examples of marketing plan in business plan

10 Marketing Plan Examples to Inspire Your Campaigns

What do hiking a trail, driving to a friend’s house, and executing marketing campaigns all have in common? Each requires you to closely follow directions.

Directions are a critical part of our daily life. Used correctly, they can guide decision-making processes, make labor more efficient, and get where you want to go as quickly as possible. 

But failing to keep track of directions could cost you — and not just gas money. When it comes to marketing strategies, not having a clear goal tanks web traffic, dissipates brand interest, and costs companies across the United States a whopping $400 billion a year.

Designing a marketing plan is certainly no easy task, but it can be made easier with best practices, strategic tips, and concrete examples from successful businesses all over the world.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

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examples of marketing plan in business plan

What is a marketing plan?

A marketing plan is a strategic document that acts as a guide for marketing campaigns and strategies. These critical road maps detail where you are, where you’re going, and how you plan to get there.

The average marketing plan consists of seven major sections:

  • Writing an executive summary
  • Discussing the mission statement
  • Listing marketing objectives
  • Performing a SWOT analysis
  • Completing market research
  • Designing a market strategy
  • Determining a budget

The more detailed a marketing plan is, the more efficient it will be at accomplishing its goals. 

As you might imagine, marketers who bother to write a concrete marketing plan enjoy several benefits :

  • Organized marketers have a 674% higher chance of reporting success
  • Marketers who set goals are 377% more successful than those who don’t

It’s clear that a successful marketing plan opens pathways to other forms of business success — although the process is underutilized at best. More than three out of four small business owners lack an overarching marketing plan if they don’t have a clear path of growth. Creating a holistic marketing plan is absolutely necessary to scale brands at any level of development.

10 marketing plan examples from every industry

It’s much simpler to design a plan of action when the groundwork already exists. Below are 10 marketing plans sourced from real companies and brands around the world, highlighting unique approaches to researching, crafting and implementing a marketing strategy . 

1. Contently

Popular SaaS Contently developed a visual marketing plan for developing future campaigns. The strategy depicts its plan in a “waterfall” format, with goals blending into methods of application that eventually lead to success metrics. Although far more casual than other examples on this list, the work provides an excellent overview of a marketing plan’s necessary components.

Contently marketing plan

2. Visit Baton Rouge

The Baton Rouge area of Louisiana generates millions of dollars every year from tourism alone. The Visit Baton Rouge marketing plan was born from a need to better position the area and create long-term strategies for generating interest. This 38-page document goes into detail describing different destinations, events, and calendars, including recommended measurements for success.

Top marketing plan examples: Baton Rouge

Created by SaaS company HubSpot , this template includes a business summary, SWOT matrix, market strategy, budget, and other important aspects of a marketing plan. By filling it out, you can make informed decisions about your company’s positioning and your marketing in general.

HubSpot marketing plan

4. Evernote

Evernote provides a comprehensive marketing plan template for businesses of any size. Create a plan that walks through overviews, timelines, research, personas, and all other elements of an airtight campaign. If desired, you can also implement this template into your Evernote account to start developing a marketing plan almost immediately.

great examples of marketing plan: Evernote

5. University of Illinois

Even educational institutes need marketing plans. The University of Illinois created a very straightforward document that encapsulates its market context, research efforts, and current campaigns. Objectives and success metrics are completed in the third section, with about 40 pages overall. 

6. Monday.com

Monday.com is a project management platform providing in-house templates to all active users. This marketing plan offers various categories and subcategories that track project progress with data visualizations. Detailed objectives and KPIs can be identified in-app, including columns for a projected cost range.

Popular health and hygiene brand Lush released a comprehensive marketing plan walking through some products, positioning, and a marketing calendar for upcoming product releases. One of the highlights includes a detailed SWOT analysis with easy to read graphics. This is particularly helpful for brands in the personal care industry, among others.

Lush marketing plan

8. Coca-Cola

Industry titan Coca-Cola released a strategy video that encompasses all seven elements of a holistic marketing plan. The proposal primarily explains the major content initiatives for the coming year, and focuses on how the brand’s initial ideas can be practically implemented into the existing strategy. 

examples of marketing plan in business plan

9. Naperville Park District

Publicly funded recreational parks often have limited access to resources, which is why the Naperville Park District created a strategic marketing plan right at the beginning. This extremely detailed document walks through the company’s mission, situational analysis, strategy, and budget, on a micro-level.

nashville park marketing plan

10. Starbucks

Unlike the longform documents we’ve seen already, Starbucks takes a more concise approach. This six-page release details a strategy to elevate CX and brand ambassadors around the world. The marketing plan touches on individual strategies and tactics, as well as the methods used to ensure success. It’s important to note the detailed customer journey profiles that fit into a five-year strategy.

beverge marketing plan: starbucks

How to approach a marketing plan

Now that you know what a marketing plan looks like, it’s time to explore the initial stages of drafting and publishing your very first plan. Once you establish some basic starting points, a little research is all you need to get started.

Determine your goals

Directions simply don’t matter without an endpoint in mind. Craft some meaningful goals for your marketing campaign that envelop your brand’s values, objectives, and year-end plans. It’s best to use the SMART goal framework:

The more specific your goals are, the more effective your marketing plan will be.

Check your competitors

Staying abreast of your competitors and market share is critical in the early stages of a marketing plan. Using competitive analysis tools or an internal process, take some time to evaluate the approach that others are using — and how you can do better.

You might want to:

  • Perform a competitive analysis
  • Keep a close eye on industry news
  • Browse competitor social media content

Keep in mind that it’s possible to hire freelancers to perform competitive analysis for you, depending on your needs and time constraints.

Identify your audience

Understanding your target market — including their goals, ages, values, and demographics — is the golden rule of marketing. This can be done several ways, either by using data, creating personas, or outlying features in a document.

It’s best to consider everything that may be relevant to your audience in the marketing plan, including how products can be positioned in a way that makes them relevant. For example, a customer with a degree in IT would be more interested in ads that speak to their experience and industry pain points.

If you don’t have a target audience in mind yet, consider using programs like Google Analytics or in-platform insights from Facebook to identify specific segments.

Craft final KPIs

The difference between a good marketing plan and a great marketing plan starts with key performance metrics (KPIs). These will be used to measure the effectiveness of your campaign and provide detailed information about what worked, what didn’t, and what you can change in the future.

Every marketing plan should rely on its own unique set of metrics, all fitted to individual needs. If you’re looking for specific examples, you might want to try:

  • Raising the number of followers on a social media account
  • Generating a certain amount of website leads 
  • Achieving higher email open rates 

Keep in mind that your final metrics should adhere to the SMART method for best results.

Perform your revisions

The marketing plan is a living document and must be updated regularly to remain current. The average plan only has a shelf life of one to five years , on average, and should receive regular revisions in the meantime.

Take a closer look at your past goals, competitors, audience, and KPIs. Are any of these outdated or ill-aligned? What has changed for the company since its initial publication date? Make these adjustments accordingly (and hopefully with members of a team or committee).

Create marketing plans that guide your business well

It’s not enough to just write a marketing plan. In an increasingly competitive world of iron-clad strategies, marketing pros should take their time developing a plan that lasts. The above examples are a great place to start, especially as you craft an approach that is catered to your industry. 

Keep an eye on the growth of your business once your marketing plan hits the shelves. Continue to find new ways to optimize, refine, and otherwise make what you have even better than before. With an airtight marketing plan by your side, the possibilities are virtually limitless.

Want to learn more?

  • How to Create a Killer Social Media Marketing Plan
  • The Complete Guide to Getting Started With Influencer Marketing
  • 7 of the Best Landing Page Examples to Learn From
  • Instagram Marketing Tips to Shoot Up Your Sales

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15 marketing plan examples to inspire your work

Marketing plan examples

Whether you’re a marketer or managing a team of marketers, a marketing plan is essential to keep your department on track. Following a marketing plan ensures your team executes the correct strategy and achieves its goals.

But every business is different, which means every marketing plan is unique. It’s helpful to see marketing plan examples to understand all the different formats and types of marketing plans.

In this guide, we’ll share 15 examples of successful marketing plans to inspire your team to create its next great strategy. We’ll also share best practices and tools to set direction and provide structure for your marketing efforts. At the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of how to create the right marketing plan for your organization.

This post will cover:

How to create a marketing plan

  • Visit Baton Rouge
  • University of Illinois
  • Lush Cosmetics
  • The Wisconsin Public Library
  • Botanical Bounty
  • The Palm Beaches, Florida
  • The City of West Chicago
  • Safe Haven Family Shelter
  • Austin, Texas
  • Visit Oxnard

Create a strong marketing plan for your business

Adobe can help, marketing plan faq.

Before we look at marketing plan examples, it’s important to understand the foundational concepts of how companies structure their marketing plans.

Every organization is unique, but you can create a marketing plan by first identifying your business goals and establishing the metrics you’ll use to measure results. From there, learn about the customers you’re targeting and conduct competitor research. Then you can organize a team and set a budget before creating the marketing plan.

When it’s time to write the marketing plan, make sure your document includes these seven sections at a minimum:

  • Executive summary. This is a high-level overview of your business and the marketing approach you’ll follow.
  • Mission statement. Describe your company’s unique selling proposition (USP) and your brand’s purpose.
  • Marketing objectives. This section of the plan should focus on marketing-specific goals that will help you achieve your broader business objectives.
  • SWOT analysis. Through a SWOT analysis, your team will identify internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats.
  • Market research. This section of the marketing plan addresses your market, competitors, existing solutions, and target audience.
  • Marketing strategy. The marketing strategy part of your plan should detail exactly how you’re going to achieve your marketing goals. Be as specific as possible to make this document valuable to your marketing team.
  • Budget. Finally, break down your marketing tactics and assign a budget for each area of your strategy. If your budget changes frequently, set aside a certain percentage of your total budget for each tactic, instead of dollar amounts.

Once you create a marketing plan, you might wonder whether it’s effective or if there’s a better way to structure the plan for your situation. For example, a SaaS business has very different needs than an ecommerce company, so your marketing plan likely needs some level of customization.

If you need more direction, check out marketing plan examples from businesses within your industry or with a similar business model. Learn from these 15 successful marketing plan examples to create an effective plan for your own business.

1. Visit Baton Rouge

Visit Baton Rouge as an example for a marketing plan

Baton Rouge, Louisiana might not be as well-known as New Orleans, but the vibrant city wanted to change that through an ambitious new marketing plan . Not only is the plan organized and easy to follow, but it does a great job of highlighting the needs of its multiple audiences.

For example, its separate personas for “Leisure Travelers” and “Sales/Meetings Travelers” help Baton Rouge create custom marketing journeys based on each persona’s unique expectations. The marketing plan has a fully fleshed-out strategy that includes an event calendar, which gives the marketing team actionable next steps after creating its plan.

2. University of Illinois

In 2021, the University of Illinois set out to boost enrollment. Its Office of Undergraduate Admissions created an in-depth marketing plan with three major sections:

  • Section I provides context on the admissions process and knowledge of its target students.
  • Section II dives into market research on the current state of admissions and student demographics.
  • Section III details the university’s strategic action plan, including success metrics.

The University of Illinois marketing plan is effective because it breaks down the high-level components of its strategy, as well as specific marketing tactics. Instead of aiming for generic goals like “interact with high school students,” the plan indicates specific tactics to make that happen, such as direct mail campaigns, swag, and events.

As this marketing plan example for Sony shows, it’s possible to compose a simple but actionable plan for your team. The plan keeps its introduction, vision, and marketing objectives clean, to-the-point, and easy to read.

This marketing plan does a great job of focusing on pricing as a marketing differentiator. Although you might consider pricing to be a sales or product issue, it can have a direct impact on how customers perceive your business. Specify what your prices will be, how the pricing model works, and why your pricing is a differentiator.

4. Coca-Cola

Marketing plans are usually documented in text, but this isn’t the only way you can share your marketing plan with the team. For example, Coca-Cola created its own video marketing plan in 2020. The video follows the typical format of a written marketing plan, but distills big concepts into easily digestible visuals through the power of video.

This approach is ideal if you need to communicate the contents of your marketing plan to a large group or to marketing-adjacent teams, like sales or product development. It doesn’t hurt that the whiteboard-style cartoon animation draws viewers in to ensure everyone truly understands your marketing strategy.

5. Lush Cosmetics

Lush Cosmetics is a renowned international beauty brand. In anticipation of its expansion into Portugal, Lush created a new marketing plan for customers in this new market.

The Lush in-depth marketing plan touches on several elements, including:

  • Specific geographical areas of Lush’s two stores in Portugal, and the unique considerations for shoppers in these areas.
  • Physical marketing within Lush stores, including the store and staff direction, as an extension of the marketing team.
  • The brand’s unique approach to sensory marketing, which describes precisely how Lush products appeal to all of its shoppers’ senses.

When crafting your own marketing plan, consider adding new sections that are unique to your brand, such as Lush’s section on sensory marketing. This will make the plan more relevant to your business and simplify execution.

6. The Wisconsin Public Library

The Wisconsin Public Library created this no-frills marketing plan example specifically for other organizations to copy and use. Although it’s intended for use by libraries, anyone can access and use the components in this free marketing plan template.

The Wisconsin Public Library marketing plan includes several helpful resources. For example, the “Research Your Audience” section links to resources for conducting audience research, including the United States Census and focus groups.

As with any template, be sure to replace the library’s content with information about your business and market. This marketing plan example doesn’t include a list of marketing tools or media. If that’s important to your company, be sure to create a new section detailing the tools your marketing team will use to execute the strategy.

7. Patagonia

Sometimes it’s difficult for companies to articulate their mission statement. However, every business has a greater purpose. Outdoor brand Patagonia is a great example of how large companies should lead marketing initiatives with a mission statement.

On the Patagonia website , the brand makes its mission statement clear: “We're in business to save our home planet.” This isn’t lip service — Patagonia donates a percentage of its profits to protecting the environment.

Your marketing plan needs to marry your corporate mission statement with direct action. For example, if you’re a B2B brand and your mission is to support small businesses with affordable accounting software, your marketing plan could include interviews with small business owners. Or maybe you could host local get-togethers for small business owners while promoting your brand.

The goal is to blend your mission statement with your marketing tactics in a way that makes it clear your business is truly living out its mission statement.

8. Cyberclick

Cyberclick is a marketing agency based in Barcelona, Spain. As a marketing agency, it knows the importance of understanding its target audience.

In this marketing plan example, Cyberclick creates multiple buyer personas to help it understand customer pain points. For example, it has personas like Bilingual Brandon, Millennial Molly, and Donor Dana to understand the unique traits of its target buyers.

When composing your own marketing strategy, follow Cyberclick’s example by creating in-depth personas that your marketing team will find useful. Your personas should include:

  • Demographic information
  • Geographic information
  • Social media preferences
  • Personality
  • Personal and professional goals
  • Pain points
  • Software and tools used

9. Starbucks

Starbucks as an example of a marketing plan

Coffee giant Starbucks is famous for its distinctive brand elements. Consumers immediately recognize the hunter-green mermaid logo, but the Starbucks marketing plan doesn’t just revolve around clever branding. If anything, the company’s success comes down to the buyer experience.

In fact, experience is part of the Starbucks marketing plan . The company targets higher-earning professionals who are willing to pay a premium for drinks. Instead of simply serving coffee, its marketing team works with interior designers and architects to create posh spaces that encourage buyers to spend time in the store as a “third place,” which also increases brand engagement and retention.

Your marketing plan should address the experience buyers can expect from your brand. In an age when many businesses compete over customer service and experience, the quality of service you provide can also give you a competitive marketing advantage.

10. Botanical Bounty

Botanical Bounty is an herbal tea and supplement company based out of New York City. In this marketing plan example , the Botanical Bounty executive summary quickly spells out the problem, solution, market overview, competition, and unique selling proposition (USP) for the company. Formatted like a case study, the executive summary is easy to read and does a great job of summarizing the entire report.

Botanical Bounty also highlights specific due dates for its marketing milestones, as well as target metrics for those milestones. Many marketing plans fail to set specific due dates for milestones, but Botanical Bounty holds itself accountable for executing the plan by assigning due dates for each goal.

11. The Palm Beaches, Florida

The Palm Beaches is known for upscale homes and beaches, but the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County wanted to turn the Florida town into more than a beach destination. In its marketing plan , the council lays out its plan to transform The Palm Beaches into a hub for culture and art in a post-COVID environment.

The marketing plan first describes the council’s past successes in 2020 and 2021, which lays the groundwork for the 2022 marketing plan. This is a great way to show a continuation between different marketing plans, especially if your company’s past initiatives feed into this year’s strategies.

12. The City of West Chicago

The City of West Chicago has a rich history, but it’s largely misunderstood by people in the surrounding areas. In an effort to revitalize tourism, the city created a new marketing plan to rebrand itself and promote the area as a travel destination.

If you’re considering a new image or brand for your company, the West Chicago marketing plan is a great example to follow. The plan creates new market segments for the city’s ideal audience, a plan to drive awareness, and a list of strategic partnerships to aid in the rebrand.

13. Safe Haven Family Shelter

Safe Haven Family Shelter is a nonprofit that aids families experiencing homelessness. Its 2022 marketing plan tells the story of Safe Haven while promoting itself as an industry authority.

In this marketing plan example , Safe Haven takes an action-focused approach. Its template aligns objectives and action steps side by side, assigning staff members to each action step. The marketing plan also includes items like an editorial calendar and social media calendar, which its staff use for planning precise messaging that fits the organization’s larger goals.

14. Austin, Texas

Austin Texas Marketing

Austin, Texas isn’t just the state capital — it’s also considered the live music capital of the world. However, tourism dipped substantially during the pandemic, and the city’s Visit Austin nonprofit responded with an updated marketing plan to attract tourists to the Texas capital.

The Visit Austin marketing plan includes a visual representation of its wins from 2021, which measured the impact of the organization’s work in past years. But this marketing plan truly shines in terms of its market research. Visit Austin not only conducted in-depth research about travelers’ plans to visit Austin, but also visualized this data in an engaging format to boost understanding.

15. Visit Oxnard

Oxnard, California, faced similar challenges with pandemic recovery. Visit Oxnard created a marketing plan to position the city as a destination for both leisure and business.

What’s unique about the Visit Oxnard plan is that it leans heavily into the business side of travel. Its marketing plan includes considerations for business events and meetings, as well as a strategy for attracting film productions as a less expensive alternative to Los Angeles. This is a great example of how marketing plans can introduce new, out-of-the-box positioning and segmentation to take advantage of a gap in the market.

Marketing plans clarify your focus and give marketing teams a solid vision of what they need to do. But not all plans are effective. It’s important to develop a strong marketing plan to give your audience exactly what it needs, as well as make a name for yourself in an increasingly competitive market.

While these 15 marketing plan examples are a great jumping-off point, you might need more guidance on how to create a marketing plan. Check out Adobe’s guide to building a marketing plan to get the most results from your marketing plan. You can also use our marketing plan templates to save time organizing and formatting your marketing plan.

You need a marketing plan to move forward. But then you need to execute your plan, and that’s where things can get complicated.

After investing in a marketing plan, opt for an automation platform to save time and deliver a better user experience. Adobe Marketo Engage helps businesses make sense of complex buying journeys. Build engaging, personalized experiences at scale and prove your impact every step of the way with this all-in-one marketing platform.

Watch the Marketo Engage overview video or take the interactive tour to learn more.

What is a marketing plan?

A marketing plan is a documented strategy for how a business plans to promote itself over a period of time. Organizations use this marketing plan to set goals, learn about their audience, and create marketing campaigns to help the business stand out.

What are some marketing plan examples?

Coca-Cola created a unique marketing plan formatted not as a written document, but as a video. This marketing plan example is a great illustration of how businesses should make their marketing plans as digestible as possible to increase internal adoption and understanding.

What are the elements of a good marketing plan?

Every good marketing plan should include an executive summary, a mission statement, marketing objectives, a SWOT analysis, market research, a marketing strategy, and a budget. Many marketing plans include additional sections as needed, depending on an organization’s goals and strategy.

https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/digital-marketing-strategy-definition

https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/strategic-planning

https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/learn-about-marketing-campaign-management

  • Marketing |
  • How to create a winning marketing plan, ...

How to create a winning marketing plan, with 3 examples from world-class teams

Caeleigh MacNeil contributor headshot

A marketing plan helps leaders clearly visualize marketing strategies across channels, so they can ensure every campaign drives pipeline and revenue. In this article you’ll learn eight steps to create a winning marketing plan that brings business-critical goals to life, with examples from word-class teams.

quotation mark

To be successful as a marketer, you have to deliver the pipeline and the revenue.”

In other words—they need a well-crafted marketing plan.

Level up your marketing plan to drive revenue in 2024

Learn how to create the right marketing plan to hit your revenue targets in 2024. Hear best practices from marketing experts, including how to confidently set and hit business goals, socialize marketing plans, and move faster with clearer resourcing.

level up your marketing plan to drive revenue in 2024

7 steps to build a comprehensive marketing plan

How do you build the right marketing plan to hit your revenue goals? Follow these eight steps for success:

1. Define your plan

First you need to define each specific component of your plan to ensure stakeholders are aligned on goals, deliverables, resources, and more. Ironing out these details early on ensures your plan supports the right business objectives, and that you have sufficient resources and time to get the job done. 

Get started by asking yourself the following questions: 

What resources do I need? 

What is the vision?

What is the value?

What is the goal?

Who is my audience?

What are my channels?

What is the timeline?

For example, imagine you’re creating an annual marketing plan to improve customer adoption and retention in the next fiscal year. Here’s how you could go through the questions above to ensure you’re ready to move forward with your plan: 

I will need support from the content team, web team, and email team to create targeted content for existing customers. One person on each team will need to be dedicated full-time to this initiative. To achieve this, the marketing team will need an additional $100K in budget and one new headcount. 

