When I worked in the corporate world, marketing plans were big, weighty and important. They took a lot of time to put together and a lot of space too.
Today, I prefer 1-page marketing plans. They’re ideal, especially for small businesses.
A 1-page plan is nimble, flexible and lean. More like a cheat sheet than a textbook. And that makes it more usable. Because a one-page plan that is used, beats a 20-page plan that’s saved and ignored.
We’re going to help you create your own cheat sheet, a simple marketing plan to guide your efforts for the year.
Keeping it short & simple
Us business owners love simple, as long as it’s effective.
Think of this like making a simple meal plan. One where you don’t have to map out every recipe. You just need to list what you’re making, which ingredients you need, and when. Without it, you end up staring into the fridge wondering what to make next.
We’re not going to exaggerate and say a 1-pager is a replacement for a full strategic marketing plan. It isn’t.
But it’ll keep you from going off track, where you’re in danger of making it up as you go and spending money without a plan.
What it does well:
- Keeps marketing focused and easier to manage
- Makes decision-making faster and less emotional
- Helps avoid wasted time and spend
It’s more about setting guard rails than exact direction.
Fewer moving parts
The beauty of a 1-page plan is its simplicity. And that simplicity hinges on having one goal. Yes, only ONE primary goal.
Remember, this won’t be the ONLY goal for the rest of your business’s life. It’s a temporary goal for the year or 6 months, a stairstep goal to the next one. Having one goal boosts your chances of success.
A few examples of a primary goal:
- Increase number of leads per month
- Increase sales revenue by X% or $X
- Increase repeat customers
- Fill your calendar with booked appointments
Once you set your goal, fill in the rest of your 1-page marketing plan below.
One-Page Marketing Plan for Small Business
1) Goal
What’s the primary outcome you want from marketing over the next 6–12 months? Include a number and a timeframe. Remember, this is a stairstep goal, not a forever goal.
- Options: Increase leads, sales, revenue, bookings, or repeat customers
- Example: Increase qualified leads from 20 to 35 per month by June 30.
2) Ideal Customer
Who are we marketing to and what problem is pushing them to act now?
- Job title, role, or life situation
- Business industry, location, or stage of business
- One main problem they want solved
- Example: Homeowners planning a kitchen or bathroom remodel in the next 6 months who feel overwhelmed by the process and want a contractor they can trust.
3) Our Core Message
What is the main benefit you want this audience to understand? Focus on outcomes, not features, and tie it to the main problem in step 2.
- Something like: “We help [who] do or solve [what] with (or without) [outcome].”
- Example: “We help homeowners remodel their kitchens and bathrooms with clear timelines, transparent pricing and less stress.”
4) Offer & Next Step
What is the “ask” or the one action you want people to take to get started?
- Book a call, request a quote, buy a product, download a guide
- Example: Book a project walkthrough to get a quote and next steps.
5) Primary Channels
Where will you try to reach this ideal customer? Pick 1-2 media channels or platforms based on where your customers already are.
- Some options:
- Google search pages (SEO, Google Business Profile)
- Email marketing
- Social media (choose one platform)
- Paid advertising
- Referrals
- Example 1: Tactics for Google search visibility (SEO) and paid Google ads
- Example 2: Instagram and email marketing
6) Lead Capture
How will you capture their information?
- Some options:
- Specific offer page on your website (also called a landing page)
- Web contact form
- Call tracking number or tool
- A free resource or download if they provide an email
- Example: Have one special offer page on our website with a short contact form and a call tracking number. All ads will link to this page.
7) Follow-Up
What happens after someone reaches out?
- Immediate response by email or phone
- 24-hour follow-up
- Short email sequence (2-3 emails sent on a timed schedule)
- Reminder text or email
- Example: Immediate auto-response email, personal follow-up call or email within 24 hours, reminder email after 2 days
8) Conversion Process
How do you turn leads into paying customers? Outline the basic steps to help you map it out.
- Prospect reaches out → you respond → next step is scheduled
- Form submission or call → project review → estimate sent
- Offer page visit → booking or checkout → confirmation email
- Example: Prospect requests a project walkthrough → we schedule → meet for walkthrough → send estimate → follow-up to answer questions and close deal
9) Retention & Referrals
How will you encourage repeat business or referrals?
- Request a review
- Offer referral incentives
- Send re-engagement emails
- Example: Automatically request a review after every project, offer a referral incentive, and send a seasonal check-in email to re-engage customers every quarter or twice a year.
10) Tracking Results
How are you going to measure if your marketing is working? Make sure it tracks your primary goal.
- Track leads or booked calls and where they came from
- Check revenue per week or month or count orders by repeat customers
- Report ad spend, number of leads, cost per lead
- View website visitors, leads from website, and conversion rate
- Example: Every month, track number of leads, their source and how many became customers.
Keeping it real
There will be mistakes, especially if you’re trying new things, and they can be valuable lessons in their own way. But to help you avoid some of the more common ones…
- Don’t choose too many channels. Two is enough.
- Don’t forget to give customers a next step – a button to click or a number to call.
- Track only 1 or 2 things that let you know if you’ve reached your goal.
Remember, this is meant to keep you on track, like a gut check when you’re making a decision. So next time you can ask yourself: “Does this fit my goal and my plan?”
If you want help building your 1-page plan (or turning it into a strategy), we can help. Get in touch.
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