If you find yourself avoiding the task of developing an annual marketing plan, you’re not alone. You know the new year is right around the corner, but it’s also a very busy time of year for most businesses, with the holidays approaching and end-of-year activities going on. It’s easy to view planning for next year’s advertising as too time-consuming or too expensive during a period of time when resources are stretched thin.  But consider this sobering fact:  Businesses without a marketing plan are more likely to fail.

The Importance of Planning Now for 2018

An annual marketing plan is one of the best ways to ensure that you allocate your budget effectively. In addition, it helps you and your team stay on schedule and take the steps necessary to turn your strategy into an action plan. By investing the time to plan now for 2018, you can ensure that your marketing plan supports your business goals, your target audience is clearly identified, and you have a strategy for distinguishing yourself from the competition.

How to Achieve Success With Your 2018 Marketing Plan Using the 21/52 Advertising Strategy

The 21/52 advertising strategy is a straightforward concept:  21 radio ad spots per week, 52 weeks a year. It’s a plan developed for Joplin radio advertising to build brand awareness and keep your business top of mind throughout the year.

The 21/52 plan provides the reach and frequency you need to really make your message stick. Research indicates that hearing a message 3 times helps build recognition and inspires action among consumers. A frequency of 3 provides the ability to influence your audience without spreading your budget too thin or causing commercial burnout among listeners. However, the right frequency also depends on your goals for a particular campaign. An action campaign, for example, where you want to trigger a specific response among consumers — perhaps for a promotion or new product launch — may require listeners to hear your ad more than 3 times.

In addition to frequency, another critical element of the 21/52 plan is consistency, which helps build trust with consumers. Even during peak periods throughout the year, when your sales are typically high and you may be tempted to cut back on advertising, it’s vital to stick with the plan and continue to run ads. Not only is it likely to generate even more sales, it’s also important to maintain brand awareness.

Among the reasons for planning now for your 2018 advertising is to position your company to take full advantage of the 21/52 plan. Developing an advertising plan for next year will allow you to align your purchase of radio spots with your specific goals for 2018 and ensure consistency throughout the year.

Reaching a listener at least 3 times per week maximizes the impact of your ad to build brand awareness, and the 21/52 plan ensures the consistency that helps build trust. By planning now for 2018, you can roll out a plan for the year that is both effective and sustainable.