What is the vision?  

To create a positive experience for existing customers, address new customer needs, and encourage them to upgrade. We’ll do this by serving them how-to content, new feature updates, information about deals and pricing, and troubleshooting guides. 

According to the Sales Benchmark Index (SBI) , CEOs and go-to-market leaders report that more than 60% of their net-new revenue will come from existing customers in 2023. By retaining and building on the customers we have, we can maintain revenue growth over time. 

To decrease the customer churn rate from 30% to 10%, and increase upgrades from 20% to 30% in the next fiscal year. 

All existing customers. 

The main channel will be email. Supporting marketing channels include the website, blog, YouTube, and social media. 

The first half of the next fiscal year. 

One of the most important things to do as you create your marketing strategy is to identify your target audience . As with all marketing, you need to know who you’re marketing to. If you’re having a hard time determining who exactly your target audience is, try the bullseye targeting framework . The bullseye makes it easy for you to determine who your target audience is by industry, geography, company size, psychographics, demographics, and more.

2. Identify key metrics for success 

Now it’s time to define what key marketing metrics you’ll use to measure success. Your key metrics will help you measure and track the performance of your marketing activities. They’ll also help you understand how your efforts tie back to larger business goals. 

Once you establish key metrics, use a goal-setting framework—like objectives and key results (OKRs) or SMART goals —to fully flush out your marketing objectives. This ensures your targets are as specific as possible, with no ambiguity about what should be accomplished by when. 

Example: If a goal of your marketing plan is to increase email subscriptions and you follow the SMART goal framework (ensuring your objective is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound) your goal might look like this: Increase email subscription rate from 10% to 20% in H1 . 

3. Research your competition 

It’s easy to get caught up in your company’s world, but there’s a lot of value in understanding your competitors . Knowing how they market themselves will help you find opportunities to make your company stand out and capture more market share.

Make sure you’re not duplicating your competitors’ efforts. If you discover a competitor has already executed your idea, then it might be time to go back to the drawing board and brainstorm new ways to differentiate yourself.  By looking at your competitors, you might be surprised at the type of inspiration and opportunities you’ll find.

To stay ahead of market trends, conduct a SWOT analysis for your marketing plan. A SWOT analysis helps you improve your plan by identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. 

Example: If your competitor launches a social media campaign identical to what you had planned, go back to the drawing board and see how you can build off their campaign. Ask yourself: How can we differentiate our campaign while still getting our message across? What are the weaknesses of their campaign that we can capitalize on? What angles did they not approach?

4. Integrate your marketing efforts

Here’s where the fun comes in. Let’s dive into the different components that go into building a successful marketing plan. You’ll want to make sure your marketing plan includes multiple supporting activities that all add up into a powerful marketing machine. Some marketing plan components include: 

Lead generation

Social media

Product marketing

Public relations

Analyst relations

Customer marketing

Search engine optimization (SEO)

Conversational marketing

Knowing where your consumer base spends the most time is significant for nailing this step. You need to have a solid understanding of your target audience before integrating your marketing efforts. 

Example: If your target audience is executives that spend a lot of time on LinkedIn, focus your social media strategy around placing branded content on LinkedIn. 

5. Differentiate with creative content

Forty-nine percent of marketers say visual images are hugely important to their content strategy. In other words, a clear brand and creative strategy is an essential component to every marketing plan. As you craft your own creative strategy, here are some tips to keep in mind: 

Speak to your audience: When defining your creative strategy, think about your audience—what you want them to feel, think, and do when they see your marketing. Will your audience find your creative work relevant? If your audience can’t relate to your creative work, they won’t feel connected to the story you’re trying to tell. 

Think outside the box: Find innovative ways to engage your audience, whether through video, animations, or interactive graphics. Know what screens your creative work will live on, whether desktop, mobile, or tablet, and make sure they display beautifully and load quickly across every type of device. 

Tie everything back to CTAs: It’s easy to get caught up in the creative process, so it’s important to never lose sight of your ultimate goal: Get your audience to take action. Always find the best way to display strong Calls to Action (CTAs) in your creative work. We live in a visual world—make sure your creative content counts.

Streamline creative production:   Once you’ve established a strong creative strategy, the next step is to bring your strategy to life in the production stage. It’s vital to set up a strong framework for your creative production process to eliminate any unnecessary back and forth and potential bottlenecks. Consider establishing creative request forms , streamlining feedback and approval processes, and taking advantage of integrations that might make your designers’ lives easier.

Example: If your brand is fun and approachable, make sure that shows in your creative efforts. Create designs and CTAs that spark joy, offer entertainment, and alleviate the pressure in choosing a partner.

6. Operationalize your marketing plan

Turn your plan into action by making goals, deliverables, and timelines clear for every stakeholder—so teams stay accountable for getting work done. The best way to do this is by centralizing all the details of your marketing plan in one platform , so teams can access the information they need and connect campaign work back to company goals.  

With the right work management tool , you can: 

Set goals for every marketing activity, and connect campaign work to overarching marketing and business objectives so teams focus on revenue-driving projects. 

Centralize deliverables for your entire marketing plan in one project or portfolio .

Mark major milestones and visualize your plan as a timeline, Gantt chart, calendar, list, or Kanban board—without doing any extra work. 

Quickly loop in stakeholders with status updates so they’re always up to date on progress. This is extremely important if you have a global team to ensure efforts aren’t being duplicated. 

Use automations to seamlessly hand off work between teams, streamlining processes like content creation and reviews. 

Create dashboards to report on work and make sure projects are properly staffed , so campaigns stay on track. 

With everything housed in one spot, you can easily visualize the status of your entire marketing plan and keep work on track. Building an effective marketing plan is one thing, but how you operationalize it can be your secret to standout marketing.

Example: If your strategy focuses on increasing page views, connect all campaign work to an overarching OKR—like “we will double page views as measured by the amount of organic traffic on our blog.” By making that goal visible to all stakeholders, you help teams prioritize the right work. 

See marketing planning in action

With Asana, marketing teams can connect work, standardize processes, and automate workflows—all in one place.

See marketing planning in action

7. Measure performance

Nearly three in four CMOs use revenue growth to measure success, so it’s no surprise that measuring performance is necessary. You established your key metrics in step two, and now it’s time to track and report on them in step eight.

Periodically measure your marketing efforts to find areas of improvement so you can optimize in real-time. There are always lessons to be learned when looking at data. You can discover trends, detect which marketing initiatives performed well, and course-correct what isn’t performing well. And when your plan is complete, you can apply these learnings to your next initiative for improved results. 

Example: Say you discover that long-form content is consistently bringing in 400% more page views than short-form content. As a result, you’ll want to focus on producing more long-form content in your next marketing plan.

Marketing plan examples from world-class teams

The best brands in the world bring their marketing plans to life every day. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out these examples from successful marketing teams.

Autodesk grows site traffic 30% three years in a row

When the Autodesk team launched Redshift, it was initially a small business blog. The editorial team executed a successful marketing plan to expand it into a premier owned-media site, making it a destination for stories and videos about the future of making. 

The team scaled content production to support seven additional languages. By standardizing their content production workflow and centralizing all content conversations in one place, the editorial team now publishes 2X more content monthly. Read the case study to learn more about how Autodesk runs a well-oiled content machine.

Sony Music boosts creative production capacity by 4X

In recent years the music industry has gone through a pivotal transition—shifting from album sales to a streaming business model. For marketing and creative teams at Sony Music, that meant adopting an “always on” campaign plan. 

The team successfully executed this campaign plan by centralizing creative production and approvals in one project. By standardizing processes, the team reduced campaign production time by 75%. Read the case study to learn more about how Sony Music successfully scaled their creative production process.

Trinny London perfects new customer acquisition 

In consumer industries, social media is crucial for building a community of people who feel an affinity with the brand—and Trinny London is no exception. As such, it was imperative that Trinny London’s ad spend was targeted to the correct audience. Using a work management tool, Trinny London was able to nail the process of creating, testing, and implementing ads on multiple social channels.

With the help of a centralized tool, Trinny London improved its ad spend and drove more likes and subscriptions on its YouTube page. Read the case study to learn more about how Trinny London capitalized on paid advertising and social media. 

Turn your marketing plan into marketing success 

A great marketing plan promotes clarity and accountability across teams—so every stakeholder knows what they’re responsible for, by when. Reading this article is the first step to achieving better team alignment, so you can ensure every marketing campaign contributes to your company’s bottom line. 

Use a free marketing plan template to get started

Once you’ve created your marketing strategy and are ready to operationalize your marketing plan, get started with one of our marketing templates . 

Our marketing templates can help you manage and track every aspect of your marketing plan, from creative requests to approval workflows. Centralize your entire marketing plan in one place, customize the roadmap, assign tasks, and build a timeline or calendar. 

Once you’ve operationalized your entire marketing plan with one of our templates, share it with your stakeholders so everyone can work together in the same tool. Your entire team will feel connected to the marketing plan, know what to prioritize, and see how their work contributes to your project objectives . Choose the best marketing template for your team:

Marketing project plan template

Marketing campaign plan template

Product marketing launch template

Editorial calendar template

Agency collaboration template

Creative requests template

Event planning template

GTM strategy template

Still have questions? We have answers. 

What is a marketing plan.

A marketing plan is a detailed roadmap that outlines the different strategies your team will use to achieve organizational objectives. Rather than focusing solely on the end goal, a marketing plan maps every step you need to reach your destination—whether that’s driving pipeline for sales, nurturing your existing customer base, or something in-between. 

As a marketing leader, you know there’s never a shortage of great campaign and project ideas. A marketing plan gives you a framework to effectively prioritize work that aligns to overarching business goals—and then get that work done. Some elements of marketing plans include:

Current business plan

Mission statement  

Business goals

Target customers  

Competitive analysis 

Current marketing mix

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

Marketing budget  

What is the purpose of a marketing plan?

The purpose of a marketing plan is to grow your company’s consumer base and strengthen your brand, while aligning with your organization’s mission and vision . The plan should analyze the competitive landscape and industry trends, offer actionable insights to help you gain a competitive advantage, and document each step of your strategy—so you can see how your campaigns work together to drive overarching business goals. 

What is the difference between a marketing plan and a marketing strategy? 

A marketing plan contains many marketing strategies across different channels. In that way, marketing strategies contribute to your overall marketing plan, working together to reach your company’s overarching business goals.

For example, imagine you’re about to launch a new software product and the goal of your marketing plan is to drive downloads. Your marketing plan could include marketing strategies like creating top-of-funnel blog content and launching a social media campaign. 

What are different types of marketing plans? 

Depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, what your timeline is, or which facet of marketing you’re driving, you’ll need to create a different type of marketing plan. Some different types of marketing plans include, but aren’t limited to:

General marketing plan: A general marketing plan is typically an annual or quarterly marketing plan that details the overarching marketing strategies for the period. This type of marketing plan outlines marketing goals, the company’s mission, buyer personas, unique selling propositions, and more. A general marketing plan lays the foundation for other, more specific marketing plans that an organization may employ. 

Product launch marketing plan: A product launch marketing plan is a step-by-step plan for marketing a new product or expanding into a new market. It helps you build awareness and interest by targeting the right audience, with the right messaging, in the right timeframe—so potential customers are ready to buy your new offering right away. Nailing your product launch marketing plan can reinforce your overall brand and fast-track sales. For a step-by-step framework to organize all the moving pieces of a launch, check out our product marketing launch template .

Paid marketing plan: This plan includes all the paid strategies in your marketing plan, like pay-per-click, paid social media advertising, native advertising, and display advertising. It’s especially important to do audience research prior to launching your paid marketing plan to ensure you’re maximizing ROI. Consult with content strategists to ensure your ads align with your buyer personas so you know you’re showing ads to the right people. 

Content marketing plan: A content marketing plan outlines the different content strategies and campaigns you’ll use to promote your product or service. When putting together a content marketing plan, start by identifying your audience. Then use market research tools to get the best insights into what topics your target audience is most interested in.

SEO marketing plan: Your SEO marketing plan should work directly alongside your content marketing plan as you chart content that’s designed to rank in search results. While your content marketing plan should include all types of content, your SEO marketing plan will cover the top-of-funnel content that drives new users to your site. Planning search engine-friendly content is only one step in your SEO marketing plan. You’ll also need to include link-building and technical aspects in order to ensure your site and content are as optimized as possible.

Social media marketing plan: This plan will highlight the marketing strategies you plan to accomplish on social media. Like in any general or digital marketing plan , your social media strategy should identify your ideal customer base and determine how they engage on different social media platforms. From there, you can cater your social media content to your target audience.  

Related resources

examples of marketing plan in business plan

Campaign management is broken. Here’s how to fix it.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

How Asana uses work management for content marketing

examples of marketing plan in business plan

7 causes of content calendar chaos—and how to solve them

examples of marketing plan in business plan

3 ways to launch marketing campaigns faster with Asana

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Blog Marketing

What is a Marketing Plan & How to Create One [with Examples]

By Sara McGuire , Oct 26, 2023

Marketing Plan Venngage

After employee salaries, marketing is typically the biggest expense for most businesses.

As a business owner or marketer, don’t you want to make sure your marketing dollars are being spent in the most productive way possible? Yeah, me too.

But what often ends up happening is most businesses try different marketing tactics without a clear plan, and walk away with little success.

Or they’ll get lucky and score a big marketing win but soon find themselves unable to  scale their marketing tactics, goals and strategies  to drive consistent growth.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to grow your business strategically and maximize ROI  generated from your marketing dollars with a well-defined marketing plan.

Don’t know how to create a marketing plan? Start with one of Venngage’s templates today. You don’t need any design skills to make a great plan that helps align your team and grow your business.

Click to jump ahead:

What is a marketing plan.

  • How to create a marketing plan
  • Marketing plan vs. Marketing strategy
  • Types of marketing plans
  • 9 marketing plan templates
  • Marketing plan design and writing tips

A marketing plan is a report that outlines your marketing strategy for your products or services, which could be applicable for the coming year, quarter or month.  

Watch this quick, 13-minute video for more details on what a marketing plan is and how to make one yourself:

Typically, a marketing plan includes:

  • An overview of your business’s marketing and advertising goals
  • A description of your business’s current marketing position
  • A timeline of when tasks within your strategy will be completed
  • Key performance indicators (KPIs) you will be tracking
  • A description of your business’s target market and customer needs
  • A description of how you will measure the performance of the strategy

For example, this marketing plan template provides a high-level overview of the business and competitors before diving deep into specific goals, KPIs and tactics:

Orange Content Marketing Plan Template

Learning how to write a marketing plan forces you to think through the important steps that lead to an effective marketing strategy . And a well-defined plan will help you stay focused on your high-level marketing goals.

With Venngage’s extensive catalog of marketing plan templates , creating your marketing plan isn’t going to be hard or tedious. In fact, Venngage has plenty of helpful communications and design resources for marketers. If you’re ready to get started, sign up for  Venngage for Marketers   now. It’s free to register and start designing.

Venngage for Marketers Page Header

Whether you’re a team trying to set smarter marketing goals, a consultant trying to set your client in the right direction, or a one-person team hustling it out, Venngage for Marketers helps you get things done. You’ll also get helpful webinars and presentations delivered right to your inbox, like this one:

Growth By Content Webinar Banner

How to write a marketing plan 

As mentioned above, the scope of your marketing plan varies depending on its purpose or the type of organization it’s for.

For example, you could create a marketing plan that provides an overview of a company’s entire marketing strategy or simply focus on a specific channel like SEO, social media marketing, content marketing and more, like in this example:

content marketing plan template

Marketing plan outline

A typical outline of a marketing plan includes:

  • Executive summary
  • Goals and objectives
  • User personas
  • Competitor analysis/SWOT analysis
  • Baseline metrics
  • Marketing strategy
  • Tracking guidelines

Below you will see in details how to write each section as well as some examples of how you can design each section in a marketing plan.

Let’s look at how to create a successful marketing plan (click to jump ahead):

  • Write a simple executive summary
  • Set metric-driven marketing goals
  • Outline your user personas
  • Research all of your competitors
  • Set accurate key baselines & metrics
  • Create an actionable marketing strategy
  • Set tracking or reporting guidelines

1. Write a simple executive summary

Starting your marketing plan off on the right foot is important. You want to pull people into your amazing plan for marketing domination. Not bore them to tears.

Creative Marketing Plan Executive Summary

One of the best ways to get people excited to read your marketing plan is with a well-written executive summary. An executive summary introduces readers to your company goals, marketing triumphs, future plans, and other important contextual facts.

Standard Business Proposal Executive Summary

Basically, you can use the Executive Summary as a primer for the rest of your marketing plan.

Include things like:

  • Simple marketing goals
  • High-level metrics
  • Important company milestones
  • Facts about your brand
  • Employee anecdotes
  • Future goals & plans

Try to keep your executive summary rather brief and to the point. You aren’t writing a novel, so try to keep it under three to four paragraphs.

Take a look at the executive summary in the marketing plan example below:

Content Marketing Proposal Executive Summary

The executive summary is only two paragraphs long — short but effective.

The executive summary tells readers about the company’s growth, and how they are about to overtake one of their competitors. But there’s no mention of specific metrics or figures. That will be highlighted in the next section of the marketing plan.

An effective executive summary should have enough information to pique the reader’s interest, but not bog them down with specifics yet. That’s what the rest of your marketing plan is for!

The executive summary also sets the tone for your marketing plan. Think about what tone will fit your brand ? Friendly and humorous? Professional and reliable? Inspiring and visionary?

2. Set metric-driven marketing goals

After you perfect your executive summary, it’s time to outline your marketing goals.

(If you’ve never set data-driven goals like this before, it would be worth reading this growth strategy guide ).

This is one of the most important parts of the entire marketing plan, so be sure to take your time and be as clear as possible.

As a rule of thumb, be as specific as possible. The folks over at  VoyMedia  advise that you should set goals that impact website traffic, conversions, and customer success — and to use real numbers.

Avoid outlining vague goals like:

  • Get more Twitter followers
  • Write more articles
  • Create more YouTube videos (like educational or Explainer videos )
  • Increase retention rate
  • Decrease bounce rate

Instead, identify  key performance metrics  (KPI) you want to impact and the percentage you want to increase them by.

Take a look at the goals page in the marketing plan example below:

Creative Marketing Plan Goals

They not only identify a specific metric in each of their goals, but they also set a timeline for when they will be increased.

The same vague goals listed earlier become much clearer when specific numbers and timelines are applied to them:

  • Get 100 new Twitter followers per month
  • Write 5 more articles per week
  • Create 10 YouTube videos each year
  • Increase retention rate by 15% by 2020
  • Decrease bounce rate by 5% by Q1
  • Create an online course  and get 1,000 new leads

You can dive even deeper into your marketing goals if you want (generally, the more specific, the better). Here’s a marketing plan example that shows how to outline your growth goals:

Growth Goals Roadmap Template for a Marketing Plan

3. Outline your user personas

Now, this may not seem like the most important part of your marketing plan, but I think it holds a ton of value.

Outlining your user personas is an important part of a marketing plan that should not be overlooked.

You should be asking not just how you can get the most visitors to your business, but how you can get the right visitors.

Who are your ideal customers? What are their goals? What are their biggest problems? How does your business solve customer problems?

Answering these questions will take lots of research, but it’s essential information to get.

Some ways to conduct user research are:

  • Interviewing your users (either in person or on the phone)
  • Conducting focus groups
  • Researching other businesses in the same industry
  • Surveying your audience

Then, you will need to compile your user data into a user persona  guide.

Take a look at how detailed this user persona template is below:

Persona Marketing Report Template

Taking the time to identify specific demographic traits, habits and goals will make it easier for you to cater your marketing plan to them.

Here’s how you can create a user persona guide:

The first thing you should add is a profile picture or icon for each user persona. It can help to put a face to your personas, so they seem more real.

Marketing Persona

Next, list demographic information like:

  • Identifiers
  • Activities/Hobbies

The user persona example above uses sliding scales to identify personality traits like introversion vs. extroversion and thinking vs. feeling. Identifying what type of personality your target users tend to have an influence on the messaging you use in your marketing content.

Meanwhile, this user persona guide identifies specific challenges the user faces each day:

Content Marketing Proposal Audience Personas

But if you don’t want to go into such precise detail, you can stick to basic information, like in this marketing plan example:

Social Media Plan Proposal Template Ideal Customers

Most businesses will have a few different types of target users. That’s why it’s pertinent to identify and create several different user personas . That way, you can better segment your marketing campaigns and set separate goals, if necessary.

Here’s a marketing plan example with a segmented user persona guide:

Mobile App Market Report

The important thing is for your team or client to have a clear picture of who their target user is and how they can appeal to their specific problems.

Start creating robust user personas using Venngage’s user persona guide .

4. Conduct an extensive competitor analysis

Next, on the marketing plan checklist, we have the competitor research section. This section will help you identify who your competitors are, what they’re doing, and how you could carve yourself a place alongside them in your niche — and ideally, surpass them. It’s something you can learn to do with rank tracking software .

Competitor research is also incredibly important if you are starting a blog .

Typically, your competitor research should include:

  • Who their marketing team is
  • Who their leadership team is
  • What their marketing strategy is (this will probably revolve some reverse-engineering)
  • What their sales strategy is (same deal)
  • Social Media strategy (are they using discounting strategies such as coupon marketing to get conversions)
  • Their market cap/financials
  • Their yearly growth (you will probably need to use a marketing tool like Ahrefs to do this)
  • The number of customers they have & their user personas

Also, take as deep a dive as you can into the strategies they use across their:

  • Blog/Content marketing
  • Social media marketing
  • SEO Marketing
  • Video marketing
  • And any other marketing tactics they use

Research their strengths and weaknesses in all parts of their company, and you will find some great opportunities. Bookmark has a great guide to different marketing strategies for small businesses  if you need some more information there.

