Whether you have a formal written plan for your business or just a bunch of great ideas in your head, there are always going to be goals you set out to achieve. You will often think in terms of what do I want to accomplish in the next six months, as well as where do I want to be in five years. These short and long term goals are what drive your business. From a planning standpoint, you must also develop short and long term strategies to reach these goals.
Short term strategies revolve around cause and effect actions. You will institute an action and then measure the result. For example, if you run an ad in the paper, or send out a direct mail coupon, you can easily track your response rate. Depending on the amount of new business you generate, you can assess the effectiveness of the campaign. Most of the time, these strategies involve costly advertising, so you must be sure you are reaching your target market, as well as prompting a "call to action" from potential customers.

Other examples of short term strategies are Internet websites, informational brochures, press releases, trade shows, and product samplings. All these can be used to create a cause and effect reaction from consumers. These are crucial in launching a new business as well as growing an existing one. As long as your are reaching your target market, these activities will provide an immediate return on investment. If they don't, then your overall advertising message needs to reevaluated.

Long term strategies are much more subliminal in nature. They encompass all the activities that reach people in a subtle way. Networking is probably the best long term strategy you can engage in. Many people have misconceptions about networking. It is not about going to events to drum up customers. Rather it is all about forming and developing relationships. People tend to buy from someone they like or feel they have something in common with.

Much like planted seeds, if properly nurtured, these relationships will grow over time and yield incremental business. Other examples of long term strategies are participating in trade or civic organizations, giving presentations, and donating your time to charitable causes. All these activities will generate positive goodwill for you and your company. Word of mouth is your best form of advertising. While this is an overused cliche, it generates more business than many other tactics.

By incorporating both short and long term strategies into your marketing plan, you will lay the proper groundwork for short and long term success. Although very different in nature, they are both effective in building a solid approach to accomplishing your goals. The key is to make sure you properly balance your efforts in order to maximize all the benefits these strategies can provide.