A marketing plan is a critical tool for small businesses to identify their goals and objectives. This then needs to relate to their target audience.

Over the years, Sam has written and assisted hundreds of small businesses to write plans. One of the best ways is to work on one page ( sometimes it ends up 2 pages ) but you get the idea.

SIMPLE, clean, and easy to achieve.  Or as the experts like to say it needs to be a SMART plan.

Sam explains the benefits of planning, the advantages of a simple one-page marketing plan, the components of a marketing plan, and how to create an effective one-page marketing plan.

 

Benefits of Planning:

Planning is the foundation of any successful marketing strategy. It offers several key benefits, including:

• Direction: a clear plan guides your marketing efforts.
• Focus: helps you allocate resources efficiently.
• Measurement: This enables you to track progress and adjust strategies.
• Timeliness: allows you to nominate over the coming months when tasks must be completed.

Sam likes a great plan, even it ifs written on a napkin, in notes on your device or scribbled on a scrap of paper. Its still a plan!!

“ If you fail to plan…. you plan to fail.”

 

Benefits of a Simple One-Page Plan:

There are a few… but the biggest advantages.

• Clarity: It simplifies complex strategies for easy understanding.
• Accessibility: owners can quickly refer to it.
• Flexibility: Easy to update and adapt to changes ( it’s a fluid document ).

 

The categories of Marketing Plans:

Marketing plans can be categorized in to many types

• Small Business Marketing Plan
• Product or service offering Marketing Plan
• Strategic Marketing Plan
• Brand Marketing Plan
• Digital Marketing Plan – including a social media plan.
• Multichannel marketing plan ( a comms plan )
• Email marketing Plan
• Social media Plan
• Advertising plan
• A plan for the plan….if you have read to here that’s a lot of plans – face palm )

but for ease of use in a small business a basic marketing plan that may have additional topics to cover what you need to achieve is PERFECT!

 

So what does it need to contain?

A marketing plan needs to be outlining your marketing objectives, strategies, audiences, marketing messages, timelines, tracking, and have a action plan – the tactics.

A what, who and how kinds of document.

For example:

• A startup software company might create a marketing plan to launch a new product.
• An accommodation provider may wish to up their social media activities.
• A cafe may wish to embark on a tactical campaign in the lead up to Christmas.

So it would identify:

• The goal ( what you want to achieve )
• Objectives ( how you are going to do it )

 

How Do You Write a Marketing Plan?

The process of writing a marketing plan involves several key steps, such as:

• Market research ( analytics, small and large data )
• Setting of a goal
• Setting clear objectives no more than 3
• Developing strategies
• Implementing tactics
• Measuring, tracking and adapting if needed ( review!! )

 

 

Hint – use a template!!

 

What can be also included in a Basic Marketing Plan?

A basic marketing plan can typically include elements like:

• Market Analysis ( the size of the market, the growth rate, segmentation of customers, and the assessment of competition).
• Target Audience ( who are they, their concerns, buying behavior, emotional needs).
• Your solution to their problem.
• Competitor Analysis – a swot is very handy.
• Marketing Mix (4 P’s). If you want…..you can look up the 4 ps.

 

 

What Makes a Good Marketing Plan?

A good marketing plan should be:  ( SMART )
(specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound)

• Clear
• Measurable
• Realistic
• Flexible
• Aligned with Business Goals

 

 

A well-crafted marketing plan is a roadmap to success for your business.

By understanding its benefits, components, and the process of creating one, you’ll be better equipped to develop a simple one-page marketing plan that drives your business forward.

 

Ready to start crafting your one-page marketing plan? Get started today and watch your business thrive.
For more information chat to Sam  sam@samhicks.com.au

Or

You can start right now and do this by investing in a template and working with Sam – click here to start!