You can use this simple SWOT analysis worksheet to quickly work through all parts of their strategy as well:

Competitive SWOT Analysis

Click the template above to create a SWOT chart . Customize the template to your liking — no design know-how needed.

Since you have already done all the research beforehand, adding this information to your marketing plan shouldn’t be that hard.

In this marketing plan example, some high-level research is outlined for 3 competing brands:

Content Marketing Proposal Competitive Research

But you could take a deeper dive into different facets of your competitors’ strategies. This marketing plan example analyses a competitor’s content marketing strategy:

Competitor-Analysis-Content-Marketing-Plan-Template

It can also be helpful to divide your competitors into Primary and Secondary groups. For example, Apple’s primary competitor may be Dell for computers, but its secondary competitor could be a company that makes tablets.

Your most dangerous competitors may not even be in the same industry as you. Like the CEO of Netflix said, “Sleep is our competition.”

5. Set accurate key baselines & metrics

It’s pretty hard to plan for the future if you don’t know where your business stands right now.

Before we do anything at Venngage, we find the baselines so we can compare future results to something. We do it so much it’s almost like second nature now!

Setting baselines will allow you to more accurately track your progress. You will also be able to better analyze what worked and what didn’t work, so you can build a stronger strategy. It will definitely help them clearly understand your goals and strategy as well.

Here’s a marketing plan example where the baselines are visualized:

Social Media Marketing Proposal Success Metrics

Another way to include baselines in your plan is with a simple chart, like in the marketing plan example below:

Simple-Blue-Social-Media-Marketing-Plan

Because data can be intimidating to a lot of people, visualizing your data using charts and infographics will help demystify the information.

6. Create an actionable marketing strategy

After pulling all the contextual information and relevant metrics into your marketing plan, it’s time to break down your marketing strategy.

Once again, it’s easier to communicate your information to your team or clients using visuals .

Mind maps are an effective way to show how a strategy with many moving parts ties together. For example, this mind map shows how the four main components of a marketing strategy interact together:

Marketing Plan Mind Map Template

You can also use a flow chart to map out your strategy by objectives:

Action Plan Mind Map

However you choose to visualize your strategy, your team should know exactly what they need to do. This is not the time to keep your cards close to your chest.

Your strategy section may need to take up a few pages to explain, like in the marketing plan example below:

Creative-Modern-Content-Marketing-Plan-Template

With all of this information, even someone from the development team will understand what the marketing team is working on.

This minimalistic marketing plan example uses color blocks to make the different parts of the strategy easy to scan:

Blue-Simple-Social-Media-Marketing-Plan-Template

Breaking your strategy down into tasks will make it easier to tackle.

Another important way to visualize your marketing strategy is to create a project roadmap. A project roadmap visualizes the timeline of your product with individual tasks. Our roadmap maker can help you with this.

For example, this project roadmap shows how tasks on both the marketing and web design side run parallel to each other:

Simple Product Roadmap Plan Template

A simple timeline can also be used in your marketing plan:

Strategy Timeline Infographic

Or a mind map, if you want to include a ton of information in a more organized way:

Business Strategy Mindmap Template

Even a simple “Next, Now, Later” chart can help visualize your strategy:

3 Step Product Roadmap Template

7. Set tracking or reporting guidelines

Close your marketing plan with a brief explanation of how you plan to track or measure your results. This will save you a lot of frustration down the line by standardizing how you track results across your team.

Like the other sections of your marketing plan, you can choose how in-depth you want to go. But there need to be some clear guidelines on how to measure the progress and results of your marketing plan.

At the bare minimum, your results tracking guidelines should specify:

  • What you plan to track
  • How you plan to track results
  • How often you plan to measure

But you can more add tracking guidelines to your marketing plan if you see the need to. You may also want to include a template that your team or client can follow,  for  client reporting ,  ensure that the right metrics are being tracked.

Marketing Checklist

The marketing plan example below dedicates a whole page to tracking criteria:

SEO Marketing Proposal Measuring Results

Use a task tracker to track tasks and marketing results, and a checklist maker to note down tasks, important life events, or tracking your daily life.

Similarly, the marketing plan example below talks about tracking content marketing instead:

Social Media Marketing Proposal

Marketing plan vs. marketing strategy

Although often used interchangeably, the terms “marketing plan” and “marketing strategy” do have some differences.

Simply speaking, a marketing strategy presents what the business will do in order to reach a certain goal. A marketing plan outlines the specific daily, weekly, monthly or yearly activities that the marketing strategy calls for. As a business, you can create a marketing proposal for the marketing strategies defined in your company’s marketing plan. There are various marketing proposal examples that you can look at to help with this.

A company’s extended marketing strategy can be like this:

marketing strategy mind map

Notice how it’s more general and doesn’t include the actual activities required to complete each strategy or the timeframe those marketing activities will take place. That kind of information is included in a marketing plan, like this marketing plan template which talks about the content strategy in detail:

Content Marketing Proposal

Types of marketing plans that can transform your business strategy

Let’s take a look at several types of marketing plans you can create, along with specific examples for each.

1. General marketing strategic plan / Annual marketing plan

This is a good example of a marketing plan that covers the overarching annual marketing strategy for a company:

marketing strategy template marketing plan

Another good example would be this Starbucks marketing plan:

Starbucks marketing plan example

This one-page marketing plan example from coffee chain Starbucks has everything at a glance. The bold headers and subheadings make it easier to segment the sections so readers can focus on the area most relevant to them.

What we like about this example is how much it covers. From the ideal buyer persona to actional activities, as well as positioning and metrics, this marketing plan has it all.

Another marketing plan example that caught our eye is this one from Cengage. Although a bit text-heavy and traditional, it explains the various sections well. The clean layout makes this plan easy to read and absorb.

Cengage marketing plan example

The last marketing plan example we would like to feature in this section is this one from Lush cosmetics.

It is a long one but it’s also very detailed. The plan outlines numerous areas, including the company mission, SWOT analysis , brand positioning, packaging, geographical criteria, and much more.

Lush marketing plan

2. Content marketing plan

A content marketing plan highlights different strategies , campaigns or tactics you can use for your content to help your business reach its goals.

This one-page marketing plan example from Contently outlines a content strategy and workflow using simple colors and blocks. The bullet points detail more information but this plan can easily be understood at a glance, which makes it so effective.

contently marketing plan

For a more detailed content marketing plan example, take a look at this template which features an editorial calendar you can share with the whole team:

nonprofit content marketing plan

3. SEO marketing plan

Your SEO marketing plan highlights what you plan to do for your SEO marketing strategy . This could include tactics for website on-page optimization , off-page optimization using AI SEO , and link building using an SEO PowerSuite backlink API for quick backlink profile checks.

This SEO marketing plan example discusses in detail the target audience of the business and the SEO plan laid out in different stages:

SEO marketing plan example

4. Social media marketing plan

Your social media marketing plan presents what you’ll do to reach your marketing goal through social media. This could include tactics specific to each social media channel that you own, recommendations on developing a new channel, specific campaigns you want to run, and so on, like how B2B channels use Linkedin to generate leads with automation tools and expand their customer base; or like making use of Twitter walls that could display live Twitter feeds from Twitter in real-time on digital screens.

Edit this social media marketing plan example easily with Venngage’s drag-and-drop editor:

social media marketing plan example

5. Demand generation marketing plan

This could cover your paid marketing strategy (which can include search ads, paid social media ads, traditional advertisements, etc.), email marketing strategy and more. Here’s an example:

promotional marketing plan

9 marketing plan examples to inspire your growth strategy

1. free marketing plan template.

Here’s a free nonprofit marketing plan example that is ideal for organizations with a comprehensive vision to share. It’s a simple plan that is incredibly effective. Not only does the plan outline the core values of the company, it also shares the ideal buyer persona.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

Note how the branding is consistent throughout this example so there is no doubt which company is presenting this plan. The content plan is an added incentive for anyone viewing the document to go ahead and give the team the green light.

2. Pastel social media marketing campaign template

Two-page marketing plan samples aren’t very common, but this free template proves how effective they are. There’s a dedicated section for business goals as well as for project planning .

Pastel Social Media Marketing Plan Template

The milestones for the marketing campaign are clearly laid out, which is a great way to show how organized this business strategy is.

3. Small business marketing strategy template

This marketing plan template is perfect for small businesses who set out to develop an overarching marketing strategy for the whole year:

Notice how this aligns pretty well with the marketing plan outline we discussed in previous sections.

In terms of specific tactics for the company’s marketing strategy, the template only discusses SEO strategy, but you can certainly expand on that section to discuss any other strategies — such as link building , that you would like to build out a complete marketing plan for.

4. Orange simple marketing proposal template

Marketing plans, like the sample below, are a great way to highlight what your business strategy and the proposal you wan to put forward to win potential customers.

Orange Simple Marketing Proposal Template

5. One-page marketing fact sheet template

This one-page marketing plan example is great for showcasing marketing efforts in a persuasive presentation or to print out for an in-person meeting.

Nonprofit Healthcare Company Fact Sheet Template

Note how the fact sheet breaks down the marketing budget as well as the key metrics for the organization. You can win over clients and partners with a plan like this.

6. Light company business fact sheet template

This one-page sample marketing plan clearly outlines the marketing objectives for the organization. It’s a simple but effective way to share a large amount of information in a short amount of time.

Light Company Business Fact Sheet Template

What really works with this example is that includes a mission statement, key contact information alongside all the key metrics.

7. Marketing media press kit template

This press kit marketing plan template is bright and unmistakable as belonging to the Cloud Nine marketing agency . The way the brand colors are used also helps diversify the layouts for each page, making the plan easier to read.

Marketing Media Press Kit Template

We like the way the marketing department has outlined the important facts about the organization. The bold and large numbers draw the eye and look impressive.

8. Professional marketing proposal template

Start your marketing campaign on a promising note with this marketing plan template. It’s short, sharp and to the point. The table of contents sets out the agenda, and there’s a page for the company overview and mission statement.

Professional Marketing Proposal Template

9. Social media marketing proposal template

A complete marketing plan example, like the one below, not only breaks down the business goals to be achieved but a whole lot more. Note how the terms and conditions and payment schedule are included, which makes this one of the most comprehensive marketing plans on our list.

Checkered Social Media Marketing Proposal Template

7 tips to keep in mind while you’re creating your marketing plan

While a marketing plan doesn’t necessarily have to be pretty, an impressive design certainly helps if you want your plan to be more convincing.

Presentation is especially important if you’re presenting your marketing plan to investors, or if you need to convince your boss to approve your requested marketing budget.

That’s where a marketing plan template can help. If you don’t have a designer available, or even if you want a framework to base your own design on, a template gives you a solid foundation to work with.

Start creating your marketing plan with a template and then customize the design to fit your information and to incorporate your own branding .

Here are seven marketing plan templates to get you started, along with some report design best practices you should follow when creating your plan.

1. Identify, describe and illustrate your target audience

Knowing your target audience is one of the most fundamental steps that every marketing team should take before making any marketing decisions. So by the time you begin writing your marketing plan, you should have your target audience identified.

In your marketing plan, you should dedicate a section to introducing your target audience.

To help keep your target audience top-of-mind when planning and executing your marketing strategies, it can be helpful to visualize your audience personas. Faux images of your personas, illustrations and icons are all great ways to put a face to your personas’ “names”.

Take this page from a marketing plan example that includes imagery and icons:

A photo of “Cassandra Vane”, their “head of marketing” persona, is provided to make the character seem more real. You can incorporate photos seamlessly into your page design by using image frames.

Icons are also used to visualize the different components that make up this persona (their identifies, their demographic information, their goals and their unique challenges).

2. Visualize important process flows and strategy roadmaps

To effectively outline new marketing strategies, processes, and timelines, it can be very helpful to visualize the flows.

You could opt for a classic flow chart or a more creative marketing plan infographic . Whatever type of visual you choose to create, the goal should be to make the information easier for people to follow.

The first step is to organize your flow into distinct steps. Remember to clearly label each step and to use symbols  like lines or arrows to indicate the direction in which the flow should be read.

It can also be helpful to visualize each step using different shapes, or attaching an icon to each step.

For example, this page visualizes an email campaign flow:

Marketing Business Proposal Email Campaign

Icons represent each email as an individual block, to make it easier for readers to visualize the process. Concise descriptions give readers context to understand the flow chart.

Take a look at how information flows visually throughout this promotional marketing plan template thanks to strategically placed visual cues:

Marketing Business Proposal

3. Emphasize important statistics, metrics, and numbers in your marketing plan

To make your plan both more convincing, and easier to scan, you should create a hierarchy of information in your page design.

For example, you can use charts and pictograms to visualize important stats or metrics. Or you could write important numbers in a bright-colored font so they stand out from the rest of the text.

This is an opportunity to get creative with your page design. Look at how speech bubble pictograms are used in this marketing plan example to show key statistics:

Content Strategy Plan

In that same marketing plan, important content-related data is emphasized using brightly colored shapes, illustrative icons and big fonts:

Content Strategy Plan Content Inventory

Color choice , icons and font styles all help bring key information forward in this content strategy plan template:

Content Strategy Marketing Plan Example

4. Use your main marketing goal to guide your design

One of the main goals of your marketing plan is to identify your high-level marketing goals. Your marketing plan design should be driven by this goal–in your page layouts and in the design elements you use.

You can do this by picking a design motif that reflects your goal and using that throughout your marketing plan. This could be a particular shape or item (for example, using images of plants in a work plan to represent growth) or a color scheme that reflects the mood of your mission.

This social media marketing plan example identifies their goal as being the go-to source of inspiration and information for runners:

Blue-Social-Media-Marketing-Plan-Template-

Take a look at how they use chat bubble icons and a bright, bold color scheme to give their marketing plan a friendly and energetic design:

Creative Social Media Marketing Proposal

Pro Tip: You don’t need to create a comprehensive marketing plan yourself. With our real-time collaboration feature , you can leverage your entire team to help you shape your marketing plan together anytime, anywhere. In real-time.

Real-time-Collaboration-Venngage-1

5. Vary your page designs to make your marketing plan engaging

Putting in the extra bit of effort to use visuals will not only make your marketing plan more engaging, it will also make it easier for readers to retain information.

That’s why while you could use the same page layout throughout your whole plan, it’s a good idea to vary your page design. Mixing up your design will prevent your plan from being too predictable. Plus, you will have more flexibility to visualize information creatively .

For example, this SEO plan template simply inverts the color scheme on each page. While the overall color scheme for the whole plan is cohesive, each individual page is varied:

SEO Marketing Proposal

6. Visualize your top channels using charts, icons, and pictograms

It’s important for your team to understand your highest-performing channels. That way, you can identify areas you may want to funnel more resources into, whether it be social media, paid ads , mobile app advertising , organic or referral traffic.

This is where visual communication can be highly effective. A simple but effective way to analyze your channels is to visualize the data. You can do this using charts , pictograms and infographics with Venngage’s infographic creator .

For example, a pie chart can put into perspective where the bulk of your traffic is coming from:

Green Business Marketing Plan Presentation Template

A stacked bar would also work well to visualize this information.

You can also use icons to emphasize and differentiate between channels, like in this marketing plan slide:

White Business Marketing Plan Presentation Template

Take a look at how charts, icons and color-coding make it easy to scan this marketing agenda presentation for information about specific channels:

Marketing Agenda Business Presentation

7. Use borders or color blocks to organize your pages into sections

Generally, it’s good practice to stick to one topic per page. This will help keep your marketing plan more organized and make it easier for readers to scan for information.

That being said, you may want to put more than one topic on the same page, like if both topics are directly related. In that case, you can organize the page into sections using borders or blocks of background color.

For example, look at how this page is clearly divided into two sections, thanks to the use of a color block background:

Promotional Marketing Plan Messaging

Blocks of color are also used to make the sections headers stand out. Take a look at the different pages in this promotional plan template:

Promotional Marketing Plan

A few more marketing plan design best practices:

Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind when start designing your marketing plan.

Keep your design elements like fonts, icons and colors consistent

While it’s good to switch up the layout of your pages to keep your marketing plan engaging, it’s important to keep your design consistent. That means:

  • Using the same font styles for your headers, body text, and accent text (generally, try to stick to only using 2-3 different font styles in one report)
  • Using the same color scheme throughout your plan, and using the same colors for specific types of information (ex. blue for “social media goals” and green for “SEO goals”)
  • Using the same style of icons throughout your report, like flat icons, line art icons, or illustrated icons

marketing plan example

Download your marketing plan as a PDF

It’s important that your team is on the same page. Sharing your marketing plan via Google Docs or a file-sharing service can be unreliable. In most cases, it’s easier to simply download your marketing plan as a PDF and share it with your team that way.

You can download your marketing plan in high-quality PDF digital flipbook or interactive PDF format with Venngage.

Include a table of contents to make it easy to find specific information

This tip is pretty self-explanatory. Even if you’re putting together your marketing plan as a presentation, a simple table of contents at the beginning will give your audience an idea of what they can expect.

Marketing Plan FAQs

What should marketing plans include.

Marketing plans should include:

  • A detailed analysis of the target market and customer segments.
  • Clear and achievable marketing objectives and goals.
  • Strategies and tactics for product promotion and distribution.
  • Budget allocation for various marketing activities.
  • Timelines and milestones for the implementation of marketing strategies.
  • Evaluation metrics and methods for tracking the success of the marketing plan.

What is an executive summary in a marketing plan and what is its main goal?

An executive summary in a marketing plan is a brief overview of the entire document, summarizing the key points, goals, and strategies. Its main goal is to provide readers with a quick understanding of the plan’s purpose and to entice them to read further.

What are the results when a marketing plan is effective?

When a marketing plan is effective, businesses can experience increased brand visibility, higher customer engagement, improved sales and revenue, and strengthened customer loyalty.

What is the first section of a marketing plan?

The first section of a marketing plan is typically the “Executive Summary,” which provides a concise overview of the entire plan, including the business’s goals and the strategies to achieve them.

Now that you have the basics for designing your own marketing plan, it’s time to get started:

More marketing design guides and templates:.

15 Marketing Infographic Templates and Tips to Boost Audience Engagement

12 Business Pitch Deck Templates and Design Best Practices to Impress Investors

10 Page-Turning White Paper Examples and Design Tips

The Evolution of Marketing [Infographic]

Your Guide to Creating a Small Business Marketing Plan

Table of contents.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

To have a successful business, you need a well-thought-out marketing plan to promote your products or services. Although making a few social media posts or blasting a few promotional emails may seem simple enough, disjointed marketing efforts not only confuse your target audience, but can ultimately harm your business. 

What is a marketing plan?

A marketing plan is a strategic road map for how you communicate (online and offline) with your target audience to successfully promote your products or services. Depending on your goal, marketing plans can be extremely basic or highly detailed.

According to Molly Maple Bryant, vice president of marketing at Vibrent Health, a marketing plan is not simply a list of things you want to accomplish. Instead, it should list the outcomes you seek — measurable and contextual, like the pipeline you’re developing, or leads you’re generating — and it should explain the high-level strategies you will use to achieve those outcomes. Developing strategies can be complicated, but they make a major difference in keeping you on track and avoiding diversions, also called scope creep .

“Once you have an agreed-upon plan, you are able to compare any incoming requests against your strategies to determine ‘Yes, this adheres to my strategy so we can add it,’ or ‘No, this sounds good in theory, but it doesn’t adhere to our agreed-upon strategy, so we won’t adjust resources,'” Bryant told us.

Download a copy of our free marketing plan template .

Types of marketing plans

There are several different types of marketing plans you can use based on certain strategies that make sense for your organization. Your business will likely need a combination of the following marketing plans to create an effective, comprehensive marketing strategy:

  • Advertising plan
  • Branding plan
  • Content marketing plan
  • Customer acquisition plan
  • Direct marketing plan
  • Email marketing plan
  • Public relation plan
  • Print marketing plan
  • Reputation management plan
  • Retention plan
  • Search engine optimization plan
  • Social media marketing plan

Depending on your product positioning, niche marketing plans like influencer marketing or video marketing can be incredibly effective.

Why is it important to have a marketing plan for your business?

A marketing plan is a crucial resource for any small business because it helps you identify the market needs your product or service meets, how your product is different from competitors, and who your product or service is for. Marketing plans also serve as a road map for your sales strategy, branding direction and building your overall business. This is important for successfully conveying your brand messaging to your target audience .

Another significant benefit of a marketing plan for your company is that rather than simply guessing metrics, it forces you to sit down and do the math about your business goals and how to realistically fulfill them. When you look at your growth outcomes, you can delve further to determine what it will take to get to those numbers.

Bryant offered the following example: “Need $100,000 in revenue? How many sales is that? If 10, what’s your close rate? Let’s say 10 percent from lead to closed deal. Now you have a metric to start with — to get to 10 sales, we need 100 leads. Where will they come from, and what strategies will you use? The plan helps you put it all on paper so you can map out resources and tactics later with a lot of preparation and realism,” said Bryant.

When analyzing outcomes and resources, you can save time and avoid scope creep by focusing only on strategies that are relevant to your marketing plan. A marketing plan helps you think realistically about your strategies, gets your stakeholders on the same page, and holds your marketing team accountable for their decisions.

“When everyone’s tasks and goals are laid out for the stakeholders and company partners to see, it is much easier for the entire team to feel at ease about reaching sales goals and allowing the marketing team the space and freedom needed to execute work without constant supervision,” said Cassady Dill, digital marketing consultant and owner of Ethos Agency.

Additionally, Dill said a marketing plan should be easily understood by your entire team, executives and outside departments. Your plan should also serve as an easy guide for future marketing managers and team members to understand and implement.

What are the key elements of an effective business marketing plan?

