10 reasons your 2012 marketing plans may fail to get results

If you are not done preparing a 2012 marketing plan, or if you are not in the midst of writing one, you are behind the eight ball.

Last year, I shared an annual marketing plan template that should come in handy again this year. (More than 2,000 people have downloaded it.) My firm uses this template for its own marketing purposes, and its marketing consultants use it with clients as well.

To help you put together a marketing plan for 2012, here’s a reminder of top 10 reasons that marketing plans fail.

1. No written marketing plan. An obvious one, but if you don’t take the time to create a marketing plan, your marketing will flounder in 2012.

2. Goals are poorly defined. Every good plan starts by defining goals. If you don’t do this, there’s no point in preparing a marketing plan. Make sure marketing goals are aligned with the business plan and with key business objectives.

3. Unattainable goals. There’s little worse than working a plan where the goals are not even possible. Set realistic marketing goals that can be achieved if the marketing plan is executed well.