The more unfamiliar you are with writing a marketing plan, the more flexibility and caution your plan needs, so make flexibility your first objective if you’re creating a marketing plan for the first time. Consider crafting a gradual plan that includes a pilot phase with a time-line and alternatives or options in case of problems.

For example, instead of taking advantage of cheaper bulk printing with a vendor you don’t know for a marketing piece you’ve never tested, use short runs of marketing materials at the local copy shop.

Optimizing your plan for flexibility means preserving your freedom of choice, avoiding commitments of resources, and spending in small increments so you can change the plan as you go. Ultimately, you need to decide how much flexibility you need and build it into the schedule and budget.

You may want to consider milestones achieved as the mechanism to release additional activities or budget funds.