A marketing plan should be customized to fit your business; however, Dill said, all marketing plans contain five essential functions:

  • Your business goals
  • Key metrics (how you quantify and measure success)
  • Strategies (an overview of implementation and how that will achieve goals)
  • A plan (the details of execution and the human resources, departments and software that will be involved)
  • Reporting (what reports of progress will include and/or look like)

We broke down those five functions into 10 actionable categories to help you create a marketing plan that is unique and effective for your business.

1. Executive summary

The executive summary is a great place to give the reader of your plan an overview of your business’s mission or goals, as well as the marketing strategy you’re looking to employ. An executive summary is often written after you’ve completed the rest of the marketing plan, to ensure it covers all the important elements of your plan. If the executive summary is the only part of your marketing plan that someone reads (which is highly possible), you want to be sure they understand the most crucial details.

2. Mission statement

The mission statement , not to be confused with a vision statement, is a statement that encompasses your company’s values and how they relate to your overall goals as an organization. Here are some good questions to get you thinking:

  • What does your company do today?
  • What’s important to your company?
  • What would your company like to do in the future?
  • What is your brand identity?
  • What’s your culture like ?
  • How does your company benefit customers, employees and stakeholders?

3. Target markets

Identifying your target market is one of the most important parts of your marketing plan. Without a defined target audience, your marketing expenses will be wasted. Think of it like this: Some people need your service or product but don’t know it exists yet. Who are those people?

Here are some other questions to help you brainstorm your target market :

  • What is the demographic of your customers (gender, age, income, education, etc.)?
  • What are their needs and interests?
  • What’s their psychographic profile (attitudes, philosophies, values, lifestyle, etc.)?
  • How do they behave?
  • What are some existing products they use?

4. Products and services

In this section, don’t just list what your product or service is. Think critically about what you have to offer your customers and what that value proposition means to them.

  • What do you make or provide for customers?
  • What are your customers’ needs?
  • How does your product or service fulfill customers’ needs?
  • What value do you add to your customers’ lives?
  • What type of product or service are you offering?

5. Distribution channels

At this point in your report, you should transition your thinking into actual marketing theory and practices. Distribution channels are the avenues you’ll use to reach a prospective customer or business . Think of all current and potential sales channels on which your specific target audience is active. One distribution channel that works great for one organization may be useless to another. For example, one company may host their website for free on a site like HubSpot and solely rely on that as their sales channel, while another company may have a whole team of people using Pinterest to drive sales. [Learn how CRM systems can help track your marketing leads based on various distribution channels.]

Examples of sales channels include the following:

  • Mobile text message marketing
  • Social media
  • Print (newspapers, magazines, brochures, catalogs, direct mail)
  • Broadcast (TV, radio)
  • Press releases
  • Trade shows, product demonstrations, event marketing

6. Competitive profile

One of the major aspects of your marketing plan is developing your unique selling proposition (USP). A USP is a feature or stance that separates your product or service from competitors. Finding your USP is all about differentiation and distinguishing your company as a sole proprietor of one type of good or service. Conduct a competitive analysis to identify your competitive profile and how you stack up against the competition. It is important to remain unbiased when conducting this analysis.

Here are some ideas to consider:

  • What’s your USP?
  • Who are your competitors? What do they offer?
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of your competition?
  • What needs of the market (or customer) are not being served? What can you do to meet those needs?

If you are creating your USP for the first time, here are seven surefire strategies to help you stand out from the competition .

7. A pricing strategy

Consider pricing when drafting your marketing plan. Developing the right pricing strategy helps you better market your product. Think about your current and projected finances when developing a long-term marketing strategy that is realistic and beneficial for your business. Here are some key questions to ask yourself about your pricing:

  • What are reasonable margins to make a profit and cover production costs?
  • Is there a market for products or services at your projected price point?
  • Are you willing to sacrifice profit margins in return for a greater market share?
  • What are your marketing and distribution costs?

8. Objectives

Consider your objectives when developing a marketing plan. This aspect of your plan should involve specific goals related to market penetration and revenue targets. Be sure to keep your marketing objectives on-brand with your business. Here are some things to consider:

  • Sales quotas
  • Number of new customers gained
  • Customer retention percentages
  • Revenue targets
  • Market penetration
  • Brand awareness
  • Website traffic

9. Action plans

With all of the above items outlined, determine what steps need to be taken to enact your marketing plan. This includes determining the proper steps, setting goals, breaking down responsibilities, and establishing an overall timeline.

It’s also important to brainstorm potential roadblocks your business could face and some solutions to overcome them. Your research is useless if you don’t have an actionable plan that can be realistically implemented to carry out your ideas.

10. Financial projections

This last step allows you to establish a realistic marketing budget and better understand your marketing plan from a cost perspective. In addition to setting a budget, consider the overall return on investment as well. Here are some other financial projections to consider:

  • Cost of implementation
  • Cost to produce product or service
  • Existing and projected cash flow
  • Projected sales
  • Desired profit margin on projected sales

What is a template for creating a successful marketing plan?

The internet is full of useful tools, including paid and free marketing plan templates, to help you build a successful marketing plan .

Whether you are looking for a free template generator to build a new marketing plan or a benchmarking tool to evaluate your current strategies, several great resources are available. Keep in mind that the best marketing plan for your business will be a customized one.

“Ultimately, you should design a marketing plan that best serves the needs of your team as you see fit,” said Dill. “Don’t force yourself into a plan that doesn’t fit your team. Use templates to shorten the workload time, but then adjust it for a more custom plan.”

Here are some tools and templates to get you started:

  • Free marketing plan template : business.com has developed a free template that is fully customizable based on the needs of your business. Each section provides in-depth explanations, examples and resources to help you create an impressive marketing plan.
  • Smart Insights: In addition to offering marketing plan templates, some companies, like Smart Insights, offer marketing benchmarking templates to help you evaluate your strategy performance. These are accessible with a free Smart Insights membership.
  • GERU: Similarly, GERU offers a funnel-planning, profit-prediction and simulation tool to help you assess mock business ideas and simulations. This can help you identify weak points in your marketing strategy that need improvement. Although GERU requires users to sign up for a paid account, you can access a free trial to test it out.

What mistakes should you avoid when creating your marketing plan?

When creating an effective marketing plan, you need to avoid falling for common missteps and mistakes. For starters, failing to identify any of the 10 actionable categories above is an obvious mistake.

Here are some other key mistakes to avoid:

  • Setting unrealistic budgets: Underestimating the costs of marketing activities or setting an unrealistic budget can limit your ability to execute your plan effectively. Marketing can be expensive, so it’s important to fully understand the estimated cost and budget before building a marketing strategy that you can’t afford.
  • Focusing on quantity over quality: “More” doesn’t always mean “better” if you are posting on irrelevant marketing channels or your efforts are bringing in unqualified leads. Prioritizing the quantity of marketing activities over their quality can lead to superficial engagement and a lack of meaningful results.
  • Not testing campaigns: Launching large campaigns without testing can lead to wasted resources if the messaging or tactics don’t resonate as expected. Test out your new campaigns to ensure they achieve your intended goal.
  • Ignoring customer feedback: You may be tempted to ignore negative feedback, but disregarding customer comments and failing to address their concerns can lead to negative perceptions of your brand. Instead, use customer feedback to your advantage to improve your product and marketing efforts.
  • Overpromising and underdelivering: Setting unrealistic expectations in your marketing messages that your products or services can’t fulfill can damage your brand’s reputation.
  • Ignoring seasonality and trends: Failing to account for seasonal trends and market changes can result in missed opportunities for timely marketing efforts.
  • Not reviewing and updating your plan: A rigid marketing plan that doesn’t allow for adjustments in response to market feedback and changing conditions can hinder your success. A marketing plan should be a living document that is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes in the market and your business’s goals.

Avoiding these mistakes and missteps can help you create a more effective and successful marketing plan that drives results for your business.

How can you take action with your new marketing plan?

Before you dive into marketing plan templates, it’s important to understand how to think about a marketing plan.

A good marketing plan targets who your buyers are, establishes the service or product you are offering, and determines your unique selling proposition. From here, you will tackle the marketing planning process and develop the best way to get your product in front of buyers who want your product or service.

Dill created a simple four-step process for how small businesses can take action with creating a marketing plan.

  • The first step is to hold a marketing meeting with all the marketing team and executives or stakeholders. This gives them time to offer questions, concerns and criticisms you haven’t thought of so you can go back to the board room and revise your strategy or plan.
  • Next, add a timeline to all your tasks and assign team members and all the help you’ll need to execute that plan.
  • Once your plan is in action, hold weekly check-ins in person or by email to keep everyone on track.
  • Share a weekly progress report with all parties involved and execs to ensure you are moving in the right direction.

In addition to drafting your own plan, you can work with a digital marketing agency or use internet marketing and pay-per-click management services to leverage your online presence.

Once you’ve established a general road map, update it annually. Developing an evolving marketing plan sets your business up for continued success because it allows you to prepare for the unexpected and establish a connection between your brand and your audience.

Matt D’Angelo contributed to this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.

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What Is a Marketing Plan?

Understanding marketing plans, how to write a marketing plan, marketing plan vs. business plan.

  • Marketing Plan FAQs

The Bottom Line

  • Marketing Essentials

What Is a Marketing Plan? Types and How to Write One

James Chen, CMT is an expert trader, investment adviser, and global market strategist.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

Pete Rathburn is a copy editor and fact-checker with expertise in economics and personal finance and over twenty years of experience in the classroom.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

Investopedia / Zoe Hansen

A marketing plan is an operational document that outlines an advertising strategy that an organization will implement to generate leads and reach its target market . A marketing plan details the outreach and PR campaigns to be undertaken over a period, including how the company will measure the effect of these initiatives. The functions and components of a marketing plan include the following:

  • Market research to support pricing decisions and new market entries
  • Tailored messaging that targets certain demographics and geographic areas
  • Platform selection for product and service promotion: digital, radio, Internet, trade magazines, and the mix of those platforms for each campaign
  • Metrics that measure the results of marketing efforts and their reporting timelines

A marketing plan is based on a company’s overall marketing strategy.

Key Takeaways

  • The marketing plan details the strategy that a company will use to market its products to customers.
  • The plan identifies the target market, the value proposition of the brand or the product, the campaigns to be initiated, and the metrics to be used to assess the effectiveness of marketing initiatives.
  • The marketing plan should be adjusted on an ongoing basis based on the findings from the metrics that show which efforts are having an impact and which are not.
  • Digital marketing shows results in near real-time, whereas TV ads require rotation to realize any level of market penetration.
  • A marketing plan is part of a business plan, which describes all of the important aspects of a business, such as its goals, values, mission statement, budget, and strategies.

The terms marketing plan and marketing strategy are often used interchangeably because a marketing plan is developed based on an overarching strategic framework. In some cases, the strategy and the plan may be incorporated into one document, particularly for smaller companies that may only run one or two major campaigns in a year. The plan outlines marketing activities on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis while the marketing strategy outlines the overall value proposition.

Types of Marketing Plans

There are a variety of different marketing plans that suit different businesses and different business needs.

New Product Launch: This is a marketing plan that outlines how a new product will enter the market, who it will target, and in what way advertising will be done.

Social Media: A social media marketing plan focuses on the advertising strategies on different social media platforms and how to engage with the users on these platforms.

Time-Based: Time-based marketing plans, such as those that are executed quarterly or annually, focus on the time of the year, the current condition of the business, and the best strategies in that period.

Mission and Value Proposition

A marketing plan considers the value proposition of a business. The value proposition is the overall promise of value to be delivered to the customer and is a statement that appears front and center of the company website or any branding materials.

The value proposition should state how a product or brand solves the customer's problem, the benefits of the product or brand, and why the customer should buy from this company and not another. The marketing plan is based on this value proposition to the customer.

Establishing your key performance indicators (KPIs) will allow you to measure the success of your marketing plan in relation to your company's value proposition. For example, if your goal is to engage with a certain demographic in a certain region, you can track social media and website visits.

The most effective digital marketing techniques in 2020 according to marketers are content marketing and marketing automation.

Identify Your Target Market

The marketing plan identifies the target market for a product or brand. Market research is often the basis for a target market and marketing channel decisions. For example, whether the company will advertise on the radio, on social media, through online ads, or on regional TV. 

Knowing who you want to sell to and why is an extremely critical component of any business plan. It allows you to focus your business and measure its success. Different demographics have different tastes and needs, knowing what your target market is will help you market to them.

Strategy and Execution

The marketing plan includes the rationale for these decisions. The plan should focus on the creation, timing, scheduling, and placement of specific campaigns. The plan will include the metrics that will measure the outcomes of your marketing efforts. For example, will you advertise on the radio or on social media? What time will you air advertisements if they are on the radio or TV? The strategy may include flighting scheduling , which includes the times when you can make the most of your advertising dollars.

Set Your Budget

A marketing plan costs money. Knowing your budget for a marketing plan will allow you to create a suitable plan within that context, stick to it, and prevent runaway costs. It will also help you allocate to different areas of your marketing plan.

Adjust Your Plan

A marketing plan can be adjusted at any point based on the results from the metrics. If digital ads are performing better than expected, for example, the budget for a campaign can be adjusted to fund a higher-performing platform or the company can initiate a new budget. The challenge for marketing leaders is to ensure that every platform has sufficient time to show results.

Without the correct metrics to assess the impact of outreach and marketing efforts, an organization will not know which campaigns to repeat and which ones to drop; maintaining ineffective initiatives will unnecessarily increase marketing costs.

Digital marketing shows results in near real-time, whereas TV ads require rotation to realize any level of market penetration. In the traditional marketing mix model, a marketing plan would fall under the category of "promotion," which is one of the four Ps , a term coined by Neil Borden to describe the marketing mix of product, price, promotion, and place.

A business plan details how a business will operate and function in its entirety. A business plan is a roadmap for a business. It will cover the goals, missions , values, financials, and strategies that the business will use in day-to-day operations and in the achievement of its objectives.

A business plan will include an executive summary, the products and services sold, a marketing analysis, a marketing strategy, financial planning, and a budget , to name but a few items.

As mentioned, a business plan will include a marketing plan, which focuses on creating a marketing strategy on how to bring awareness to the public of the company's product or service, how to reach the target market, and generate sales.

Example of a Marketing Plan

John came up with a new business idea that he believes is a niche offering in the market. He decides to start a business and his first step is creating a business plan that outlines all of the objectives, goals, values, pitfalls, and finances of his company.

John is able to raise enough capital from friends and family to get started, hires a few employees, and eventually creates his product. He now has to start selling his product and generate sales to keep his business operating.

To achieve this, John, with the help of a marketing company, creates a marketing plan. The marketing plan consists of market research that details the target market for John's product, which is recently retired men.

The marketing plan then comes up with the best methods of reaching this target market. The marketing plan stresses radio and television as opposed to social media as older, retired men use social media less than traditional forms of media, according to the market research that was conducted.

The ads are tailored to the target market, showing how John's product will benefit their lives, particularly when compared to market alternatives. Once the marketing plan has been executed, the marketing team analyzes how the efforts translate into sales.

What Is a Marketing Plan Template?

A marketing plan template is a document that an individual can use to create a marketing plan. The marketing plan template will contain all the important elements and the various needed language with blank sections. A user can insert their own information related to their business in the blank sections to ultimately create their own marketing plan.

What Is an Executive Summary in a Marketing Plan?

The executive summary of a marketing plan provides a brief overview of the entire marketing plan. The executive summary will contain the key findings of the market research, the company's objectives, marketing goals, an overview of the marketing trends, the description of the product or service being marketed, information on the target market, and how to financially plan for the marketing plan.

What Is a Top-Down Marketing Strategy?

A top-down marketing strategy is a traditional marketing strategy. This is where a business determines who it should sell to and how, and the customer base is largely passive and spurred to take action once they hear the advertisement. For example, a top-down marketing strategy would include ads on radio or television. Top-down marketing strategies are usually determined by the executives of a firm. It usually consists of what a firm desires to do and then determining a way to do it.

What Is a Bottom-Up Marketing Strategy?

A bottom-up marketing strategy focuses on discovering a workable strategy and then building on that strategy to create an impactful advertising campaign. Today's consumer wants to relate to a product or service in a meaningful way and a bottom-up marketing strategy is better suited to this. A bottom-up marketing strategy should focus on the target market and how better to create value for them.

How Much Does a Marketing Plan Cost?

The cost of a marketing plan will vary based on the company, the complexity, and the length of the overall strategy. The cost can range anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000.

A marketing plan is the advertising strategy that a business will implement to sell its product or service. The marketing plan will help determine who the target market is, how best to reach them, at what price point the product or service should be sold, and how the company will measure its efforts.

Constantly monitoring and adjusting a market plan is an important part of running a business as it shows what are the best and worst ways to generate sales. Without a successful marketing plan, a business may not be able to continue operating for very long.

Statista. " Most Effective Digital Marketing Techniques According to Marketers Worldwide in 2020 ."

Laire. " How Much Does a Marketing Plan Cost? "

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Written by Jesse Sumrak | December 12, 2022

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Marketing is an often misunderstood profession. Peers often stereotype marketing with massive budgets, loosey-goosey timelines, haphazard tactics, high-profile influencers, and Snapchat filters. In reality, modern marketing plans are more complex and orchestrated than a Premier League-winning football team.

Businesses have big goals to hit and fine margins to walk—and they need realistic, yet imaginative, marketing plans to make it happen. Sure, bigger companies can spend all willy-nilly hiring Taylor Swift for a commercial op and dropping a quarter million on Facebook advertising, but small businesses and startups have to get downright strategic with every dollar they spend.

If your business is trying to stretch every penny, you’ve come to the right place. This article will show you how to create a marketing plan in 2023 that actually works with a down-to-earth budget. We’ve included step-by-step actions, outlines, examples, and more to give you everything you need to take an idea to the market with laser precision.

Table of Contents

What is a marketing plan?

How to create a marketing plan

Marketing plan template

Marketing plan example

Marketing Plan FAQs

What is a marketing plan.

A marketing plan is a documented roadmap for how you plan to drive awareness, sales, signups, attendance, or other marketing initiatives. It outlines your KPIs, budget, and timeline, dictating everything from the critical milestones to the nitty-gritty to-do items.

Marketing plans come in all shapes and sizes. You could build an overarching marketing plan to document and guide your entire department’s annual goals and strategies for the upcoming year. Or you might create a marketing plan detailing the launch strategy for the brand-new product release coming out next quarter. Big plans can even include small plans, just like an adorable collection of Russian nesting dolls.

Plans can be short, long, fat, or thin—just remember what your plan is trying to accomplish. If you’re trying to pitch an idea to a team of venture capitalists or a local bank, you might need a chunky document with accompanying spreadsheets and financial figures. However, if you’re trying to communicate the plan to your marketing team leads, you’ll want to skip straight to the point with tactics, deadlines, and deliverables.

Regardless of your use case, the next section will give you the building blocks you need to create a marketing plan that works.

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How to Create a Marketing Plan

This section will show you the 7-step process to creating a marketing plan. Plans are fluid and versatile, so we don’t recommend filling out one of these with pen and paper—get your eraser ready because a marketing plan is never perfect from the get-go.

Here’s an overview of the 7-step process:

  • Establish Your Marketing Goal
  • Identify Your Audience and Competitors
  • Set Your Marketing Budget
  • Determine Your Deadline(s)
  • Pick Your Marketing Channels and Tactics
  • Outline the To-Do List and Make Assignments
  • Track Performance and Review Analytics

Don’t worry too much about making it all nice and pretty right now. Later, you can use our provided marketing outline to copy, paste, and format a more articulated version for widespread distribution. For now, just focus on hashing out each section and answering the thought-provoking questions.

1. Establish Your Marketing Goal

Define exactly what you’re trying to achieve. Do you want to drive more sales? How much? What about recurring customers? How many? Do you need to increase brand awareness? To whom and by how much?

Work out the details of what you want to accomplish, why, and how you’re going to measure it. Establish your KPIs early on to measure the success of your marketing campaign. You’ll refer to these numbers throughout the rest of your marketing plan, so get specific.

For example, how many website visitors you’re trying to drive will affect your marketing budget, deadlines, and tactics. And if you’re targeting a specific demographic, you may need to engage different marketing teams to use the appropriate channels and messaging.

Fine-tune your marketing goal so that you can communicate it simply in a single sentence. For example: “The goal is to drive 25,000 key decision-makers to the new product page by the end of October with a limited marketing budget of $75,000.”

Content marketing frameworks button

2. Identify Your Audience and Competitors

Explain who this campaign is targeting. If you’ve already built out your buyer personas, you’ll just plug in the persona appropriate to this campaign. However, if this is your first time thinking long and hard about your target audience, really get to know the person you’re marketing to.

Depending on your product, industry, and market, you’ll want to know demographics like:

  • Marital status

These details help you identify a broad audience, but you’ll want to narrow it down with psychographics.

Psychographics dig deeper . They cover your audience’s:

  • Influencers
  • Shopping behaviors

Demographics explain the “who,” while psychographics explain the “why.”

Think about if you were trying to sell a baseball glove. How you market that glove is going to be very different depending on the buyer. Are your messaging and channels targeting a college athlete, recreational youngster, mom, dad, or low-income family? It’s hard to know what to say and how to say it unless you know who you’re talking to.

Don’t just gloss over this section. Without a target audience, you’ll be blindly throwing darts at a board—sure, some plans might work out, but it’ll come down less to strategy and more to sheer luck. A target audience and replicable formula make your success a science and not a game of Russian roulette.

Once you’ve identified your audience, you need to figure out who’s also targeted the same people. Competition research is a way to understand who you are up against for eyeballs, SEO rankings, and influence, but it also can serve as an opportunity to fill gaps in our needs that your competitors are missing.

