Does your small business marketing feel like a guessing game? 🥴 You, my friend are not alone! Many of us face challenges in achieving true marketing results. But with the right approach, your marketing plan can play to your strengths and drive growth.

In this post, I’m here to help you clarify your marketing goals, breaking down the process of creating an actionable and well-defined marketing plan into 5 simple steps.

I can just about imagine what you're thinking, friend. I know it takes time and extra effort that us biz owners already don't feel we have the capacity for, but hear me when I say that it might actually be easier for you than what you are currently scrambling to do to promote your business. And no, you don’t have marketing experience for this! The plan you design will play to your strengths so you can actually start moving the needle.

A solid, single-focused marketing plan can be your secret weapon to; 

• Increased sales and brand awareness
• Targeted marketing efforts that reach the right audience
• Improved customer engagement and loyalty

And best of all, it's easier than you think.

So, let’s look at a few ideas that have worked well for my own business and can help you feel confident about using your business-savvy strengths to your advantage in marketing.

STEP ONE: Marketing Audit 

Before diving into creating a new marketing plan, it's crucial to take stock of your existing efforts and do a little “spring cleaning.” A marketing audit helps you declutter the mess, identify what's working (and what's not!), and ultimately build a stronger, more focused marketing plan that gets results.

• Brand Alignment Check. Think of your brand as your business’s personality! Brand strategy sets the foundation for successful marketing. Make sure your marketing messages and content are consistent with your brand voice and resonate with your target audience. Do you understand your ideal customer? A strong brand strategy defines your audience and helps you craft targeted messaging.

• Performance Deep Dive. Time to dig into the data! Review your key metrics like website traffic, conversion rates, and social media engagement. Identify trends and look for patterns in what content and funnels have been working and what isn’t moving the needle.

• Marketing Avenues. Not all marketing channels are created equal. Figure out which ones are driving the most results for your business. Is it social media, email marketing, or good old-fashioned in-person networking? Once you know where your audience is hanging out, you can invest your time and budget more wisely.

• Partner Power. Have you collaborated with other businesses in the past? Review the success of partnerships or collabs. Have they been mutually beneficial? Identify potential new partnerships that could expand your reach and enhance your marketing efforts.

• Customer Conversations: Your customers are your biggest fans! Listen to what they are saying about your business. What do they highlight as your strengths? Use this feedback to refine your marketing strategy and emphasize the qualities that resonate most with your audience.

Completing a thorough marketing audit will give you a clear understanding of your marketing landscape. This will set the stage for a targeted and successful marketing plan in the next steps.

STEP TWO: Aligning Strengths with Ideal Client

Every small business has a unique set of skills and resources. The key to successful marketing is aligning your team's strengths with the needs and interests of your ideal customer. This creates a marketing strategy that resonates and gets results.

Here's how to find the common ground between your team and your ideal client:

• Brainstorm Team Strengths: List everything you or your team excels at within marketing. Consider content creation, community building, data analysis, event planning, public speaking, or any other relevant skills.

• Identify Ideal Client Needs: Think about the challenges and aspirations of your ideal customer. What kind of content would be valuable to them? What platforms do they frequent? Do they prefer in-person interactions or online engagement? 

• Find the Sweet Spot: Now comes the magic! Match your team's strengths with the needs of your ideal client. For example, if your team thrives in social media engagement and your ideal client spends a lot of time on a specific platform, this is a natural fit!

Here's an example:

• Team Strength: Your team has a knack for creating engaging videos.

• Ideal Client Needs: Your ideal client is a busy professional who prefers to consume information visually.

• The Sweet Spot: Develop a video marketing strategy to share valuable tips and insights that resonate with your ideal client and leverage your team's video creation skills.

By aligning your team's strengths with your ideal client's needs, you create an authentic and effective marketing strategy. 

Remember, it's not about being everything to everyone. Leverage your unique strengths to attract and connect with the right audience!!

STEP THREE: Charting Your Goal

We've talked about understanding your strengths and your ideal client. Now it's time to chart your course by setting a clear marketing goal. What do you want to achieve with your marketing efforts? (P.S. Don't worry; aiming for "achiever" status isn't necessary! This is always the hard part for (the Enneagram 3) me. Start with one realistic, measurable goal and go from there!)

Here's how to set a strong marketing goal:

• Focus on Impact: Think beyond just numbers. How will achieving your goal benefit your business? For example, increasing website traffic might lead to more leads and ultimately, more sales.

• Choose One Main Goal: Focus your energy on achieving one primary goal at a time. This will help you create a more focused and effective marketing plan.

Let's explore creative and cost-effective marketing channels specifically designed for small businesses.

Provided below are some specific and measurable examples that can inspire you to find the goal that works for you, so you can continue building genuine relationships for getting your brand noticed.

GOAL IDEA #1: INCREASE WEBSITE VISITORS

Your website is your digital hub. Ensure it's optimized and gets the eyeballs it needs to start making new connections.

Goal Inspiration:
- Increase website visitors by X% in six months through targeted SEO strategies.
- Rank in the top X search results for X target keywords within six months.
- Drive X new visitors per month using a social media ad campaign.
- Attend X Industry meetups to network with potential collaborators who can guest post and/or link back to your website.

