You’ve probably seen those massive, 50-page marketing binders gathering dust on a shelf. Or maybe you’ve downloaded a "template" that felt like filling out a tax return. It’s frustrating. Most people think they know what to include in a marketing plan, but they usually just end up listing a bunch of stuff they hope will happen without actually figuring out how to make it happen.
A real plan isn't a formality.
It’s a map. If you don't have one, you're basically just throwing money at Mark Zuckerberg’s ad platform and praying for a miracle. According to a study by the Journal of Strategic Marketing, companies that actually document their strategy grow significantly faster than those that "wing it." But "documenting" doesn't mean writing a novel. It means identifying the levers that actually move the needle for your specific business.
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The Foundation: Who Are You Actually Talking To?
Stop me if you've heard this one: "Our target audience is everyone aged 18 to 65."
That's not a target. That's a census.
When you’re deciding what to include in a marketing plan, the very first thing is a brutally honest look at your buyer personas. Not just "Soccer Mom Sarah." I’m talking about real psychographics. What keeps them awake at 2 AM? Are they worried about their career progression, or are they just trying to find a pair of jeans that actually fits?
I once saw a SaaS company spend $50k on LinkedIn ads targeting "CEOs" when their actual buyers were the frustrated IT managers who had to fix the software. They missed the mark because their plan was too broad. You need to get into the weeds. Talk to your sales team. Ask them what objections they hear every single day. That feedback is gold. It’s more valuable than any "industry standard" report you’ll find on Gartner.
Situational Awareness (The SWOT That Doesn't Suck)
Everyone does a SWOT analysis—Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats—but most people do it poorly. They list "good customer service" as a strength. Honestly? Everyone says that. It’s a baseline, not a competitive advantage.
If you want your marketing plan to actually work, your situational analysis needs to be gritty. Look at your competitors. Use tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to see what keywords they’re outranking you for. Look at their 1-star reviews on Trustpilot. That is where you find your "Opportunities." If your biggest rival has a terrible mobile app, your marketing plan should shout about your seamless mobile experience.
Don't ignore the macro stuff
You also have to look at the PEST factors—Political, Economic, Social, and Technological. For example, if interest rates are high, your marketing plan for a luxury car brand needs to shift from "lifestyle" to "value retention." It sounds boring, but ignoring the economy is how businesses die.
Your North Star: Objectives and KPIs
You need goals. But not "I want more sales" goals. You need SMART goals, though I find that acronym a bit clinical. Let’s call them "results you can actually track without losing your mind."
If your plan doesn't include specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), you aren't doing marketing; you're doing arts and crafts.
- Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): How much are you paying to get one person through the door?
- Lifetime Value (LTV): If you spend $50 to get a customer, but they only ever spend $40 with you, you're going out of business. Simple math.
- Conversion Rates: Not just "traffic." Traffic is a vanity metric. I’d rather have 100 people visit my site and 10 buy something than 10,000 visitors and zero sales.
The "How": Strategy vs. Tactics
This is where most plans fall apart. People confuse strategy with tactics.
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Strategy is: "We will become the most trusted authority for first-time homebuyers in the Pacific Northwest."
Tactics are: "We’re going to post three TikToks a week and run a webinar."
Your marketing plan must include a clear distinction between the two. If you jump straight to the tactics, you’ll end up with a disjointed mess of social media posts that don’t actually say anything. Your strategy should dictate your channels. If your audience is 70-year-old retirees, maybe don't put "Snapchat strategy" in your plan. It sounds obvious, yet people do it every day because they feel like they should be on every platform.
Budgeting: The "Ouch" Factor
Money. It’s the part everyone hates.
When figuring out what to include in a marketing plan, you have to be realistic about your budget. Marketing isn't free. Even "organic" marketing costs time, and time is expensive. Most experts, like those at the Small Business Administration (SBA), suggest spending 7% to 8% of your gross revenue on marketing if you're doing under $5 million a year.
But it’s not just a lump sum. Break it down. How much for software (CRM, email marketing)? How much for paid ads? How much for content creation? If you’re a startup, you might need to spend 20% just to get noticed. If you’re Coca-Cola, you can coast a bit more.
The Content Engine
Content is the fuel. Your plan needs a calendar, but stay flexible. If a huge news story breaks in your industry, you need the "agility" to pivot. I hate the word "agility"—it's so corporate—but you get what I mean. Don't be so married to your schedule that you miss the moment.
Your content should follow the 80/20 rule. 80% of it should provide value, educate, or entertain. Only 20% should be a hard sell. People have a very high "BS meter" these days. If you're constantly shouting "BUY NOW," they’ll just mute you.
Distribution: Where Does It Go?
You can write the greatest blog post in the history of the internet, but if no one sees it, it doesn't exist. This is the "Distribution" section of your plan.
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- Owned Media: Your website, your email list (which is the most important asset you own, by the way).
- Earned Media: PR, mentions from influencers, guest posts.
- Paid Media: PPC, social ads, sponsored content.
A lot of people ignore the "Owned" part. They build their whole house on rented land (Instagram, Facebook). Then the algorithm changes, and their reach drops to zero. Your marketing plan must prioritize building an email list or a community you actually control.
Measurement and The "Pivot" Clause
The last thing to include? A schedule for review.
Marketing isn't "set it and forget it." You should be looking at your data every single month. If something isn't working, kill it. Seriously. Stop doing it. There’s no prize for being "consistent" at something that doesn't produce results.
In your plan, define what "success" looks like at the 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month marks. If you aren't hitting those numbers, have a backup plan ready. This is where you acknowledge the limitations. Maybe the market shifts. Maybe a new competitor enters with a $100 million war chest. You need to be ready to change course.
Actionable Next Steps
- Audit your current "plan": If it's just a list of ideas in a Google Doc, it’s not a plan. Look for the gaps in your buyer personas and your budget.
- Talk to five customers: Don't guess why they buy from you. Ask them. Use their exact words in your marketing copy.
- Define your "One Big Metric": Pick the one number that, if it goes up, everything else gets better. Usually, it's revenue or qualified leads. Focus your entire plan on moving that one number.
- Simplify: If your plan is longer than 5 pages, cut the fluff. Focus on the Who, the What, the Where, and the "How Much."
Everything else is just noise.