One easy way to do this is to look at comment sections or reviews of similar companies in your industry. Look for:

  • Frequent complaints about product design.
  • Consistent issues with customer service.
  • Ads or branding language that falls flat.
  • If the competitor hasn’t made a product their customers are asking for.

By identifying your competitor’s weaknesses or gaps their missing with their customers, you’ll have a treasure trove of marketing copy to use in order to differentiate your business from the pack.

3. Set Your Marketing Budget

Marketing plans need budget constraints. Without a cap, plans could hypothetically include:

  • 60-second Super Bowl commercial
  • Cristiano Ronaldo as a celebrity endorser
  • Billboard advertisements along the entirety of Route 66

For most startups, that’s just not a possibility.

And it’s not where the magic happens. Powerful marketing plans turn tiny marketing budgets into impressive ROI. They prioritize the right channels, messaging, and tactics to stretch every dollar to the max.

Decide beforehand how much budget you’ll need to allocate to meet the goals you set in Step 1. When push comes to shove, you may need to throw additional money at the campaign later to get it across the finish line, but stay strong and do your best to create a marketing plan that works with the budget constraints.

Tight on budget but full on creativity? Check out our Small Business Marketing Guide: From Scratch to Success .

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4. Determine Your Deadline(s)

Deadlines create the boundaries to your marketing campaign—you can’t have a plan without them. No deadlines mean there’s a never-ending period to achieve your objective, and it’s probably not a good idea to have a 20-year free pass to accomplish that sales goal you set.

Set your deadline. Be realistic, but also be ambitious. The faster you achieve this goal, the faster you can move on to the next one—and each progressive goal should be moving your business forward.

Establish the final deadline for achieving your primary KPI. Then, set the necessary milestones along the journey. For example, you might set milestones for launching different aspects of your campaign, such as hosting 4 webinars, publishing 10 supporting blog posts, or earning a callout in 2 prime news outlets.

Finally, set the start date for when you’ll need to get the ball rolling to meet your deadlines. Don’t assume it’s ASAP—you might have a few weeks to get your ducks in a row instead of immediately heading off into a chaotic marketing battle.

5. Pick Your Marketing Channels and Tactics

This is arguably the funnest part of creating a marketing plan. This is the step where you get to choose the channels, tactics, and deliverables. The right channels and tactics will vary depending on your audience and product or service, but here are the most popular ones to consider:

  • Email Marketing: Email marketing is one of the tried-and-true tactics of the digital marketing world. It generates an average ROI of $40 for every $1 invested —you can’t get much more bang for your buck than that. (Check out our complete email masterclass to learn how to conquer this lucrative channel.)
  • Social Media Marketing: Whether you’re running organic strategies or targeted paid campaigns , social media marketing is an excellent modern-day tactic for reaching consumers where they’re most comfortable: Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, or TikTok.
  • PPC Marketing: Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing lets you run advertising campaigns on search engine pages and other websites across the internet. It’s a competitive way to get your content in front of the right eyeballs.
  • Content Marketing: Content marketing paired with a solid search engine optimization (SEO) strategy is a long-term tactic that can drive organic traffic (read: free) to your website for years to come.

And do you know what all these channels have in common? They each give you the ability to monitor your results and track your progress to prove if a channel is worth your time and money. Unlike traditional outbound advertising and its estimated impressions and influence, you know exactly what you’re getting with these digital marketing strategies.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

6. Outline the To-Do List and Make Assignments

Here’s where you get into the nitty-gritty of your marketing plan. Step 6 is where you’ll outline everything that needs to get done:

  • Launch meeting
  • Recurring meetings and syncs
  • Creative assets
  • Promotional channels
  • Post-mortems

And that’s just the start. Outline everything that needs to happen to make your plan a reality. Once you know what needs to happen, it’s time to start making assignments. Someone needs to be responsible for every deliverable.

Here’s where you may run into roadblocks. You may discover that your creative team is overwhelmed and won’t be able to handle the creative requests until later, or you may find that other email campaigns or social media advertisements are the top priority.

If that’s the case, go back to Step 4 to revisit your timeline. Make adjustments to ensure there’s bandwidth available to make your marketing plan a reality.

7. Track Performance and Review Analytics

No marketing plan will go off without a hitch. That’s why you need your ear to the ground to understand what’s working. Through analytic tools, you can understand if your marketing plan’s target audience, messaging, or creative needs adjusting. Thankfully, most digital tactics allow you to do this on the fly.

Make sure you familiarize yourself with these basic marketing analytics tools:

  • Facebook Ads Manager
  • Google Analytics
  • Google Search Console
  • Semrush or Ahrefs for SEO

For more on analytics, read our marketing metrics guide .

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Marketing Plan Template (Copy/Paste)

Marketing Plan Template: [Name of Project]

Marketing Plan Example (Filled Out)

Here’s a fake content marketing plan example for a fictitious shoe company.

Marketing Plan Template: [Project Zeus Running Collection]

Marketing Goal Drive $200,000 in sales for the new Zeus running collection within the first 4 months of launch day.

Target Audience The primary audience is 35 to 50-year-old male recreational runners who tend to run 30-40 miles a week at an average page of 8:00-10:00 minutes per mile. They’re not overly competitive, but they like to race 5K and 10K races occasionally throughout the year and are always trying to beat their personal best. Many have experienced mild injuries over the last few years that the Zeus Running Collection can help alleviate.

Marketing Budget We have a budget of $40,000 for the initial launch period. If we can prove out the Zeus Running Collection, we’ll allocate additional budget after the first 4 months.

  • Launch Day: June 1
  • Marketing Assets Ready to Go: May 28
  • Pre-Launch Teaser: May 24
  • Creative Assets Finished: May 21
  • Product Beta Tester Reviews Submitted: May 10
  • Written Content Creation Period: April 12 – May 7
  • Enlist Beta Testers: April 12
  • Project Kickoff Meeting: April 5

Marketing Tactics

  • Social Media Marketing: Target runners on Instagram and Facebook with paid ads featuring our endorsed runner racing in the shoe.
  • Email Marketing: Email existing customers with a 15% off discount code on the new Zeus Running Collection. Email prospects with a link to the product breakdown page with a code for free shipping.

Responsibilities and Assignments

  • Lizzy K: Creative assets
  • Mark B: Blog post announcement + product page
  • Spencer S: Beta tester outreach
  • Larry G: Email and social media marketing campaigns
  • Carly M: Project manager

Do I need to write a marketing plan for everything?

As stated earlier, marketing plans can come in all shapes and sizes. But that doesn't mean you need one for every single Facebook ad or whitepaper your team creates. The best marketing plans serve as a source of truth for your team to reach a goal. Within the marketing plan, you should have enough wiggle room to adjust your strategy and tactics. Marketing is an art and science, so there are bound to be surprises once you start executing your plan.

How do I know if my marketing plan is a success?

One of the most common mistakes marketers make is creating a seemingly perfect marketing plan and then going off script as soon as there's a sign of trouble or distraction. Using the SMART goal method (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound) is a simple way to ensure your marketing plan is applicable. Every marketing plan should be a success, whether you hit your goal or not, because you'll learn something new about your customer, tactics, and business throughout the process.

Who should make a marketing plan?

If you're reading this article, ideally you. A marketing manager or marketing team member typically writes marketing plans, but marketing strategy should start at an enterprise level. The more people understand the marketing plan for your business, the more you can work together (not in silos) to achieve a common goal. You'll see this happen in larger organizations where the marketing team works plan that the product or sales team have no idea about.

Plan It Out—Make It Happen

Every great campaign starts with an even better plan. Don’t leave your startup’s success up to chance—give it all the thought and attention you can.

With the right plan in place, you won’t be crossing your fingers on launch day or during the quarterly review. You’ll be sitting confidently, knowing that everything is running according to plan.

Need a high-level plan for your startup? We got you covered with our free content marketing training .

examples of marketing plan in business plan

About Jesse Sumrak

Jesse Sumrak is a writing zealot focused on creating killer content. He’s spent almost a decade writing about startup, marketing, and entrepreneurship topics, having built and sold his own post-apocalyptic fitness bootstrapped business. A writer by day and a peak bagger by night (and early early morning), you can usually find Jesse preparing for the apocalypse on a precipitous peak somewhere in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

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50 Excellent Marketing Plan Examples to Model and Modify

Every business that wants to boost brand awareness and generate more leads needs a solid marketing plan. Businesses that fail to document a plan are much less likely to achieve their desired results. In fact, CoSchedule reports that marketers who document their strategy are  313% more like to achieve their marketing goals . 

To help you create your own marketing plan, we’ve created this list of 50 effective marketing plan examples that showcase the key elements necessary to guide your marketing activities. Many of the examples include fundamental information like market research , while others focus on niche use cases like content marketing , social media , or email marketing . You’ll find a lot of valuable information to help you understand the key concepts, as well as a number of free marketing plan templates you can customize to suit your brand’s needs. Note that the 50 marketing plan examples below are listed alphabetically; otherwise, they’re not ranked or rated in any way.

Adidas

Benchmarking other leading brands when conducting marketing research allows you to determine how you stack up to your biggest competitors. This strategy overview from Adidas provides an excellent high-level overview of the company’s approach to business. You’ll also find a link to additional strategy resources at the bottom of the page.

Why It Works : A marketing plan should be closely aligned with high-level company goals and priorities.

Aha!

Aha! Is a leading roadmap and project plan software suite with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. While the Aha! platform can be used to create a marketing plan, they also include links to several Excel and PowerPoint templates on this page. You’ll see many nice examples of ways to visualize marketing information in Aha! that can help when launching your own initiatives.

Why It Works : Data visualization is a valuable resource to use when planning, launching, and reviewing marketing plans.

Bronto

This 20-page marketing plan template describes a B2B email campaign for a fictitious company called Bronto. We like this template because it’s focused on email marketing, allowing you to outline the specific steps for organizing and running an email campaign without being too cluttered with plans for other marketing channels. The worksheets at the end of the document can help you plan additional details and collect market data.

Why It Works : Each marketing plan should include clear steps for each major project milestone.

Buffer

Content marketing is a major priority for many businesses these days, and this step-by-step guide can help you create a solid content marketing plan. This post shares 21 steps and begins with creating a basic outline to define your content marketing goals. Starting with small concepts and then scaling up your ideas into a full plan can keep the process from becoming too overwhelming.

Why It Works : Starting the planning process with clear goals can help reduce distraction.

5 . Business.com

@businessdotcom

Business.com

This small business marketing plan guide from business.com is nice because it explains why a marketing plan is important for business success. Having some of this background information can really help if you are a beginner at launching formal marketing campaigns. There are several types of marketing plans described in the guide, giving you a lot of flexibility for choosing the elements that match your own priorities.

Why It Works : A complete marketing strategy can be comprised of multiple, individual plans.

6. BusinessTown

@1businesstown

BusinessTown

The BusinessTown website is maintained by author and serial entrepreneur Bob Adams and includes some excellent small business resources. This guide will show you how to create a multichannel marketing plan with a budget of $2,000. The post uses a fictitious landscaping business as the example content takes you through the entire process including budgeting for each step.

Why It Works : A marketing plan should be comprehensive but also practical and easy to implement.

@CFI_education

CFI

The Corporate Finance Institute (CFI) maintains a large resource library of useful business content and templates. This page takes a close look at marketing planning from a financial point of view. Market segmentation is covered along with budgeting and the creation of a suitable marketing mix for your product or service offering.

Why It Works : Defining a marketing mix is a crucial step in any formal marketing plan.

8. Chief Outsiders

@chiefoutsiders

Chief Outsiders

Chief Outsiders offers fractional CMO (chief marketing officer) services to businesses of all sizes. Sharon Spooler, one of the Chief Outsiders, has written this go-to-market (GTM) planning guide for launching a new product or service. The 4-step process defined in the post has been created by Chief Outsiders and aims to keep a marketing team focused on benefits, not features.

Why It Works : Many companies focus on product features, but benefits are what really matter to consumers.

9. Content Marketing Institute

@cmicontent

Content Marketing Institute

One-page plans are an excellent way to focus your team on the essential priorities of a marketing initiative. This post, by George Stenitzer, presents a one-page marketing plan as the perfect place to start when sharing your ideas. A marketing plan of any size should include a description of the company’s growth strategy including profit targets and how this growth will be achieved through marketing.

Why It Works : Starting with a 1-page marketing plan can help you gain early buy-in from stakeholders.

10. Contently

Contently

Developing a content marketing strategy for a book launch requires some unique considerations. This detailed marketing campaign example from Contently includes a content strategy waterfall graphic and an explanation of how to create clear objectives and metrics. A data-driven approach to content marketing is recommended to ensure that you’re making progress.

Why It Works : Standardized workflows make a marketing plan more functional.

11. CoSchedule

@coschedule

CoSchedule

CoSchedule is a complete marketing management platform that includes a calendar and suite of business tools. This 12-chapter guide was recently updated in February of 2022 and introduces many critical marketing processes. The guide is also available as a 25-minute audio track for listening on the go, and chapter 9 includes 25 excellent marketing tactics that you can try.

Why It Works : Setting clear success criteria for each marketing tactic makes it easier to learn and adjust your plan.

Credo

The digital marketing service provider Credo has been in business since 2013 and has some deep expertise in marketing management. This blog post explains the benefits of creating a formal marketing plan and how to define your goals. The post concludes with an important reminder to track your results to identify the best-performing strategies.

Why It Works : Marketing plans should be quickly tested and adjusted based on performance.

13. Disruptive Advertising

@disruptiveads

Disruptive Advertising

Disruptive Advertising offers paid advertising and lifecycle marketing services. This example marketing plan uses the concept of Russian nesting dolls to describe how a marketing plan should be constructed. The key takeaway from this informative post is that each aspect of your marketing plan can be scaled as needs change.

Why It Works : A marketing plan should not be static and can be adapted to changing needs.

14. Evernote

Evernote

The productivity platform Evernote is known for helping individuals and businesses organize their work. This marketing plan template provides all the basic structure needed to develop a complete campaign. Explanations are included throughout the document to help you fill in sections such as Buyer Persona, Research, and Goals & Objectives.

Why It Works : Using a marketing plan template can save a lot of time when getting started.

Forbes

The Forbes contributor Dave Lavinsky, shares 15 core sections that should be included in a marketing plan. Each section has a paragraph explaining what the information is for and how to develop your own. A link to a marketing plan template is also shared at the beginning of the post if you need a structured framework to capture ideas.

Why It Works : Marketing plans can be customized but you should almost always start from a template.

Foundr

This recently updated guide from Foundr shares a 6-step process for creating a marketing plan from scratch. The process begins with defining your marketing goal and selecting key performance indicators (KPIs) for measuring campaign success. Your goals can always be updated at a later time, but they function as a filter through which all marketing decisions should be made.

Why It Works : Start a marketing plan with crystal clear goals to increase your chances of success.

G2

This marketing plan guide from G2 includes detailed steps for building your own plan. In the post, you’ll see the four main sections of a marketing plan outline including situation analysis and a company overview. There are a lot of helpful examples presented in each section with tips for how to conduct your own market research.

Why It Works : Each marketing plan should include a detailed customer profile.

18. Get2Growth (Starbucks)

Get2Growth (Starbucks)

Get2Growth is an agile marketing company that provides training, planning, and other professional services. This 1-page marketing plan uses information from Starbucks to create a complete structure for defining an audience, strategies, and activities. Presenting this information on a single page keeps the planning process from becoming overly complicated.

Why It Works : A one-page marketing plan that defines a target audience can be a valuable resource.

19. Houghton Mifflin

Houghton Mifflin

This sample marketing plan is taken from a larger textbook published by Houghton Mifflin and includes has some excellent commentary to help explain the concepts. The 11-page PDF explains the marketing plan for a company called Star Software Inc., including a complete environmental analysis. This example offers detailed explanations for each section.

Why It Works : A formal marketing plan should include enough description to clarify key points.

20. HubSpot

HubSpot

This resource from HubSpot includes a downloadable marketing plan template. An interesting focus of this example is a description of marketing technology. Included with the template are questions that guide you through the process of defining your strategy.

Why It Works : Technology should be defined and budgeted in your marketing plan.

21. Kiss My Biz

Kiss My Biz

Jennifer Mattern runs the site Kiss My Biz and shares this one-page marketing plan guide on her website. The basic information presented in this post is timeless and includes everything you need to create the first draft of a marketing plan. She also recommends summarizing your top 3 competitors so you can define the unique value of your product or service.

Why It Works : Use competitive analysis to identify unique points of value for your business.

22. Leadpages (Lyft)

Leadpages (Lyft)

This blog post from Leadpages explains how the ride-share company Lyft differentiates its business from Uber and other competitors. You’ll find some excellent examples that compare Lyft to Uber, using screenshots to explain how Lyft marketers execute their plan. There’s a link to a checklist at the end of the post that you can use to check your own marketing plan against the “Lyft Formula.”

Why It Works : A marketing plan can reference screenshots or a brand style guide to communicate specific tactics.

@lushcosmetics

Lush

This marketing plan from cosmetics brand Lush is published on the Calameo platform and is an interactive and beautifully designed document. A plan that is professionally presented is an excellent resource for your company and can be used with business partners and even customers. Market research is the main theme of this 33-page document, and lots of great data is included.

Why It Works : A professional, well-designed marketing plan can be a valuable resource itself for communicating brand value.

24. Marketing Mixx (Dell)

@marketingmixx21

Marketing Mixx (Dell)

Marketing Mixx is an international marketing information site with tips for managing advertising, brand equity, and marketing plans. This page includes a basic marketing plan for the computer and electronics manufacturer Dell Inc. The authors have used actual company data from Dell to present a clear overview of marketing activities including the target market and major industry trends.

Why It Works : When benchmarking companies, always reference actual business and industry data.

25. Massachusetts SBDC

@msbdcnortheast

Massachussetts SBDC

The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (SBDC) supports the needs of companies throughout the northeast. Their marketing plan template includes all the basic information you might expect, such as market demographics and product distribution channels. The authors have also included blank sections following each major part of the outline so you can fill in your own notes.

Why It Works : When creating marketing plan templates for your team, always leave space for notes.

@Mayple_com

Mayple

Mayple is a leading platform for connecting businesses with marketing expertise. This free marketing plan template from their website has been updated for 2022 and includes a budget calculator and smart tables. You can download the template and use this blog post as a handy guide while completing the forms.

Why It Works: A spreadsheet template can save significant time when calculating marketing costs and financial projections.

27. MBA Skool (NBA)

MBA Skool (NBA)

MBA Skool shares advice that covers many marketing topics including competitive analysis and marketing mix. This post uses the National Basketball League (NBA) as an example while defining a product strategy and marketing mix using the 4 Ps framework . The 4 Ps define the product, price, placement, and promotion for your offering.

Why It Works : The 4 Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) is a helpful tool for defining a marketing mix.

@mondaydotcom

Monday

Monday.com offers this marketing template for capturing all details of your company’s strategies and project plans. The template can be used on the Monday platform and is an excellent team resource. Many visual charts such as Kanban boards and timelines are included, making it easy to share the details of your marketing plan with others.

Why It Works : Visualizations are an excellent way to present marketing materials to internal or external parties.

29. More Business

@morebusinesscom

More Business

More Business has many how-to guides and templates for starting and managing a business of any size. This marketing plan is divided into 7 sections and includes many examples along the way. You can use this guide to create your own marketing plan from scratch or identify any sections that may be missing.

Why It Works : A professional marketing plan should begin with a thorough outline.

33. Nancy and Kivi

Nancy and Kivi

This 1-page marketing template is taken from the Total Focus Marketing Plan Workshop developed by consultant Kivi Leroux Miller. It’s a minimalist example, including a short description for each of the 10 sections presented. Questions are used to guide the reader as they complete their own marketing plan.

Why It Works : When creating your first marketing plan, focus on simple templates and core concepts.

31. Naperville Park District

@NaperParks

Naperville Park District

This marketing plan example comes from the Naperville Park District and includes their complete 3-year strategic plan. Over 79 pages, this document covers all aspects of the Naperville Park strategy in great detail. Businesses in the public or educational sectors could benefit greatly from taking some cues from this strategic marketing plan.

Why It Works : Organizations and entities that manage complex businesses often benefit from drafting a thorough strategic plan.

32. NerdyMind

@nerdy_mind

NerdyMind

NerdyMind is a digital marketing agency that focuses on providing practical solutions. This marketing plan example is focused on digital marketing strategies. The post, by Mary Merritt, begins and ends with a review of marketing costs and budgeting.

Why It Works : A marketing plan should always contain a clear explanation of the budget for each initiative.

33. ProductPlan

@productplan

ProductPlan

ProductPlan is a roadmap software that is used to create interactive team project plans. This post shares a marketing plan example from their own platform and explains why you should always customize and streamline your own approach to marketing. A template can be helpful, but you don’t want to include parts of a marketing plan that you will never use.

Why It Works : When creating a plan, focus on the sections most relevant to your current marketing priorities.

34. ProfitWorks

@slideshare

ProfitWorks

Slideshare has a massive collection of example presentations from individuals and brands around the world. This short presentation from Profitworks, a Canadian small business service, explains the brand architecture and marketing mix for the company. The information includes only a portion of the complete marketing strategy but is enough to give you a nice overview.

Why It Works : A marketing plan can be shared in presentation format for easy viewing.

35. QuickMBA

QuickMBA

QuickMBA is a general business knowledge base with categories dedicated to topics like marketing, accounting, and strategy. This marketing plan outline includes 8 sections and an appendix. You won’t find too much detail here, but this is an excellent outline to modify for your own use.

Why It Works : Starting a marketing plan with an outline helps identify the resources and expertise needed for your project.

36. Semrush

Semrush

Semrush is a popular SEO and content marketing platform with valuable online tools. This post explains how to construct a marketing plan using milestones and KPIs to manage progress. The author also explains the difference between a marketing strategy and a marketing plan and includes many examples.

