Creating an Action Plan

Oct 24, 2015

Why do we talk about goal setting so much? Good question. In order to achieve success, one must first have a desired outcome in mind. A goal can be described as a Creating an Action Plangeneral statement of your desired outcome. In order to get to where you want to be, it is important to set aside time to create a plan of action as to how you are going to achieve your marketing and business goals. We’ve decided to lay out for you the four key components to consider when creating an effective action plan.

Creating an Action Plan

There are four main parts to an action plan. First, you begin with goals, and then continue to branch down into your supporting objectives, strategies, and finally, tactics. Let’s take a closer look.

Goals

Goals can be considered the staring point of your action plan. A goal is a general statement of the outcome that you want. Where do you want to be in five years time? Be specific, and be measurable. It can be very helpful to use incremental words such as “increase”, “grow”, “maintain”.

Objectives Creating an Action Plan

Now that we have an overreaching goal set in place, it is important to support it with clear objectives. Objectives are more specific parts of your bigger picture goal. They can also be considered milestones that you want to reach in striving to achieve your goal. In making objectives, it is important to consider your target audiences. Keep in mind that Objectives are what you are going to get, not how you are going to get there. Ultimately, have a deadline for your objectives. It keeps things on a schedule and keeps you motivated.

Strategies

Strategies are how you move from objective to objective. As you can see, we continually become more and more specific. Creating an action plan that is effective considers multiple different working parts and components. Your strategies are essentially an outline for how you are going to achieve the objectives you have made. Often times, this is where budget comes into play. It is important to take this into consideration when continuing with your planning.

Tactics

Finally, when creating an action plan, you want to think about the actions you will take based on your strategy to achieve objectives. All in all, this coincides with reaching your end goal made in step 1. Tactics can be considered daily tasks, and play a huge role in making your action plan both cohesive and effective.