A marketing plan is essentially nothing more than putting your swirling thoughts and ideas, on paper. Sounds pretty simple, right? Yet, through this process, your thoughts and ideas become concrete goals!

Is that all? Well, almost. In addition to your goals, a marketing plan also includes strategies and the associated budget you establish to achieve those goals.

I think the biggest barrier to anything you set out to do is wondering where to start. So, here's a step-by-step explanation that you can follow to create your marketing plan:

Start by asking yourself the following questions and answering them in a table:

1. What topic/area/product do you want to focus on in the coming year?
This is about selecting areas to promote or improve.

2. Is there a topic/product that your customers haven't responded to as well as you'd like?
This is where you can identify weaknesses in your existing marketing strategy.

3. How much budget can you allocate to marketing for the next year?
This is crucial for setting realistic goals.

4. What worked well this year?
Identify the actions that were already successful to continue using them.

5. What didn't work well this year?
Learning from mistakes is equally important.

6. What are your big goals for your winery (in the next year)?
What do you want to achieve with your marketing strategy?

So, once you've answered these questions, you're already a big step closer, and you've laid the foundation for your marketing plan.

Define your main goal for the next year. This could be, for example:
"I want to better explain my unique winemaking process and highlight the uniqueness of my wines."
"I want to promote and draw attention to my new product, XYZ."
Or, "I want to boost direct sales at my winery and ensure that many customers visit us."

Choose one main theme and perhaps 1-2 "sub-themes." This forms the backbone of your marketing plan.

Now, it's about the money – Ka-Ching €! Consider how much you can invest in this area. This could be an exact calculation based on your profit margin or a fixed amount at your disposal.

Now, it's about research and developing the right strategy for your marketing goals. How can you operationally achieve your goals? What marketing opportunities are available? This can include influencer marketing, revamping your website, Google Ads, SEO optimization for your website, social media marketing, and more. Write down the methods you'll use to reach your goals, along with the available budget. It's best to set a time goal for when you want to implement each measure.

It's important to create the basic structure of your marketing plan this year. We all know how quickly the new year begins, and before you know it, you're back in the vineyard or cellar. Use the time when things are calm to plan your marketing strategy because the best ideas often emerge in creative spaces – or maybe over a glass of wine?

Don't worry, a limited budget is not an obstacle to successful marketing. What's more important is that you know your goals and have a clear idea of what you want to highlight next year. Sometimes, it's the small, creative measures that make all the difference. Content is king/queen, and it often costs less than you might think!