Why It Works : There are several marketing plan formats including an executive summary, 1-page plan, and long-range plan. Choose the format that works for your brand’s needs.

37. Serena Capital

Serena Capital

This blog post describing a SaaS marketing plan was published by Sebastien Le Roy of Serena VC on Medium. A few of the plans we’ve presented are focused on particular niches, such as SaaS, which can be helpful for similar types of businesses. Sebastian recommends auditing acquisition channels early in the process to identify which channels to focus on.

Why It Works : It’s helpful to focus your marketing efforts on channels that perform best over time.

38. Shopify

This resource from Shopify breaks a marketing plan down into the key elements and provides an example from each. With detailed explanations of each element and why it’s important, from your executive summary to your SWOT analysis and budget breakdown, Shopify walks you through every step in the process of crafting an effective marketing plan.

Why It Works: Breaking it down section by section allows you to focus on fully covering each element before moving on to the next.

39. Small Business Trends

@smallbiztrends

Small Business Trends

This post from Small Biz Trends includes two 1-page marketing plans that can be downloaded as Microsoft Word documents. Each template includes a blank version and one that is mocked up with sample data. These templates don’t include a lot of extra information and are useful for getting started quickly.

Why It Works : Marketing plan templates that include sample data can be easier to fill out.

40. Smart Insights

@smartinsights

Smart Insights

The team at Smart Insights created this free digital marketing template to help businesses define their key activities. Using the company’s RACE (Reach, Act, Convert, Engage) framework, the guide explains how to create a marketing campaign that gets results. You can access the fully integrated guide by simply entering your email address.

Why It Works : A marketing plan should always include sequential steps for key processes.

41. Smartsheet

@Smartsheet

Smartsheet

Smartsheet is a work collaboration solution that turns standard spreadsheet features into powerful team communication tools. This detailed marketing plan is presented as a PDF and includes 21 pages of information. Many marketing tools are provided in the document, such as 5C analysis, SWOT, and marketing mix (the 4 Ps).

Why It Works : Market analysis tools such as SWOT and 5C help you visualize and manage your market research data.

42. Teamgantt

Teamgantt

Teamgantt is a team productivity platform with capabilities that go far beyond traditional Gantt charts. Dozens of templates are available on the website, including a tactical marketing plan, marketing schedule, and social media strategy plan. This strategic marketing plan is built for Google Docs and creates a complete workspace where you can create a complete plan.

Why It Works : Building a marketing plan in a spreadsheet program makes it easier to design charts and schedules.

43. University of Baltimore

University of Baltimore

This example marketing plan focuses on a fictitious company, General, that will be launching a new product called the Spree watch. Basic information is defined such as objectives, marketing strategies, and contingency plans. The financial appendix is particularly useful and includes two income statements for product pricing scenarios at $45 and $50 per unit.

Why It Works : Financial projections should accompany a marketing plan to provide profitability and ROI projections.

44. University of Illinois

@UofIllinois

University of Illinois

Many colleges and universities share their strategic plans publicly to promote transparency and involve active members of their staff and student body. This marketing plan for the year 2021 is presented by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and explains how the university will attract new undergraduate students. You’ll find detailed metrics, charts, and definitions within the 40-page document, giving you an excellent example of a complete marketing plan.

Why It Works : Colleges and universities often share their marketing plans publicly and are an excellent resource to model.

45. University of Tennessee

@UTKnoxville

University of Tennessee

This marketing plan on the Scribd website was developed with the Agricultural Development Center at the University of Tennessee. Example data for a company called Heavenly Pies is included, and tips are provided to help you navigate the material. This is a great plan to review for basic definitions of common marketing strategies and tactics.

Why It Works : Definitions should be included in a marketing plan template to describe each section.

46. Venture Harbour

@VentureHarbour

Venture Harbour

If you’re looking for a simple step-by-step plan for creating a marketing plan, this post from Venture Harbour may be the perfect resource to bookmark. This example uses a growth market marketing framework adapted from agile business practices. This approach to marketing relies on shorter plan development cycles with multiple points of review and adjustment instead of targeting a massive marketing campaign launch.

Why It Works : Launching micro-marketing strategies is an efficient way to test new market ideas.

47. Visit Baton Rouge

@visitbatonrouge

Visit Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana and, like most cities, spends a significant amount of time on marketing. With nearly 40 pages of information, this marketing plan is an excellent example of a complete strategy document. The SWOT included in this 2019 plan is highly detailed, and you may find some helpful examples for conducting your own situational analysis.

Why It Works : A SWOT analysis is an excellent way to present situational data from market research.

48. Vital Design

@Vital_Design

Vital Design

Vital Design provides web design and digital marketing services for businesses worldwide. This guide explains how to structure a marketing plan and incorporate an SEO strategy. An important practice when creating a plan is collecting and explaining market research to support your conclusions.

Why It Works : A marketing plan should educate your staff and strategic partners.

49. Wisconsin Public Library

@wisconsinlibs

Wisconsin Public Library

The Marketing Cohort from the Wisconsin Public Library Systems has created this marketing plan template that places a high priority on the process. The fourth page of the document explains the “cycle of true marketing” with 12 steps for organizing your plans. These authors also recommend taking a 3-phase approach to developing a plan, starting with basic and moving to intermediate and advanced.

Why It Works : Starting with a basic marketing plan is a helpful way to create a strong project baseline.

50. Wyoming SBDC

Wyoming SBDC

The Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) created this marketing plan template for small businesses that need help defining their business practices. Multiple Microsoft Excel worksheets are embedded in the document so you can easily add your own data. Key sections include competition analysis, sales forecasting, and budgeting.

Why It Works : You will likely need both typed documents and spreadsheets to capture your marketing plan.

Creating an effective marketing plan is a big undertaking, but these examples will help you craft a comprehensive plan that covers all the essentials and guides your team to success. The good news is that not all marketing strategies require tons of hands-on effort. Installing social media share buttons on your website or blog, for example, allows your visitors to do some of the heavy lifting for you by sharing your valuable content on their favorite social media platforms – and they can do so with just a single click.

About ShareThis

ShareThis has unlocked the power of global digital behavior by synthesizing social share, interest, and intent data since 2007. Powered by consumer behavior on over three million global domains, ShareThis observes real-time actions from real people on real digital destinations.

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24 of My Favorite Sample Business Plans & Examples For Your Inspiration

Clifford Chi

Published: February 06, 2024

Free Business Plan Template

examples of marketing plan in business plan

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I believe that reading sample business plans is essential when writing your own.

sample business plans and examples

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As you explore business plan examples from real companies and brands, it’s easier for you to learn how to write a good one.

But what does a good business plan look like? And how do you write one that’s both viable and convincing. I’ll walk you through the ideal business plan format along with some examples to help you get started.

Table of Contents

Business Plan Format

Business plan types, sample business plan templates, top business plan examples.

Ask any successful sports coach how they win so many games, and they’ll tell you they have a unique plan for every single game. To me, the same logic applies to business.

If you want to build a thriving company that can pull ahead of the competition, you need to prepare for battle before breaking into a market.

Business plans guide you along the rocky journey of growing a company. And if your business plan is compelling enough, it can also convince investors to give you funding.

With so much at stake, I’m sure you’re wondering where to begin.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

  • Outline your idea.
  • Pitch to investors.
  • Secure funding.
  • Get to work!

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Fill out the form to get your free template.

First, you’ll want to nail down your formatting. Most business plans include the following sections.

1. Executive Summary

I’d say the executive summary is the most important section of the entire business plan. 

Why? Essentially, it's the overview or introduction, written in a way to grab readers' attention and guide them through the rest of the business plan. This is important, because a business plan can be dozens or hundreds of pages long.

There are two main elements I’d recommend including in your executive summary:

Company Description

This is the perfect space to highlight your company’s mission statement and goals, a brief overview of your history and leadership, and your top accomplishments as a business.

Tell potential investors who you are and why what you do matters. Naturally, they’re going to want to know who they’re getting into business with up front, and this is a great opportunity to showcase your impact.

Need some extra help firming up those business goals? Check out HubSpot Academy’s free course to help you set goals that matter — I’d highly recommend it

Products and Services

To piggyback off of the company description, be sure to incorporate an overview of your offerings. This doesn’t have to be extensive — just another chance to introduce your industry and overall purpose as a business.

In addition to the items above, I recommend including some information about your financial projections and competitive advantage here too.:

Keep in mind you'll cover many of these topics in more detail later on in the business plan. So, keep the executive summary clear and brief, and only include the most important takeaways.

Executive Summary Business Plan Examples

This example was created with HubSpot’s business plan template:

business plan sample: Executive Summary Example

This executive summary is so good to me because it tells potential investors a short story while still covering all of the most important details.

Business plans examples: Executive Summary

Image Source

Tips for Writing Your Executive Summary

  • Start with a strong introduction of your company, showcase your mission and impact, and outline the products and services you provide.
  • Clearly define a problem, and explain how your product solves that problem, and show why the market needs your business.
  • Be sure to highlight your value proposition, market opportunity, and growth potential.
  • Keep it concise and support ideas with data.
  • Customize your summary to your audience. For example, emphasize finances and return on investment for venture capitalists.

Check out our tips for writing an effective executive summary for more guidance.

2. Market Opportunity

This is where you'll detail the opportunity in the market.

The main question I’d ask myself here is this: Where is the gap in the current industry, and how will my product fill that gap?

More specifically, here’s what I’d include in this section:

  • The size of the market
  • Current or potential market share
  • Trends in the industry and consumer behavior
  • Where the gap is
  • What caused the gap
  • How you intend to fill it

To get a thorough understanding of the market opportunity, you'll want to conduct a TAM, SAM, and SOM analysis and perform market research on your industry.

You may also benefit from creating a SWOT analysis to get some of the insights for this section.

Market Opportunity Business Plan Example

I like this example because it uses critical data to underline the size of the potential market and what part of that market this service hopes to capture.

Business plans examples: Market Opportunity

Tips for Writing Your Market Opportunity Section

  • Focus on demand and potential for growth.
  • Use market research, surveys, and industry trend data to support your market forecast and projections.
  • Add a review of regulation shifts, tech advances, and consumer behavior changes.
  • Refer to reliable sources.
  • Showcase how your business can make the most of this opportunity.

3. Competitive Landscape

Since we’re already speaking of market share, you'll also need to create a section that shares details on who the top competitors are.

After all, your customers likely have more than one brand to choose from, and you'll want to understand exactly why they might choose one over another.

My favorite part of performing a competitive analysis is that it can help you uncover:

  • Industry trends that other brands may not be utilizing
  • Strengths in your competition that may be obstacles to handle
  • Weaknesses in your competition that may help you develop selling points
  • The unique proposition you bring to the market that may resonate with customers

Competitive Landscape Business Plan Example

I like how the competitive landscape section of this business plan below shows a clear outline of who the top competitors are.

Business plans examples: Competitive Landscape

It also highlights specific industry knowledge and the importance of location, which shows useful experience in this specific industry. 

This can help build trust in your ability to execute your business plan.

Tips for Writing Your Competitive Landscape

  • Complete in-depth research, then emphasize your most important findings.
  • Compare your unique selling proposition (USP) to your direct and indirect competitors.
  • Show a clear and realistic plan for product and brand differentiation.
  • Look for specific advantages and barriers in the competitive landscape. Then, highlight how that information could impact your business.
  • Outline growth opportunities from a competitive perspective.
  • Add customer feedback and insights to support your competitive analysis.

4. Target Audience

Use this section to describe who your customer segments are in detail. What is the demographic and psychographic information of your audience?

If your immediate answer is "everyone," you'll need to dig deeper. Here are some questions I’d ask myself here:

  • What demographics will most likely need/buy your product or service?
  • What are the psychographics of this audience? (Desires, triggering events, etc.)
  • Why are your offerings valuable to them?

I’d also recommend building a buyer persona to get in the mindset of your ideal customers and be clear on why you're targeting them.

Target Audience Business Plan Example

I like the example below because it uses in-depth research to draw conclusions about audience priorities. It also analyzes how to create the right content for this audience.

Business plans examples: Target Audience

Tips for Writing Your Target Audience Section

  • Include details on the size and growth potential of your target audience.
  • Figure out and refine the pain points for your target audience , then show why your product is a useful solution.
  • Describe your targeted customer acquisition strategy in detail.
  • Share anticipated challenges your business may face in acquiring customers and how you plan to address them.
  • Add case studies, testimonials, and other data to support your target audience ideas.
  • Remember to consider niche audiences and segments of your target audience in your business plan.

5. Marketing Strategy

Here, you'll discuss how you'll acquire new customers with your marketing strategy. I’d suggest including information:

  • Your brand positioning vision and how you'll cultivate it
  • The goal targets you aim to achieve
  • The metrics you'll use to measure success
  • The channels and distribution tactics you'll use

I think it’s helpful to have a marketing plan built out in advance to make this part of your business plan easier.

Marketing Strategy Business Plan Example

This business plan example includes the marketing strategy for the town of Gawler.

In my opinion, it really works because it offers a comprehensive picture of how they plan to use digital marketing to promote the community.

Business plans examples: Marketing Strategy

Tips for Writing Your Marketing Strategy

  • Include a section about how you believe your brand vision will appeal to customers.
  • Add the budget and resources you'll need to put your plan in place.
  • Outline strategies for specific marketing segments.
  • Connect strategies to earlier sections like target audience and competitive analysis.
  • Review how your marketing strategy will scale with the growth of your business.
  • Cover a range of channels and tactics to highlight your ability to adapt your plan in the face of change.

6. Key Features and Benefits

At some point in your business plan, you'll need to review the key features and benefits of your products and/or services.

Laying these out can give readers an idea of how you're positioning yourself in the market and the messaging you're likely to use. It can even help them gain better insight into your business model.

Key Features and Benefits Business Plan Example

In my opinion, the example below does a great job outlining products and services for this business, along with why these qualities will attract the audience.

Business plans examples: Key Features and Benefits

Tips for Writing Your Key Features and Benefits

  • Emphasize why and how your product or service offers value to customers.
  • Use metrics and testimonials to support the ideas in this section.
  • Talk about how your products and services have the potential to scale.
  • Think about including a product roadmap.
  • Focus on customer needs, and how the features and benefits you are sharing meet those needs.
  • Offer proof of concept for your ideas, like case studies or pilot program feedback.
  • Proofread this section carefully, and remove any jargon or complex language.

7. Pricing and Revenue

This is where you'll discuss your cost structure and various revenue streams. Your pricing strategy must be solid enough to turn a profit while staying competitive in the industry. 

For this reason, here’s what I’d might outline in this section:

  • The specific pricing breakdowns per product or service
  • Why your pricing is higher or lower than your competition's
  • (If higher) Why customers would be willing to pay more
  • (If lower) How you're able to offer your products or services at a lower cost
  • When you expect to break even, what margins do you expect, etc?

Pricing and Revenue Business Plan Example

I like how this business plan example begins with an overview of the business revenue model, then shows proposed pricing for key products.

Business plans examples: Pricing and Revenue

Tips for Writing Your Pricing and Revenue Section

  • Get specific about your pricing strategy. Specifically, how you connect that strategy to customer needs and product value.
  • If you are asking a premium price, share unique features or innovations that justify that price point.
  • Show how you plan to communicate pricing to customers.
  • Create an overview of every revenue stream for your business and how each stream adds to your business model as a whole.
  • Share plans to develop new revenue streams in the future.
  • Show how and whether pricing will vary by customer segment and how pricing aligns with marketing strategies.
  • Restate your value proposition and explain how it aligns with your revenue model.

8. Financials

To me, this section is particularly informative for investors and leadership teams to figure out funding strategies, investment opportunities, and more.

 According to Forbes , you'll want to include three main things:

  • Profit/Loss Statement - This answers the question of whether your business is currently profitable.
  • Cash Flow Statement - This details exactly how much cash is incoming and outgoing to give insight into how much cash a business has on hand.
  • Balance Sheet - This outlines assets, liabilities, and equity, which gives insight into how much a business is worth.

While some business plans might include more or less information, these are the key details I’d include in this section.

Financials Business Plan Example

This balance sheet is a great example of level of detail you’ll need to include in the financials section of your business plan.

Business plans examples: Financials

Tips for Writing Your Financials Section

  • Growth potential is important in this section too. Using your data, create a forecast of financial performance in the next three to five years.
  • Include any data that supports your projections to assure investors of the credibility of your proposal.
  • Add a break-even analysis to show that your business plan is financially practical. This information can also help you pivot quickly as your business grows.
  • Consider adding a section that reviews potential risks and how sensitive your plan is to changes in the market.
  • Triple-check all financial information in your plan for accuracy.
  • Show how any proposed funding needs align with your plans for growth.

As you create your business plan, keep in mind that each of these sections will be formatted differently. Some may be in paragraph format, while others could be charts or graphs.

The formats above apply to most types of business plans. That said, the format and structure of your plan will vary by your goals for that plan. 

So, I’ve added a quick review of different business plan types. For a more detailed overview, check out this post .

1. Startups

Startup business plans are for proposing new business ideas.

If you’re planning to start a small business, preparing a business plan is crucial. The plan should include all the major factors of your business.

You can check out this guide for more detailed business plan inspiration .

2. Feasibility Studies

Feasibility business plans focus on that business's product or service. Feasibility plans are sometimes added to startup business plans. They can also be a new business plan for an already thriving organization.

3. Internal Use

You can use internal business plans to share goals, strategies, or performance updates with stakeholders. In my opinion, internal business plans are useful for alignment and building support for ambitious goals.

4. Strategic Initiatives

Another business plan that's often for sharing internally is a strategic business plan. This plan covers long-term business objectives that might not have been included in the startup business plan.

5. Business Acquisition or Repositioning

When a business is moving forward with an acquisition or repositioning, it may need extra structure and support. These types of business plans expand on a company's acquisition or repositioning strategy.

Growth sometimes just happens as a business continues operations. But more often, a business needs to create a structure with specific targets to meet set goals for expansion. This business plan type can help a business focus on short-term growth goals and align resources with those goals.

Now that you know what's included and how to format a business plan, let's review some of my favorite templates.

1. HubSpot's One-Page Business Plan

Download a free, editable one-page business plan template..

The business plan linked above was created here at HubSpot and is perfect for businesses of any size — no matter how many strategies we still have to develop.

Fields such as Company Description, Required Funding, and Implementation Timeline give this one-page business plan a framework for how to build your brand and what tasks to keep track of as you grow.

Then, as the business matures, you can expand on your original business plan with a new iteration of the above document.

Why I Like It

This one-page business plan is a fantastic choice for the new business owner who doesn’t have the time or resources to draft a full-blown business plan. It includes all the essential sections in an accessible, bullet-point-friendly format. That way, you can get the broad strokes down before honing in on the details.

2. HubSpot's Downloadable Business Plan Template

Sample business plan: hubspot free editable pdf

We also created a business plan template for entrepreneurs.

The template is designed as a guide and checklist for starting your own business. You’ll learn what to include in each section of your business plan and how to do it.

There’s also a list for you to check off when you finish each section of your business plan.

Strong game plans help coaches win games and help businesses rocket to the top of their industries. So if you dedicate the time and effort required to write a workable and convincing business plan, you’ll boost your chances of success and even dominance in your market.

This business plan kit is essential for the budding entrepreneur who needs a more extensive document to share with investors and other stakeholders.

It not only includes sections for your executive summary, product line, market analysis, marketing plan, and sales plan, but it also offers hands-on guidance for filling out those sections.

3. LiveFlow’s Financial Planning Template with built-in automation

Sample Business Plan: LiveFLow

This free template from LiveFlow aims to make it easy for businesses to create a financial plan and track their progress on a monthly basis.

The P&L Budget versus Actual format allows users to track their revenue, cost of sales, operating expenses, operating profit margin, net profit, and more.

The summary dashboard aggregates all of the data put into the financial plan sheet and will automatically update when changes are made.

Instead of wasting hours manually importing your data to your spreadsheet, LiveFlow can also help you to automatically connect your accounting and banking data directly to your spreadsheet, so your numbers are always up-to-date.

With the dashboard, you can view your runway, cash balance, burn rate, gross margins, and other metrics. Having a simple way to track everything in one place will make it easier to complete the financials section of your business plan.

This is a fantastic template to track performance and alignment internally and to create a dependable process for documenting financial information across the business. It’s highly versatile and beginner-friendly.

It’s especially useful if you don’t have an accountant on the team. (I always recommend you do, but for new businesses, having one might not be possible.)

4. ThoughtCo’s Sample Business Plan

sample business plan: ThoughtCo.

One of the more financially oriented sample business plans in this list, BPlan’s free business plan template dedicates many of its pages to your business’s financial plan and financial statements.

After filling this business plan out, your company will truly understand its financial health and the steps you need to take to maintain or improve it.

I absolutely love this business plan template because of its ease-of-use and hands-on instructions (in addition to its finance-centric components). If you feel overwhelmed by the thought of writing an entire business plan, consider using this template to help you with the process.

6. Harvard Business Review’s "How to Write a Winning Business Plan"

Most sample business plans teach you what to include in your business plan, but this Harvard Business Review article will take your business plan to the next level — it teaches you the why and how behind writing a business plan.

With the guidance of Stanley Rich and Richard Gumpert, co-authors of " Business Plans That Win: Lessons From the MIT Enterprise Forum ", you'll learn how to write a convincing business plan that emphasizes the market demand for your product or service.

You’ll also learn the financial benefits investors can reap from putting money into your venture rather than trying to sell them on how great your product or service is.

This business plan guide focuses less on the individual parts of a business plan, and more on the overarching goal of writing one. For that reason, it’s one of my favorites to supplement any template you choose to use. Harvard Business Review’s guide is instrumental for both new and seasoned business owners.