GOAL IDEA #2: CONNECT WITH A NEW AUDIENCE
Engage with your audience on the platforms they use most. Consider your brand voice and content style when choosing platforms.

Goal Inspiration:
- Capture X new leads per month through a targeted campaign.
- Raise social media followers by X% in six months.
- Increase engagement rate by X% on Instagram within three months.
- Improve email open rates by X% in the next quarter
- Engage in your community networking.

GOAL IDEA #3: INCREASE YOUR REPEAT CUSTOMER RATE
Loyal customers are the lifeblood of any small business. Create a community around your brand to foster repeat business.

Goal Inspiration:
- Increase customer retention rate by X% over the next year with a loyalty program
- Re-engage with past customers with a targeted email campaign
- Incentivize existing customers to refer new business
- Host In-Store Events
- "Miss you" Campaigns

GOAL IDEA #4: INCREASE FIRST TIME SALES

Focus on building trust, showcasing your value proposition, and making it easy for potential customers to discover and purchase your products or services.

Goal Inspiration:
- Achieve an X% increase in online sales in the next quarter.
- Participate in local farmer’s markets, popups, or other events to showcase products and connect with customers.
- Partner with micro-influencers to promote your products through social media.
- Enter a new geographical market with digital advertising and acquire 100 new customers in six months.
- Generate 100 pre-orders or wait list emails before your upcoming launch date.

GOAL IDEA #5: INCREASE BRAND AWARENESS IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
Become a familiar face and a positive force! Participate in local events, support community initiatives, and showcase your brand's personality to build recognition and trust with potential customers.

Goal Inspiration:
- Sponsor local sports teams or support a charity event
- Offer free workshops or speak at an event or conference to build trust or recognition
- Volunteer in things you are passionate about to demonstrate your commitment to local community, evaluate favorite events 6 months

Keep in mind these are ideas. You know your business better than anyone, and the items listed above may not make sense for you. Did any of these ideas spur some creative ideas of your own? Find something you know you’d benefit from growing in. They key is to set S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant & Time-bound) goal and stick with it. Jot down your top 5 and then take some time deciding where to start by choosing one single goal to move forward with, write it down and then head to step 4.

STEP FOUR: Build Your Action Plan

Now that you have a clear marketing goal and a good understanding of your target audience and strengths, it's time to craft your marketing action plan officially and put it down in a document, a calendar, a notebook or whatever works best for you! This plan will be your roadmap to achieving your marketing goals.

There are several resources available to help you get started, including:

• Free Online Templates: Many websites offer free marketing action plan templates with pre-defined sections to guide you through the process. Smart Sheets or High Peaks Studios have great fillable printables available for free. Canva also has templates for marketing plans  available to edit.

• Marketing Blogs, Articles, and Podcasts: Read articles and blog posts from marketing experts like Amy Porterfield or J.J Peterson to learn best practices for creating action plans. Searching terms like “Small Business Marketing Plan” can help you find a starting point for your document.

• Try AI: While “the robots” can’t create a perfect plan for you, they can provide a sample template and some helpful prompts to get you started.

Here's a key point to remember: Your marketing action plan is a living document. You may need to adjust it as you go based on your results and learnings. The most important thing is to take action and get started!

Here are some additional tips for creating your marketing action plan:

• Focus on Specifics: Break down your overall goal into smaller, weekly or monthly tasks.

• Set Realistic Deadlines: Be realistic about how much you can accomplish in a given timeframe.

• Track Your Progress: Monitor your progress and adjust your plan as needed.

STEP FIVE:  Implement Your Marketing Plan

You've created a fantastic marketing action plan – now it's time to put it into action! Just like a beautiful garden needs consistent care to flourish, your marketing efforts require dedication to achieve your goals.

Here are some key steps to take action and watch your marketing garden grow:

• Schedule Dedicated Marketing Time: Block out specific times in your calendar each week to focus on marketing tasks outlined in your plan.

• Start Small & Be Consistent: Don't try to do everything at once! Focus on completing a few key tasks each week and celebrate your progress.

• Track Your Results: Monitor the results of your marketing activities and adjust your plan as needed. There are many free and paid analytics tools available to help you track website traffic, social media engagement, and other important metrics. You can grab a copy of my Free Website Metrics Google Doc here.

• Embrace Experimentation: Don't be afraid to try new things! Test different marketing tactics and see what resonates with your target audience.
  

Above is an example of how I customized a Canva template create by Blancalab Studio and made it my own.

TIP: 

Feeling Overwhelmed? There’s NO shame in hiring a professional if this isn’t your forte. Maybe investing with a marketing professional like Sort Projects for the planning of your marketing, or Cowles Creative for social media management or Tamarack Creative for content creation or digital advertising. Virtual assistant Virtually Brady can also help you organize all the step-by-step execution of your marketing.

Creating a growth marketing plan for your small business doesn't have to be daunting. You can transform your marketing efforts into a focused, strategic, and effective plan by breaking it down into these six simple steps.

Set clear, actionable goals, build a detailed action plan, and dedicate weekly time to implement your strategies. By tracking your progress and being open to experimentation, you’ll find what works best for your business.

With the right approach and a bit of dedication, your small business can achieve growth and success. Happy marketing!

Your designer friend always,