One thing I’ve learned from both marathon training and my experience working at Arlington Strategy, is that having a marketing strategy and running plan makes all the difference.
Planning for a Race (or a Marketing Campaign)
When I’m preparing for a race, I don’t just wake up one day and decide to run 20 miles because someone on Instagram said it changed their life. Many people follow popular plans without realizing that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for everyone. I’ve learned that a high-volume plan of easier runs works best for me, while others may prefer fewer runs that focus on speed or pacing. It’s crucial to find a training plan that suits you.
My weekly training includes six runs: three easy, one track workout, one tempo, and one long run. This specific training plan, with a gradual increase in distance over the weeks, has allowed me to progress in my running without injury or burnout. I also try to do yoga every morning, prioritize sleep, and focus on myself throughout this journey—even if it means saying no to late nights or activities that don’t support my training goals.
I follow a high-carb diet (I love Bobo’s oat bars as a pre-run snack) and pay attention to how I’m feeling. If I wake up and don’t feel like running, I don’t force myself; I allow for flexibility because being too rigid in a training plan is not ideal. Life can be unpredictable, and it’s important to account for that. I take my rest days seriously; to be honest, I love my rest days, which usually involve a good book and indulging in way too much granola.
The biggest lessons from marathon training also apply to marketing: lasting results come from a plan that fits your needs and allows for flexibility—not from jumping at every trend.
What Is A Marketing Plan?
A marketing plan works similarly to a running plan. It is the foundation that tells you what to do and when. Just as a marathon training plan tells you how much you should run each week and at what pace, a marketing plan will tell you where your brand needs to show up, what you need to be talking about, and how much you should be spending.
How to Create a Marketing Plan
Identify Goals
When designing a marketing plan, begin by clearly defining your goals. Do you want to increase brand awareness or generate leads? Just as a marathon training plan differs from a Couch-to-5 K plan, a brand awareness campaign differs from a lead generation campaign.
Determining and documenting your goals will set you on the right path to developing a marketing strategy that helps you achieve them.
Design a Marketing Strategy to Meet Your Goals
You can work with a marketing agency to help you develop a comprehensive marketing plan to achieve your goals. Just as you should not blindly follow the running plan from a social media influencer without any external validation, you should do your homework on whoever you work with to develop a marketing strategy.
If your business is local, ask around and see who knows your local market best. A local marketing agency with a proven record of connecting businesses with local customers will know your local market and customers more than any large online marketing firm could.
Can ChatGPT Develop a Marketing Plan?
Absolutely! ChatGPT can be a valuable resource for businesses seeking to develop a marketing plan. However, we caution that a marketing plan generated by AI might overlook the hidden gems and opportunities that only a local marketing agency can identify. A reputable agency will work with your in-house plan (even if you created it with an AI tool!) and adapt it for your real-world needs.
Implementing Your Marketing Plan
Just as a marathon training plan alone won’t get you to the start line prepared for a marathon, simply having a marketing plan is not enough. To be ready to run a marathon, you need to actually hit the pavement and run those miles on the plan.
Once you have a marketing plan, dedicate time to its implementation. A significant amount of thought is invested in developing a marketing plan. Letting it sit on the shelf will do nothing. To achieve the goals you set for your business, you need to execute the marketing plan as prescribed. This means setting aside enough time and resources to get it done.
Don’t Derail Your Marketing Strategy
Every day, there is a new marketing product, a new social media trend, or other marketing tactics ready to distract you.
While well-intentioned, someone on the team (or the boss 😉) might say:
- “Let’s jump on this viral sensation!”
- “What if we added an influencer campaign?”
- “Can we sponsor my son’s baseball team?”
- “Can we jump-start leads with a Google Ads campaign?”
While these ideas may be exciting, remember that following trends without a strategy can distract you from what truly drives results.
Tips to Effectively Implement Your Marketing Strategy
At Arlington Strategy, we develop and implement marketing strategies for companies ranging from small, local businesses to large regional organizations and international franchises. What we’ve learned is that sticking to the plan, with some common-sense flexibility, is the pathway to success for most businesses. Well-intentioned collaborators will always offer new ideas for consideration, but each new thing will pull attention and resources away from your marketing plan.
Without clear implementation leadership, this noise can lead to confusion and setbacks. With a limited budget and time for marketing and implementation, every time your business chases a trend or new marketing tactic, you are possibly setting yourself back in your overall marketing plan if they don’t align with your overall marketing strategy..
When you feel the urge to chase something new, here are three things to consider:
- Assess the plan.
Ask yourself if the plan is the problem. You created it for a reason. Trust that process, but be open to discovering that things have changed and the plan may need to be updated. But if you are asking yourself this too often, the problem isn’t the plan, it is too many shiny distractions
- Adjust with purpose, not panic.
If something new aligns with your strategy, great! But don’t shift direction just because it’s trendy. New opportunities do come up unexpectedly, and sometimes an out of plan idea is worth doing.
- Consistency beats chaos.
Long-term success stems from consistently showing up, staying focused, and executing effectively. It might get boring, but it is effective.
Real Growth Comes from Steady Progress
Whether you’re training for a marathon or managing a marketing campaign, real growth comes from steady progress and adhering to your plan (not from random bursts of energy or trying every new idea).
So, the next time you’re in the middle of a campaign and a flashy new concept catches your eye, take a moment. Ask yourself: Does this truly help us reach our goals? If it does, AWESOME! Make room for it. But if it doesn’t? Stay the course.
In a fast-paced marketing world, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind if you’re not jumping on every trend, hack, or influencer tip. However, brands that commit to their plan, stay focused, and keep things simple achieve long-term growth and success. Prioritize strategy and follow through to stand out and endure.
Trendy moments may come and go, but a strong strategy will lead you across the finish line.