7. HubSpot’s Complete Guide to Starting a Business

If you’re an entrepreneur, you know writing a business plan is one of the most challenging first steps to starting a business.

Fortunately, with HubSpot's comprehensive guide to starting a business, you'll learn how to map out all the details by understanding what to include in your business plan and why it’s important to include them. The guide also fleshes out an entire sample business plan for you.

If you need further guidance on starting a business, HubSpot's guide can teach you how to make your business legal, choose and register your business name, and fund your business. It will also give small business tax information and includes marketing, sales, and service tips.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of starting a business, in addition to writing your business plan, with a high level of exactitude and detail. So if you’re in the midst of starting your business, this is an excellent guide for you.

It also offers other resources you might need, such as market analysis templates.

8. Panda Doc’s Free Business Plan Template

sample business plan: Panda Doc

PandaDoc’s free business plan template is one of the more detailed and fleshed-out sample business plans on this list. It describes what you should include in each section, so you don't have to come up with everything from scratch.

Once you fill it out, you’ll fully understand your business’ nitty-gritty details and how all of its moving parts should work together to contribute to its success.

This template has two things I love: comprehensiveness and in-depth instructions. Plus, it’s synced with PandaDoc’s e-signature software so that you and other stakeholders can sign it with ease. For that reason, I especially love it for those starting a business with a partner or with a board of directors.

9. Small Business Administration Free Business Plan Template

sample business plan: Small Business Administration

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers several free business plan templates that can be used to inspire your own plan.

Before you get started, you can decide what type of business plan you need — a traditional or lean start-up plan.

Then, you can review the format for both of those plans and view examples of what they might look like.

We love both of the SBA’s templates because of their versatility. You can choose between two options and use the existing content in the templates to flesh out your own plan. Plus, if needed, you can get a free business counselor to help you along the way.

I’ve compiled some completed business plan samples to help you get an idea of how to customize a plan for your business.

I chose different types of business plan ideas to expand your imagination. Some are extensive, while others are fairly simple.

Let’s take a look.

1. LiveFlow

business plan example: liveflow

One of the major business expenses is marketing. How you handle your marketing reflects your company’s revenue.

I included this business plan to show you how you can ensure your marketing team is aligned with your overall business plan to get results. The plan also shows you how to track even the smallest metrics of your campaigns, like ROI and payback periods instead of just focusing on big metrics like gross and revenue.

Fintech startup, LiveFlow, allows users to sync real-time data from its accounting services, payment platforms, and banks into custom reports. This eliminates the task of pulling reports together manually, saving teams time and helping automate workflows.

"Using this framework over a traditional marketing plan will help you set a profitable marketing strategy taking things like CAC, LTV, Payback period, and P&L into consideration," explains LiveFlow co-founder, Lasse Kalkar .

When it came to including marketing strategy in its business plan, LiveFlow created a separate marketing profit and loss statement (P&L) to track how well the company was doing with its marketing initiatives.

This is a great approach, allowing businesses to focus on where their marketing dollars are making the most impact. Having this information handy will enable you to build out your business plan’s marketing section with confidence. LiveFlow has shared the template here . You can test it for yourself.

2. Lula Body

Business plan example: Lula body

Sometimes all you need is a solid mission statement and core values to guide you on how to go about everything. You do this by creating a business plan revolving around how to fulfill your statement best.

For example, Patagonia is an eco-friendly company, so their plan discusses how to make the best environmentally friendly products without causing harm.

A good mission statement  should not only resonate with consumers but should also serve as a core value compass for employees as well.

Patagonia has one of the most compelling mission statements I’ve seen:

"Together, let’s prioritise purpose over profit and protect this wondrous planet, our only home."

It reels you in from the start, and the environmentally friendly theme continues throughout the rest of the statement.

This mission goes on to explain that they are out to "Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to protect nature."

Their mission statement is compelling and detailed, with each section outlining how they will accomplish their goal.

4. Vesta Home Automation

business plan example: Vesta executive summary

This executive summary for a smart home device startup is part of a business plan created by students at Mount Royal University .

While it lacks some of the sleek visuals of the templates above, its executive summary does a great job of demonstrating how invested they are in the business.

Right away, they mention they’ve invested $200,000 into the company already, which shows investors they have skin in the game and aren’t just looking for someone else to foot the bill.

This is the kind of business plan you need when applying for business funds. It clearly illustrates the expected future of the company and how the business has been coming along over the years.

5. NALB Creative Center

business plan examples: nalb creative center

This fictional business plan for an art supply store includes everything one might need in a business plan: an executive summary, a company summary, a list of services, a market analysis summary, and more.

One of its most notable sections is its market analysis summary, which includes an overview of the population growth in the business’ target geographical area, as well as a breakdown of the types of potential customers they expect to welcome at the store. 

This sort of granular insight is essential for understanding and communicating your business’s growth potential. Plus, it lays a strong foundation for creating relevant and useful buyer personas .

It’s essential to keep this information up-to-date as your market and target buyer changes. For that reason, you should carry out market research as often as possible to ensure that you’re targeting the correct audience and sharing accurate information with your investors.

Due to its comprehensiveness, it’s an excellent example to follow if you’re opening a brick-and-mortar store and need to get external funding to start your business .

6. Curriculum Companion Suites (CSS)

business plan examples: curriculum companion suites

If you’re looking for a SaaS business plan example, look no further than this business plan for a fictional educational software company called Curriculum Companion Suites. 

Like the business plan for the NALB Creative Center, it includes plenty of information for prospective investors and other key stakeholders in the business.

One of the most notable features of this business plan is the executive summary, which includes an overview of the product, market, and mission.

The first two are essential for software companies because the product offering is so often at the forefront of the company’s strategy. Without that information being immediately available to investors and executives, then you risk writing an unfocused business plan.

It’s essential to front-load your company’s mission if it explains your "Why?" and this example does just that. In other words, why do you do what you do, and why should stakeholders care? This is an important section to include if you feel that your mission will drive interest in the business and its offerings.

7. Culina Sample Business Plan

sample business plan: Culina

Culina's sample business plan is an excellent example of how to lay out your business plan so that it flows naturally, engages readers, and provides the critical information investors and stakeholders need. 

You can use this template as a guide while you're gathering important information for your own business plan. You'll have a better understanding of the data and research you need to do since Culina’s plan outlines these details so flawlessly for inspiration.

8. Plum Sample Business Plan

Sample business plan: Plum

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How to write marketing plan in business plan

How to Write the Marketing Plan in Business Plan?

A marketing plan in business plan is one of the very important sections of a business plan. Marketing is done to spread awareness about your business and its product/service. 

What is a marketing plan?

Marketing plan vs marketing strategy.

An effective marketing strategy helps you achieve early success. 

Use this article to write an effective marketing plan section in a business plan. 

A marketing section of a business plan gives you a roadmap to organize, execute and track the progress of your marketing efforts. 

Your marketing plan helps you align your marketing efforts with your business goals. It gives your marketing effort a direction and you can evaluate your efforts at any point.

Types of marketing plan 

A perfect type of marketing plan in business plan will depend on your business, your goals, and how soon you want to achieve them. 

We have outlined some marketing plans that most businesses need to use. Since this is the age of the internet, we have also included online marketing plans and digital marketing plans.

Want to write a business plan?

Hire our professional business plan writers to prepare your business plan!

Quarterly or Annual Marketing Plans 

These are your business marketing plans with a timeline. Every business has its quarterly, bi-yearly, and yearly goals. You will use these goals to monitor the effectiveness of your marketing efforts over time.

Paid Marketing Plans 

Paid marketing plans include online advertising, buying billboards, or marketing on vehicles. Pay Per Click marketing and social media marketing for your small business.

Social Media Marketing Plan 

Social media marketing plan for business plan can be done in two ways. You can hire a team and raise awareness about your business by sharing regular updates. 

You can also do paid marketing on social media. You will need to invest in buying ads on that social media platform and pay for a team of social media marketers.

You can also leverage these effective digital marketing channels for your business. 

Content Marketing Plan 

A content marketing plan is about attracting potential customers to your website with the help of SEO. You create value for your potential customer first and then by extension, market your business. It can be offline in the form of free workshops etc or online in the form of guides and resources.

Product Launch Marketing Plan 

A product lunch  sales and marketing plan in business plan  will help you decide on the marketing tools, tactics, and tracking you will do when launching a new product or service.

You can also hire WiseBusinessPlans Digital Marketing Services to run successful marketing campaigns for your business. 

The difference between a marketing plan and a marketing strategy is simple; a marketing plan is what methods, tools, and tactics you will use for marketing, and a market strategy in business plan is how you will implement your plan.

Learn how to develop an effective marketing strategy with this detailed guide. 

Access our free business plan examples now!

How to write a marketing plan for a business plan.

How to write a marketing plan for a business plan

Follow these simple steps to write a marketing plan in business plan.

Business Mission

Write your business mission statement and translate it into the efforts the marketing department will make. 

For example, your business mission is to help people with home gardening. Your marketing department version will be to attract people who want to do home gardening.

These are performance indicators. These metrics will help you evaluate performance and progress. An example of KPIs for marketing is customer visits to your website, social media page, or brick-and-mortar store.

Create Buyer Personas

A buyer persona is a short description of your average customer. When you have no data, a buyer persona will describe the customer you want to attract.

Decide on Marketing Strategies and Content

Go through the marketing strategies you can use and select the one that will produce the best return on investment for your business. 

Similarly, think about the content type that is attractive to your target audience . For example, video format may attract your audience or you may need to share more about your business on social media to grab their attention.

Define Marketing Plan Scope

Define the scope and limits of your marketing plan. Clearly mention what your marketing team will do and will not do. 

This will help you save time, cost, and effort in wasted resources.

Set Marketing Budget 

You can only spend a set amount on marketing. Set your marketing budget and be creative in that budget to produce the best return. 

Your budget is directly related to your marketing goals. Set your marketing budget in a way that does not hamper marketing efforts. 

Know your Competition 

Knowing and profiling your customer helps you market better. See what are strong spots of competitors’ marketing plans, are and how they are attracting audiences to make a plan to compete effectively. 

Appoint your Team & their Responsibilities

Decide on job roles for your team. Set their KPIs, marketing channels they will manage, what content they will create, etc.

Bonus Tip: Here is a step by step guide on how to write a marketing plan executive summary with example and template.

Example of Marketing Plan in Business Plan PDF

See this example of a marketing plan in a business plan to understand how it is done. You can create your marketing plan in the same way.

In the marketing plan section, include details about your target market, competition analysis, marketing strategies, pricing, promotion, and distribution channels. It should outline your approach to reaching and engaging your target audience.

Conduct market research by analyzing your target audience, understanding their needs and preferences, studying your competitors, and identifying market trends. Use surveys, interviews, and industry reports to gather relevant data for your marketing plan.

Consider including a mix of marketing strategies such as digital marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing, advertising, public relations, and networking. Choose strategies that align with your target audience and business goals.

Determine pricing by considering factors such as production costs, competitor pricing, market demand, and perceived value. Conduct a pricing analysis to ensure your prices are competitive and profitable for your business.

It is recommended to review and update your marketing plan regularly, at least annually or whenever there are significant changes in your business or market conditions. This allows you to adapt your strategies, stay relevant, and capitalize on new opportunities.

WiseBusinessPlans is the company that writes business plans

One comment.

It is a very useful guide. I was wondering If your site offers marketing plan writers for businesses. If any, kindly reply.

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Marketing Plan Examples & Samples for Business Scaling

by Cydney Hatch • March 19, 2020

examples of marketing plan in business plan

Marketing is an essential part of any successful business strategy. It has everything to do with identifying and reaching objectives for your business sales, publicity and growth.

What if, for example, your business was to locate, catalog and find homes for archeological treasures?

Indiana Jones was a master planner in that business space. He conducted extensive research, put together his gear, assembled his teams, and then went out to kick butt and find archeological treasures! Then, afterwards, he improvised and pivoted as needed 😉

The bigger the mission, the more funding, planning and field contacts he used. It makes you think of your marketing plan in a more exciting light, am I right?

Indiana Jones marketing plan meme

It might seem like a stretch, but just like Indiana Jones, you need to map out your marketing plan so you can try to avoid having to “make it up as you go.” You can see your marketing plan as a comprehensive document that outlines the marketing strategy, tactics, and activities that your business will undertake to achieve its marketing objectives. Also, as your business grows, so too will the strategies, channels and budgets you might need.

There are plenty of examples of marketing plans that you can use as templates for your own, and we will include some of those here.

Remember that a well-crafted marketing plan can help businesses to identify their target audience, determine the best way to reach them, and allocate resources effectively . There might not be one single marketing plan that captures what you want to include, so remember that you can customize any marketing plan to your own business, including what is more important to you. 

In this blog post, we will explore what a marketing plan is and provide some examples of marketing plans . I’m also going to walk you through the steps I used to create a made-up business called “Free People Coffee & Bar.” So grab your hat, your whip and your cargo pants for some intense marketing plan discoveries!

MARKETING PLAN EXAMPLES IN ACTION

Before we officially start on what a marketing plan is and how to create one, let’s look at a couple of marketing plan examples that worked well!

MARKETING PLAN EXAMPLE: COCA-COLA “SHARE A COKE” CAMPAIGN

Most of us are aware of the highly popular Coca-Cola “ Share a Coke ” marketing campaign. That is when, in 2014, you started seeing popular names pop up on Coke cans everywhere. The campaign was designed to encourage consumers to buy Coke products to share with friends and family and sparked a social media frenzy as people searched for bottles with their names on them.

What made this campaign work?

  • Personalization: By including popular first names on the bottles and cans, Coca-Cola was able to make the product feel more personal and increase consumer engagement.
  • Social media: The campaign encouraged people to share pictures of their personalized Coke bottles on social media, creating buzz and driving further engagement.
  • Emotional appeal: The campaign’s message of sharing a Coke with loved ones tapped into consumers’ emotions and helped to build a sense of community around the brand.

MARKETING PLAN EXAMPLE: MARRIOTT INFLUENCE MARKETING CAMPAIGN

One great example of a marketing plan that includes utilizing an online influencer is the Marriott “Millionth Mobile Check-In” sweepstakes. For that campaign, Marriott wanted to raise awareness and use of their app for mobile check-ins. They partnered with What’s Trending founder and host, Shira Lazar, and Jeana Smith, founder of Prank vs. Prank , to give the millionth mobile check-in guest a day they would never forget. 

To celebrate the millionth customer to check-in to their hotels using the mobile app, Marriott surprised couple, Hunter and Tina Swift, in Los Angeles with balloons, music, and more. 

They launched their marketing plan with a sweepstakes to win prizes when you check-in with the app and ended it with this huge event complete with a DJ, bellhop acrobats, dancers, and the gift of one million Marriott Rewards points to the happy couple.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

This not only raised brand awareness but drove engagement as visitors were prompted to use the app and enter the sweepstakes. Making it legit by throwing the huge party just made Marriott even cooler.

What made this campaign successful?

  • Plan ahead: Marriott knew that it was important to be tracking mobile app check-ins to their hotel chain. This allowed them to know when the millionth check-in was approaching and how to prepare.
  • Customer research: They understood their customer base to know how to celebrate the millionth check-in and how to excite other customers to take action in downloading the app to use it for check-ins moving forward.
  • Multi-channel messaging: Marriott used different channels to push the video out for the millionth check-in celebration. Doing so created interest on these different channels where they knew they’d get recognition and customer interest.

WHAT IS A MARKETING PLAN & HOW TO MAKE ONE

A marketing plan is a plan of action compiled into organized documents. It takes the essentials of the business and incorporates them into messaging, advertising, outreach, and other initiatives. A marketing campaign cannot be successful without a marketing plan in place.

That means, if you don’t have a marketing plan, you’re basically shooting in the dark. Be the marketer with a plan by starting off with what I’ve crafted. These are the essentials for how to craft a marketing plan.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

One of the first parts of a marketing plan is the “Executive Summary.” It may seem a little boring, but it provides clear, compact statements about what each section of your marketing plan will be about. This can be bullet points with descriptions, or a paragraph-style explanation of your plan and what is in it:

examples of marketing plan in business plan

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Next, you will want to list the many values that you bring to your potential customers—whether it’s products, services or experience. In my marketing plan sample, I wanted to think about how my products and atmosphere helped my potential customers have a different kind of social and dating scene.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

I will be offering quality beverages and small food items as well as social-topic activities that allow people to meet in a different kind of way. This structure made popular from the game, VERTELLIS, will allow our potential customers to have a meaningful conversation with new people. In comparison to other bars, ours will allow singles to have a different type of experience to meet and talk to other singles in a softer-music, nicely-lit, socially-focused place.

VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS

This is an important place for you to summarize and really hyper-focus what your business will change, do, or offer potential customers.

What is your business value proposition (aka a unique selling proposition – UVP)?

Without a value proposition, there is no reason for people to patronize your business. You should be able to convey in a couple of sentences, what you have to offer and why it is the best. 

When you are thinking about your value proposition, be sure to ask yourself whether you have the appropriate infrastructure and resources in place to deliver on your promised value.  Pro tip: You should always keep a little space in the back of your mind about how each of these marketing plan pieces will be affected by eventual growth, as well.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

In my example, we specifically state our desire/vision to make our community more social. Our vision is to create a place where people can come to have a conversation and a place to facilitate that conversation.

The mission goes further into that statement by answering HOW we will do that. We will create a community bar and coffee shop that potential customers can come and enjoy a different type of bar scene.

No more loud bars, dark rooms and shallow relationship building. FREE PEOPLE allows people to be human, connect and focus on experience supplemented with beverages and food. Like this, you need to think of a vision of WHAT and then move to the mission statement of HOW.

RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

In this section, you’ll want to report on a variety of market-related things that have an impact on your overall marketing plan. This is the nitty-gritty stuff that can indicate where you stand and offer the exact insights you need in order to market and scale just the right way. The following are part of what you should include:

COMPETITION

Research your competitors and analyze the following:

  • Product attributes
  • Marketing and promotion strategies
  • Distribution channel and method
  • Products or services offered

Yes, you’re “spying,” but make no mistake, they are or will be spying on you too.

Take note of what they are doing right–how they are getting in front of their audience, and improve upon those tactics. This will also help you find ways to set yourself apart and create a unique place for yourself in that market space. 

In my example marketing plan, FREE PEOPLE, I was able to research some of the hottest bars in the San Francisco area as well as single adult organizations that facilitate meetups.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

In your research, look for ways that your competitors keep people coming back for more. For Charlie Chaps, I could see that they are a great stand-up bar that has a lot of hot and funny talent coming in every week. For Bourbon and Branch, it is high-quality drinks at a reasonable price with a fantastic view of the city. You too can find patterns, methods and strategies your competition is doing and shape them to your own business.

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Who are the types of people I want to target?
  • What keeps them coming back for more?
  • What targeting factors do they have that create interests?
  • What are their price points?
  • What are their connections?
  • How do my competitors advertise to and connect with the community I want to target?

When you have your competition figured out, you can anticipate their moves, improve on their moves, and find a creative edge over them. Staying ahead of his competitors was probably Indiana Jones’s number one concern.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

So, considering the above competition analysis, my coffee and bar house can offer a place for people to meet in a comfortable, person-meeting environment that young people today want and need. The basic market need is a place where singles can meet new, like-minded people.

FREE PEOPLE uses a conversation system to enhance and facilitate singles meeting each other instead of getting muffled through simple bar scene tactics of dark rooms, loud music and structure not conducive to talking and meeting. We will also offer social community conversations where those who are politically, religiously or personally active can come and have community group discussions with local leaders.

We also offer people products they can take home to promote our social structure outside of our facility. We create question packs that allow buying customers to take this social structure we promote to their homes.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

As a community coffee and bar house, it is our job to make our community a better place and to feel more connected. Collectively we offer:

examples of marketing plan in business plan

  • Food quality: The preference for higher-quality ingredients is being reinforced as consumers have more and more options for food all the time. We keep it simple and always changing to maintain interest. We have also found a price point that is competitive with our competitors.
  • Quality conversation: Customers recognize that intellectual conversations can be had in bar settings and would prefer this over normal bar talk. They would also appreciate ways to take this experience home with products they can purchase.
  • Access to meeting people: People are tired of being single and are looking for ways to meet like-minded individuals.

By offering not only a place and product but a social change within how we meet others, we can improve the happiness of our potential customers and community. We stand out as a different kind of place where people can be human and connect.

The S.W.O.T. model falls under the research and analysis section of your marketing plan, but it deserves special attention. It stands for: Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats. Again, using this acronym in your research and analysis can help you cut out a unique edge and differentiate yourself from your competition. Let’s get into this a little deeper…

When looking at your business strengths you want to list realistic advantages, strengths and positives you bring to the table. When you think about your value proposition this should come easy.

In my marketing plan sample, FREE PEOPLE speaks to the personal and emotional needs young single adults need in their lives: connection and interaction.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

We as a bar and coffee house have strong third-party vendors that give us quality products to make our beverages and appetizers. With great culinary experiences, we have local artists that help us create an aesthetic that promotes creativity, positivity and change. We also have high-quality staff that promotes healthy relationship building and great customer service.

From a business standpoint, we bring new ideas to the bar and social scene that promotes different types of connections that other bars do not. We promote personal conversations, invite meaningful community conversation events with the help of local leaders.

When looking at business weaknesses, consider your competition and what you might lack, compared to them. Don’t be too hard on yourself, but do be honest with yourself. You can’t grow if you can’t see how you need to improve. When you take a look at weaknesses, this also helps you plan out ways to address and improve your business message.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

So, in my example, as a new coffee and bar house, we are obviously not as established as some of the known “hot spots” of the city. With that in mind, it also means we do not have as much of an income yet as compared to others for marketing and getting our name out there. This will require us to reach out and try to get influencer endorsement and other free promotions through local news, etc. This will help us draft our content to try and set us up as new, exciting and something to experience.

