Whether your office space is set up or your storefront is ready to open, your next major task is clear: finding customers.
That’s where a strong marketing plan comes in.
Marketing is how you share your story: who you are, what you do, and why people should choose you. By creating a marketing plan, you’ll have a roadmap for reaching new customers and hitting your business goals. Below, we’ll walk through examples of a marketing plan and show you how to build one that actually works.
Why You Need a Marketing Plan for Your Business
Just like a blueprint guides the construction of a building, a marketing plan directs how you’ll attract and retain customers over the next six to twelve months. It includes both digital and traditional marketing strategies to bring in new business.
Developing a marketing plan takes time, dedication, and research. Why would a customer want to use you? What do you offer that no one else does? Who is your ideal customer, and where can they find you?
The answers to these questions will form the basis of your marketing plan.
Before writing a marketing plan, you should understand:
- Your products and services
- Strengths and weaknesses in your business
- Target customers: Who they are and what they want
- Key competitors: What sets you apart?
- Digital marketing channels (e.g., email, social media, video)
- Marketing budget: You don’t necessarily need more money; you need to spend smarter
- Expected return on investment (ROI): Aim high!
How to Write a Marketing Plan
1. Identify Your Business Priorities
Start by thinking about the outcomes you want from your marketing. Are you looking to increase local brand awareness, grow online sales, or get more foot traffic? Having clear goals will guide you as you allocate your budget and choose the right channels.
Tip: Keep your ideal customer in mind. Ask yourself which platforms or ads will resonate with them most.
2. Describe Your Ideal Customers
Understanding your target audience is crucial for a winning marketing plan. A “buyer persona” helps you zero in on who benefits most from your product or service, capturing their needs, interests, and online habits.
If you’re unsure, survey your existing customers or speak with a marketing expert like Scorpion. The more data you gather, the more accurate your marketing strategy will be.
3. Define Specific Goals
Every business has a unique marketing approach, specifically designed to meet the needs of customers. You should do the same and implement the research findings you have in your marketing plan.
Focus on specific, measurable goals. Common objectives include:
- Leads: Increase calls, form fills, or email sign-ups.
- Engagement: Grow likes, comments, and shares on social media.
- Revenue: Track how your marketing translates into actual sales.
With marketing, you will find that each piece of advertising or content you create may have a different goal.
4. Analyze the Competition
You can learn a lot about a successful marketing strategy by looking into what your competitors are doing. Checking out what your competitors do well (and not so well) helps you spot gaps in the market.
Ask yourself:
- Which strategies seem to bring them success?
- How can you position your brand to stand out?
- What’s your competitive advantage—why should people choose you over others?
Your customers will ask these questions when searching for your services. Try to step in their shoes, and you'll find more opportunities for your business.
5. Create a Marketing Calendar
Your marketing calendar will be a vital part of your company's strategy going forward. In addition to tracking the progress of all aspects of your business (from advertising and branding to customer acquisition and conversions), it can help you save time and resources.
A calendar helps you map out campaigns across the year. Include:
- Dates and Deadlines: For upcoming promotions, blog posts, seasonal ads, etc.
- Expected Outcomes: How many leads or sales you aim to generate.
- Tasks and Responsibilities: Who’s in charge of what?
Tip: If you know certain months are slower for your industry, plan special deals or events to drive business during those times.
As you do more marketing, you can add in expected goals from each activity based on your previous results. For example, if you plan to spend $10k a month on Google and know from previous months that you will get 100 leads from that money spent, you can have that as an expected goal.
6. Plan Your Content Marketing Campaigns
Decide what content you’ll share and where. Different platforms (Facebook, Instagram, email) cater to different audiences, so adapt your approach for each.
- Engaging Articles or Videos: Solve real problems or answer questions your customers have.
- Social Media Posts: Foster community by encouraging comments and shares.
- Email Marketing: Share news, promotions, or tips with subscribers.
Your customers should be at the heart of all these decisions.
Each social media platform has different kinds of customers. What works well on Instagram may not work on Facebook and vice versa. Consider the devices your customers use and optimize content for mobile, web, or both. It's also good to think about the type of content and channel your customers prefer.
In the end, you may have to make your plan multi-platform!
7. Set Up a Marketing Budget
Budgeting ensures you invest in strategies that can deliver a return without draining your resources. Whether you’re pouring money into paid ads or planning a smaller social media push, keep track of costs and results.
- Don’t overspend on channels that don’t perform.
- Don’t underspend if a channel has real growth potential.
8. Decide on Marketing Channels
If you create great content that nobody sees, it is just a complete waste of your time. Once you have decided on your digital marketing plan’s content strategy, you need to choose where to spend your money to make sure it is seen. Here are some digital marketing channel strategies to consider.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is about creating quality content around relevant keywords. Results take time but can deliver long-term traffic from Google, Bing, and other search engines.
Social Media
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, or TikTok can be free or paid. Sharing compelling posts and engaging with followers builds a community around your brand.
Paid Advertising
Paid ads let you control how and where your message appears—like Google Ads, YouTube video ads, or Facebook ads. Just monitor results to avoid wasting money and keep improving your strategy.
Marketing Plan Template
While every business is unique, here’s a simple marketing plan example framework you can adapt:
- Mission Statement: Why does your business exist, and what do you hope to achieve?
- Competitive Analysis: Who else is out there, and what sets you apart from the competition?
- Ideal Customer: Who benefits most from your product or service?
- Goals & Metrics: Define specific, measurable targets (“Increase leads by 20% in 6 months”).
- Pricing & Distribution: How will you price and deliver your products or services?
- Budgeting: Estimate how much each marketing activity will cost and plan accordingly.
You can get as detailed with these points as you want. Play around and see what works best for you. Along the way, you may find it necessary to create different marketing plan templates for each social media channel and promotional campaign.
Start Your Journey with a Winning Marketing Plan
Not every marketing tactic will suit your business. You’ll need to test and refine to see which efforts produce the best results for your brand. Some organizations see huge returns from short, snappy social content, while others thrive on in-depth articles or podcasts.
If you need help building a marketing plan or crafting an example of a marketing plan suited to your specific goals, Scorpion is here to lend a hand. We’ll work with you to carry out a focused, results-driven strategy—so you can focus on what you do best: running your business.
Let's talk about small business marketing. Schedule a consultation today!
