Writing a marketing plan (with a free template)

What a marketing plan is for

Most small businesses market in bursts: a flurry of posts, an ad when things are quiet, a sponsorship because someone asked. A marketing plan replaces that with a few deliberate decisions:

• who you’re trying to reach,
• what you want them to think and do,
• where you’ll reach them,
• how much you’ll spend, and
• how you’ll know it’s working.

It can be two pages. It should be specific enough that you, or someone helping you, could act on it tomorrow. It’s also the marketing section of your business plan.

1. Your customers

Describe your best customer as precisely as you can. Not “small businesses” but “owners of two-to-ten-person trade businesses in Brisbane’s north who hate paperwork”.

• Who are they, and where are they?
• What problem do they have that you solve?
• How do they look for a solution today, and who do they trust?
• What makes them hesitate before buying?

If you serve very different groups, write a short profile for each and decide which one comes first.

2. Your position: why you

Write one sentence that finishes: “For [customer] who [need], we [what you do], unlike [the alternative], because [your reason to believe].”

For example: “For busy tradies who lose quotes in their inbox, we provide a simple quoting app that works on site, unlike desktop software, because it was built by a former electrician.”

Then list three things you can prove: reviews, results, qualifications, guarantees, local presence.

3. Your goals

Pick one to three goals with a number and a date, linked to the business plan: “25 new regular customers by 30 June”, “40 enquiries a month from the website by March”.

4. Go-to-market: how you’ll reach customers

Your go-to-market (GTM) approach is how a customer goes from never having heard of you to paying you. Map the steps:

1. Discover: how do they first come across you? (search, a referral, a sign, social media)
2. Consider: what do they check? (your website, reviews, your Google Business Profile, a quote)
3. Buy: how easy is it to book, buy or ask for a quote?
4. Come back and refer: what brings them back and makes them tell others?

Look for the weakest step. Often it isn’t awareness at all; it’s a slow quote, a confusing website or no follow-up.

Then decide your launch or campaign approach: a soft launch to your network, a local event, an offer for first customers, or partnerships with businesses that already serve your customers.

5. Your channels

Choose two or three channels you can run well and consistently. More channels done badly is worse than fewer done well.

Digital

• Website and search: a clear website, a complete Google Business Profile, and pages that answer customer questions. See SEO and GEO and Building a small business website.
• Paid search and social ads: fast and measurable, but you pay for every click. Start small and track enquiries, not just clicks. See Paid search and Google Ads.
• Email marketing: the channel you own. Build a list of customers and prospects who’ve agreed to hear from you. Under Australia’s Spam Act, commercial emails and texts need the recipient’s consent, must identify your business, and must include a working unsubscribe. See Email marketing that people read.

Social media

Pick the platforms your customers actually use, and post with a purpose: show your work, answer common questions, share customer stories, and behind-the-scenes. Consistency beats volume. See Social media marketing for small business.

Public relations

Local media, industry publications, podcasts, awards and community events can build credibility that ads can’t. Have a few genuine story angles ready: a milestone, a local first, a useful tip, a customer story. See PR and free publicity.

Influencers and creators

Working with creators, from local micro-influencers to industry experts, can put you in front of a trusted audience.

• Choose creators whose audience matches your customer, not just those with big follower counts.
• Agree in writing on what they’ll create, when, the payment or product, and who owns the content.
• Paid or gifted posts must be clearly disclosed as advertising. Both you and the creator are responsible for not misleading people under Australian Consumer Law.

Offline and local

Signage, flyers, local sponsorships, markets, networking groups and partnerships with complementary businesses still work well for local businesses. See Networking and referrals and Events marketing.

Referrals and reviews

Your happiest customers are your cheapest channel. Ask for reviews, make referring easy, and thank people who do. See Customer service that keeps customers coming back.

6. Your budget

Decide what you can spend each month and split it across your chosen channels. Include your own time; it’s often the biggest cost. Keep a small test budget for trying something new each quarter.

7. How you’ll measure it

For each channel, choose one or two numbers that connect to sales: enquiries, bookings, cost per enquiry, email sign-ups, referral customers. Ask every new customer “how did you hear about us?” and record the answer. Review the numbers monthly and move money from what isn’t working to what is. See Measuring marketing.

8. Your 90-day action plan

List the specific actions for the next 90 days, each with an owner and a date: “Publish service pages for bathroom and kitchen renovations, by 15 November, Sam.” Plan the rest of the year in outline, and review the whole plan every quarter.

Common mistakes

• Marketing to everyone. A message for everyone persuades no one.
• Too many channels at once, each half-done.
• No follow-up. Many sales are lost after the enquiry, not before it.
• Measuring likes, not customers.
• Stopping when you’re busy, then starting again from zero when it gets quiet.