it depend upon'management's subjective memories'or can you devise'measurable objectives to compare'results against? How will you determine where to focus future marketing efforts and dollars if you don't know if a given initiative worked as designed?

5. A Marketing Plan and Budget Demonstrates'Your Commitment to'Your Business – Realistically, if you can't (or won't) dedicate focused thought and energy to develop'a solid marketing plan and budget to develop'business, how can you expect your business results to improve?

As lawyers confront fierce competitive forces day after day, is there really anything more important to the success of your'practice than to plan'for its'success?'
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The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to take control of your career by developing a practical, step-by-step marketing plan to guide your business development and marketing activities throughout the year.' Commit to making 2014 a more strategic, deliberate year for your marketing efforts.' Five reasons why young lawyers should create a marketing plan and budget for 2014 are:

1.'To “map” and'drive business development direction.'It's tough, if not impossible, to track progress in your marketing efforts without a written, well-conceived plan which concisely states your objectives, who you are'(or should be) trying to reach, and what you are realistically trying to achieve within a given timeframe.'

2. To avoid spending foolishly. In these challenging economic times, lawyers cannot afford to spend'marketing'dollars unwisely, on an ad hoc basis. Each expenditure should be a part of a cohesive plan. Make every dollar work hard and be measurable'towards your stated'goals.

3. To bring focus to your marketing efforts.' A'thoughtful marketing plan and budget will help you be more effective in your marketing activities on a day-to-day basis if there are benchmarks of what you are trying to achieve and for whom.

Lawyers should spend most marketing dollars and, more importantly, time, on initiatives which'will result in actually achieving measurable goals such as:

1. ' '1. Developing a strong network of business contacts;
2. ' '2. Increasing name recognition among prospects and prospective referral sources;
3. ' '3. Targeting new clients.

4.'A Marketing Plan and Budget Creates'Measurable Objectives'to Evaluate Success.' How will you evaluate'if it'has been a successful year? Will it depend upon'management's subjective memories'or can you devise'measurable objectives to compare'results against? How will you determine where to focus future marketing efforts and dollars if you don't know if a given initiative worked as designed?

5. A Marketing Plan and Budget Demonstrates'Your Commitment to'Your Business – Realistically, if you can't (or won't) dedicate focused thought and energy to develop'a solid marketing plan and budget to develop'business, how can you expect your business results to improve?

As lawyers confront fierce competitive forces day after day, is there really anything more important to the success of your'practice than to plan'for its'success?'
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