Creating Project Plans

One of the final tools we provide in building your plan is a Project Plan Template. This tool allows you to outline the details of a specific marketing activity.

We think of a Project Plan as a detailed recipe that anyone can pick-up and – with the right ingredients – prepare. Project Plans are excellent tools, not only for working out details, but for providing assignments to team members and any outside vendors you may work with.

In the Project Plan you’ll provide:

• Program Description – A summary – in plain words – explaining what this program is about and intends to accomplish.
• Success Measures – What you will measure to indicate success (or lack of success if the measures don’t change)
• Project Team – List the names of the people who will support this effort and their role. This helps make job assignments clear.
• Milestones & Tasks – Provides essential steps to achieving this project. This is one of the most important parts of the Project Plan – breaking it down into individual pieces. Also, provide due dates for each task and who will be leading each task.
• Budget Costs & Time Commitments – Where you document the things you’ll need to buy (supplies, tools, equipment) as well as labor investment. This helps you understand your investment of money and labor for the project.

Since each marketing activity you pursue will have its own Project Plan, when you’re done planning you’ll have more Project Plans than any other item.

As we said, these are the recipes! So, let’s get cookin’!

, that completes the Build Your Plan section of the Step-By-Step Guide. Now, onto implementing your plan…