You could slip a $ 100 bill between pages 54-55 of the average marketing plan and no one would find it.

Here are five reasons why:

1) Too much data

The problem with too much data it’s that it does more to harm the plan than it does to help it. The data obscures the actual recommendations. It also takes a long time to accumulate, taking time away from offering worthwhile strategies and tactics.

2) Weak strategic thinking

It is impossible to create a marketing plan that pays off with weak strategic thinking. Most of these plans include one of the following three problems when it comes to strategy:

• Lack of strategy
• Wave strategies
• Too many strategies

3) Lack of foundation

Too many marketing plans lacks foundation. They ask many of the people in charge of implementing them. As a consequence, the thinking behind a recommendation must be apparent and rational.

4) illusions

Excessive delusions it is commonplace. Optimism can be helpful, but the plan should be based on the situation as it exists today, not on how we would like it to exist.

5) Too much financial information

The CFO can be helpful, but not when it comes to writing the marketing plan. Too much financial information create a simple problem: numbers overwhelm strategy. Detailed financial forecasts are not marketing plans. While they should touch finances, it is not a budget.

90% of small business owners don’t have a marketing plan. One reason for this is that many feel that writing one is pointless, but the truth is that it can be an extremely beneficial exercise if these five costly mistakes are avoided.