OPPORTUNITIES

I always love this part of a SWOT analysis because it is all about growth. Here, look for ways you can and will succeed as a business. Look at your market and how it is projected to grow and how that will benefit your business. Look for ways you can undercut and improve what your competition is doing!

examples of marketing plan in business plan

In my example, FREE PEOPLE has a good market to bank on as there are always single people. In fact, San Francisco was named the best city for singles in 2017. With that knowledge, we can monopolize on the sale and other opportunities to reach an ever-growing market of individuals.

If our friend, Indy, didn’t anticipate some threats and difficulties, he wouldn’t be adequately prepared to deal with them. The same is true of everything. Don’t produce a negative effect by dwelling on it or expecting it, but certainly know all that you can about possible threats to your business health. What are the realistic limitations you face? Look for things that will affect your bottom line, limit your target audience, or that will present local problems if not addressed.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

In my sample marketing plan, FREE PEOPLE, has to compete with the existing bars people know and love. It is our job to write content, advertise and communicate with the community about how our bar and coffee shop is a different and better type of experience.

When considering threats other than our competition, we need to look at our target audience. Since we are a bar in one of the most expensive places in the United States, that might put a limitation on the younger end of our demographics to enjoy our services and products. Not to mention, our bottom line is affected because of the expense of operating in that locale. 

CUSTOMER INFORMATION: AUDIENCE, PERSONA AND LIFECYCLE

The next major part of your marketing plan is your customer base. Who are you targeting? What are their passions, problems and pain points? What are the different types of customers that are worth your time?

In our example, FREE PEOPLE, we target young single adults ages 25-37, particularly women and socially active adults.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

  • Young Professional
  • San Francisco Bay Area, Apartment/Condo Living
  • Income $40,000+

BUYER PERSONA PROFILE INFORMATION

  • Values: Human connection, promoting positive social change, education, long-term dating
  • Problems: Has a hard time meeting like-minded and similar-aged people, busy work schedules, wants long-term relationships, sick of the same old bar scenes, wants to create positive social change in communities
  • Interests: News and current events, socializing, arts and experiences, communication, gym, healthy lifestyle, Instagram and Facebook, traveling, education, dating sites and services, reading, religion and social issues

Once you know your customers you can now look at how best to reach them through meaningful marketing objectives.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NEXT

To dive into your marketing strategy, you need to start by knowing what you want to get out of it. Up to this point, you’ve done some research and you know who your competition is, but what do you really want to achieve with this marketing strategy… in essence, what is a marketing plan to you ?

MARKETING OBJECTIVES

Marketing objectives are a brand’s defined goals. They outline the intentions of the marketing team, specific numbers and provide clear actions to execute.

Do not rush or focus on execution before you define what success looks like for your business.

For example, here are a few possible goals you might have:

  • Introduce # of new products
  • Target a new customer persona
  • Extend/regain market
  • Build brand awareness
  • Develop brand loyalty
  • Grow market shares
  • Build industry authority
  • Boost sales
  • Enter into long-term contracts
  • Improve delivery and customer service
  • Increase brand exposure and engagement on X

examples of marketing plan in business plan

These objectives are fairly broad, but you can get as specific as you need to. As a marketer, it is your job to figure out how to use marketing tactics to achieve these goals! Most plans call for money… so your budget is next up.

CREATE A PROGRESSIVE MARKETING BUDGET

  • Focus on what historically worked
  • Use tactics that allow full control/customizability
  • Don’t scale until you prove ROI
  • Cross-channel to double dip

By following proven success tactics and being smart with your marketing budget, you can make money stretch further. Don’t splurge because you want to get things up and running. Plan and patiently execute–you will be grateful you did!

So, for our example with FREE PEOPLE Coffee and Bar, I calculated that the business will need to make at least $40,500 a month in revenue to reach the break-even point.

The first two months will be used to set up the physical location, hire personnel, establish vendor relationships and obtain an alcohol license. The third month will be the grand opening. Business during the second month will be understandably slow as a steady customer base takes time to build. This is the stage where the majority of our marketing budget will go.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

When you create a tentative financial forecast, you will then need to carefully assign people to the detailed marketing campaigns and tasks. With their detailed tasks, be sure to include deadlines, budgets and expectations.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

To break things down further, you will want to map out detailed plans for sales funnel content. So, if I was to brainstorm content around my market research and target customers for FREE PEOPLE:

Awareness Stage

  • Guides: A Guide to Modern Conversation, Meeting Like Our Parents Did
  • Blogs: 11 Ways to Meet Singles in San Francisco, Dating Statistics in the Bay Area, Say Goodbye to Dating Apps and Say Hello to ‘Old School’

Shopping/ Learning Stage

  • Video: CONNECT: A FREE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE, Dating Done Right: Meet FREE PEOPLE
  • Guides: How Successful Are My Tactics: Statistics on Dating Scene Tactics & Satisfaction

Decision Stage

  • Business product comparisons: Advertisement for Promotional Event Night (Change The Way You Meet)
  • Blog content: Why We Need to FREE PEOPLE
  • Invite to social events: Bring a Friend Night, Community Talk, etc…
  • Retention plan: Memberships, Discounts, Birthday Codes

Content not only attracts customers but it also provides SEO value . By creating consistent and quality content, your business blog and website will gain more traffic. Google rewards quality stuff so why not attract some organic marketing help and new customers through Google?!

From there you will also need to consider your social media use, online marketing as well as your collaboration plans with other businesses/influencers.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

So, in FREE PEOPLE’s example, I wanted to map out specific money amounts we would put towards sponsored ads on Instagram and Facebook.

I also mapped out different types of content and creatives that work for our industry like videos, specifically boomerang. We would also want to make specific hashtags and links people can use so we can start building a network on these platforms.

When looking for influencers we wanted to work with, we would hyper-focus on ones with at least 20k followings and topics that are of interest to us.  Specifically Allie.Eats would be a great example of an influencer we would want to pay or invite to experience our new bar as she focuses on bar/food scenes within the San Francisco area.

In return for her promoting our bar, we can give her free products, payment, etc, which promotes a healthy and balanced relationship that can work in the future.

examples of marketing plan in business plan

By detailing out these plans, you will be able to track your success and tweak the contracts and campaigns for results in the future. Blogs and backlinks are just a couple of the ways you can make these relationships work for you!

So, for the marketing plan sample of FREE PEOPLE, I made four marketing objectives focused on revenue and exposure. From there, it is my job as the “marketer in charge” to figure out what tactics will help make those objectives happen! I created specific money amounts, platforms and numbers involved to reach the goals we set out as a starting business.

The top priority for FREE PEOPLE’s exposure will be to communicate value to our target audience. This will be done through a variety of methods. The first method will be strategically placed advertisements.

One place that will be used for advertisements is social and local newspapers and magazines. This will be the main source of advertisements because the demographics match up between their audience and ours. We will also do advertisements on Instagram showing users who will partner us as influencers to promote us on that platform. Between paid ads and influencers, we should be able to connect our business with young, single, adult locals.

At a later time, we also want to maximize email marketing for our restaurant/bar . We have to have an agile planning strategy , though, so we can’t get too detailed right now. It’s just something to keep in mind.

Another source of marketing will be through strategic partnerships with companies like gyms that are typically full of single adults. When it came to collaboration with gyms, we were able to offer cross-promotional discounts! 

The last exposure marketing tactic we will promote is a grass-roots effort with “bring-a-friend” promotions that invite more people at a reduced cost to experience our business. This tactic will eventually promote brand loyalty as we create an experience people cannot ignore.

SCALED AND MEASURED: YOU CAN ADAPT

Companies are always looking for a new edge to capture mindshare and differentiate their solution within the marketplace. By creating a strong marketing plan you can do that!

Although the above sections are things you should include in your marketing plans, every marketing plan should be fluid and reflect your values and objectives. You will need to customize and scale every plan to your needs but also make it so it’s a living document to adapt to market change.

As you are answering the question, “what is a marketing plan?” for yourself and your company, you will be able to refine your answers until your own marketing plan is ready to launch! 

Hopefully, this article and the marketing plan examples in it helped ease your mind and inspire you about how to put your marketing plan together. But if you are still feeling overwhelmed, reach out , we would love to talk!

What do you consider when scaling a marketing plan sample? What are the bigger concerns of templates and using them for different types and sizes of businesses?

Cydney Hatch

Cydney Hatch

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How To Create A Small Business Marketing Plan In 9 Simple Steps (with Templates)

A small business can use a marketing plan to guide their entire marketing efforts. Follow our step-by-step roadmap to reach your business objectives, increase revenue, and grow your company.

How to create a small business marketing plan (9 simple steps)

Imagine there are two T-shirt companies. Their shirts are both handcrafted and are of the exact same quality and style.

T-shirt seller A has never created a marketing plan and strictly relies on word of mouth to sell their shirts.

T-shirt seller B has put plenty of time into its marketing efforts. They’ve created a website, uses a variety of digital tools,  posted regularly on social media , and even built an email list.

Which company do you think sells more shirts?

Regardless of the size of your company, the core marketing principles are the same. Even if you have a small business, you can create a marketing plan to help you grow your business. In fact, the smaller your business is, the more important it is to put time and energy into creating a marketing roadmap.

In this in-depth guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about creating a small business marketing plan to help you reach your goals. We’ll break down the nine simple steps you need to take to craft a marketing plan that works in the digital age. Plus, you’ll get a template you can follow to craft your own strategy and some best practices to follow to ensure it’s a success.

What Is Small Business Marketing?

Small business marketing is the process small businesses use to get their products and services in front of potential customers to generate sales. This type of marketing typically includes a variety of marketing channels, disciplines, and tactics to gain exposure.

The primary goal of small business marketing is to not only connect with new prospects to acquire new customers but also to build and nurture relationships with existing customers to keep them coming back.

Small business marketing can consist of a variety of offline and  online strategies . Regardless of the marketing tactics you use, the end goal is typically to generate more revenue, expand market share, improve profitability, and grow.

What Is a Small Business Marketing Plan?

A small business marketing plan is a roadmap small businesses can use to reach their marketing objectives, increase revenue, and grow their overall business. A small business can use a marketing plan to guide their entire marketing efforts to ensure they meet their company’s objectives.

In 2021, the most prominent  small business marketing challenges  were:

  • Not having enough time and resources to focus on marketing
  • A small marketing budget, and
  • Lack of clear marketing strategy and objectives

2021 small business marketing challenges

Without a clear marketing strategy and objective, your marketing efforts will be a waste. But, if you implement a small business marketing plan, you’ll be well to see your company or department succeed.

9 Steps to Create a Small Business Marketing Plan

Every small business marketing plan will be different as each business is different. But there’s a simple framework you can use to come up with a plan that’s actionable and effective. Follow these nine steps to set your marketing team up for success:

1. Establish your goals

First off, you need to set your marketing goals. But you can’t just set a random, vague goal like “Make more money.” You need to set clear, actionable goals.

The best way to come up with marketing goals is to use the “SMART” formula. This stands for:

  • S: Specific
  • M: Measurable
  • A: Achievable
  • R: Relevant
  • T: Time-bound

The SMART goal strategy is a tried and true method of goal setting to help you achieve what you’re aiming for. Here’s an example of a SMART small business marketing goal:

“Increase return customer rate from 5% to 20% in 12 months.”

Let’s see how it lines up with the SMART formula:

  • S: Specific (about retention)
  • M: Measurable (includes real numbers)
  • A: Achievable (not too far out of reach)
  • R: Relevant (aligns with your overall business objectives)
  • T: Time-specific (in 12 months)

If you’re having trouble coming up with your goals, you could start by identifying some broader small business objectives before getting specific.

Here are a few common small business marketing goals:

  • Build a greater online presence
  • Generate more leads (and customers)
  • Increase brand awareness
  • Connect with a broader audience
  • Engage with your audience more
  • Generate more recurring revenue

It’s up to you to figure out which of these goals makes the most sense for your team and your business. Try and come up with 3-5 SMART goals now and write them down.

2. Understand your target audience

Now that you’ve established your primary marketing goals, it’s time to focus on your audience. Ultimately, they’re going to be the ones to help you reach your goals.

Before you can achieve any sort of success with your marketing efforts, you need to know who you’re targeting. Your target audience can vary based on a variety of different factors like geographical region, your business type, and demographics.

Oftentimes, your audience will dictate the type of marketing tactics you implement later on, so it’s crucial you take the time to research so you can understand them better.

For instance, if your target audience is in their 70s, then TikTok might not be the best place to invest your marketing resources. On the other hand, if you’re targeting Gen-Zs, then you should probably avoid print ads and, instead, get on TikTok and Instagram asap.

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself to help understand your audience:

  • Who are your past customers?  Look at demographics like age, location, and gender.
  • Who are your returning customers?  This is important to understand, especially if one of your goals is to generate recurring revenue through increased retention.
  • Who do you want to reach?  While you may have a specific past customer base, it’s crucial to know the type of customer you’re after so you can adjust your marketing strategy to target them better.
  • What products or services are people buying from you the most?  Look at sales data to help understand what your customers are interested in, their pain points, and the problems they’re looking to solve.
  • Why did your past customers buy from you?  Look into primary driving factors for their purchase decisions. You can email customers directly, conduct surveys, and look at reviews and testimonials to understand the intent behind their purchases.

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3. Set your budget

Now that you’ve set your goals and understand your target audience, it’s time to establish your marketing budget.

You should take the time to assess the current financial health of your business—including your current and future cash flow—to determine your marketing budget. If you’re not running the finances in your small business, sit down with your CFO to come up with a budget you can both work within.

It’s crucial to figure out your budget ahead of time, as it’ll help guide the remainder of your marketing plan.

You should be realistic about how much money you’re able to invest into your marketing efforts every month.

If you’re scratching your head wondering where to start, you can start with around 10-20% of your overall revenue. This is a typical budget allocation for small businesses to invest in their marketing efforts.

While this may seem like a lot to invest, the return on investment (ROI) will be well worth it (if you implement the right marketing plan).

If you’re thinking you have almost nothing to spend on marketing as you’re brand new, that’s alright! Any little bit helps. Whatever you can invest in your marketing will help fuel future business growth.

Don’t forget that when budgeting, you should also take into consideration your  time  budget. In other words, you should look at not just the money you can put into marketing but the overall resources, including work hours. How much time are you able to devote to your marketing strategy every day, week, or month?

Write it down alongside your monetary budget. It can be easy to let other business activities take priority over your marketing efforts. Make sure you craft a time budget as well to ensure your marketing gets done. This will help you see your goals through to the end.

4. Create a website

Now that you’ve set your time and money budget, it’s time to spend it!

This is the fun part (at least for most people). Now that you know what you’re working with in terms of your resources, you can get to work on your marketing.

Your website is the digital headquarters for your business. It’s the place where you establish your branding, where you convert prospects into leads, and where you generate new sales.

You need to ensure your website is both professional and tactical. It’s the place where you show off who you are and what you offer. It’s the place of first impressions, so you need to ensure it’s designed well and functions in alignment with your goals.

The most effective websites will be much more than a digital brochure. When crafted properly, they can be 24/7 salespeople for your business.

If you have the budget, you should hire a web designer and developer to help you craft a professional site. If you have a limited budget, there are plenty of cheap and free website-building tools you can use to create your own site, even if you know nothing about design or coding.

5. Build a social media presence

Now that your headquarters is established, it’s time to set your brand up on social media. Nowadays, social media is an essential part of any small business marketing plan (whether your business is online or offline). The reality is that every type of customer is on social media (regardless of age).

If your audience skews younger, then chances are they’re on TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. If they’re older, they’re likely on Facebook. If you have a B2B brand, then you might want to check out LinkedIn.

You probably think all the different platform choices are overwhelming. You’re right—it can definitely be a confusing process trying to figure out how you’ll manage to post on dozens of social platforms consistently.

The truth is, you don’t have to, and you shouldn’t—at least not at the start.

The best way you can get started with your social media plan is to focus on one platform (two at max) when you’re first starting‌ out. Take a look back at number two—your audience. Where are they? Chances are, they hang out on one social media platform more than the others. Try to determine where they hang out. If you’re unsure, you can conduct surveys, ask customers one-on-one, or you can try testing out paid ads on a few platforms to see if there’s a winner early on (we’ll touch more on this at number 7).

There are two secrets to winning with social media:

  • Post consistently.
  • Engage with your followers.

That’s it. Yes, there are dozens of other tactics you can use to increase your social media marketing efforts. But you should spend 80% of your social media efforts focusing on these two things—especially when first starting out.

Just remember:  Even if you’re not going to start posting regularly on all the additional social media platforms, it’s important that you at least make a profile on each one to establish consistent branding if you do decide to branch out to them in the future.

6. Create content

Ever heard the term content marketing? It’s one of the most powerful forms of digital marketing in 2023. While content marketing primarily refers to blog posts and articles that help drive traffic to websites, it encompasses a wide variety of different mediums and content types.

In 2021,  video content actually surpassed blog content  in terms of the type of content created in content marketing strategies.

Main types of media used in content marketing strategies in 2021

Businesses primarily use content marketing as part of an overall inbound marketing strategy—which includes creating content as a means to draw people to your site. Inbound marketing is all about providing your potential customers with helpful information and resources and providing value that both attracts and converts them into customers.

Nowadays, your  content marketing strategy  can include a variety of content types:

  • Social media marketing
  • Video content
  • Blog posts and articles

Similar to choosing a social media platform, it can be confusing where to start with content types. You should consider two things: the ways your audience consumes content and the content you like producing.

For instance, you may find that your audience loves video content the best, and they hang out on YouTube and Instagram. But you’re really not into creating long-form videos. Instead, you could create stories on YouTube and Instagram—short-form videos you like creating that also engage your audience.

Just remember, it’s more important to consider how your audience likes consuming content ‌than what you actually enjoy creating. If you despise writing but you know your audience loves reading blogs, then you may want to outsource your content writing or hire a content agency to help you create content.

7. Invest in paid ads & influencers

All the marketing tactics we’ve mentioned above so far are primarily longer-term tactics to grow your audience and build a brand for the long haul.

However, there are two primary marketing tactics you can use to grow your audience and convert customers quickly—if you have the budget.

Those two are paid ads and influencers.

With enough money, you can access any audience. This could be paying for Facebook ads, or it could be paying an influencer to review your product to their audience of 300,000 engaged followers.

Either way, if your goal is to grow or convert new customers quickly, then you can leverage paid ads, influencers, or a combination of the two to reach your goals. To get started, you don’t need to have tens of thousands to spend. With even the smallest of budgets, you can focus on micro-influencers and run pay-per-click ads on Google or Instagram.

8. Consider traditional marketing tactics

The world, in 2023, is super digital. Everyone has a digital marketing strategy. You can use that to your advantage. As digital marketing has become the dominant form of marketing over traditional efforts, traditional marketing has become less expensive and less crowded.

A well-rounded small business plan will often include both online and offline marketing strategies. If you want to diversify your marketing efforts, then you may want to consider implementing some traditional tactics as well, such as:

  • Print advertising

If you have a business that’s primarily targeting a local audience, then you will definitely want to consider some of these tactics. These traditional marketing efforts can be incredibly powerful for community and brand-building. If you have a brick-and-mortar store, then implementing at least a few of them is essential to thriving in your community.

9. Track & measure your results

Now that you’re taking action and working on the different marketing tactics outlined in this comprehensive plan, it’s time to focus on perhaps the most important step of them all: tracking and measuring your results.

This is a critical step—and one that will essentially evaluate how close you are to your targets set in step number one. Did you reach your goals? Did you surpass them? Did you fall short?

If you want to succeed with your marketing plan, you need to analyze your efforts. You may be posting on Facebook every day only to get a couple of likes here and there. Or maybe you've built a blog that’s generating thousands of visitors every month.

Perhaps your in-person workshops have turned into a thriving repeat customer base.

You should go back to your original goals at the end dates you set for them (since you crafted SMART goals). Where did you land? If you didn’t reach your goal, analyze why. What tactics and specific steps of action did you take (or not take).

What channels are serving you the most?

What channels are performing the worst?

The best way to close out step nine is to re-establish new goals and essentially start your marketing plan over again. Except this time, you’re not starting from scratch. You’ve built up a solid plan and simply need to shift course a bit. You’ve seen what’s working and what’s not, so you can allocate more time, money, and resources to improve your plan even more.

Remember, building your marketing plan isn’t a one-time event. The best small business marketers know that continually monitoring their efforts and optimizing them is how they will find success in the long term.

Small Business Marketing Plan Templates

If you’re looking for a marketing plan template , you can follow steps 1–9 above to create your roadmap. But, if you want something easy—where you can simply fill in the blanks, then there are hundreds of free or paid marketing plan templates available online.

Whether you’re looking to start from scratch with a comprehensive marketing plan template or a simple one-page template, or you want a practical project-based roadmap, there are plenty of resources available.

Comprehensive marketing plan template

Business.com created a  free marketing plan template  you can use built right within Google Docs. It’s a comprehensive template you can use to build your marketing plan in a day. Each section includes in-depth explanations as well as free resources to learn more so you can build a clear roadmap.

Business.com free marketing plan template

One-page marketing plan template

If you don’t have a lot of time available to work on an in-depth plan, then you’ll want to consider Smartsheet’s template. Smartsheet offers a ton of free marketing templates, including a simple  one-page marketing plan  that you can get done in under 30 minutes.

Smartsheet one-page marketing plan template

Project-based marketing plan template

If you’re looking for a template that’s more of an action plan for your upcoming campaigns, then you’ll want to check out  Monday.com’s marketing plan templates . While you’ll have to get a paid plan to use Monday.com, you get access to a variety of impressive marketing plan templates that are project-based and actionable to help you meet your goals.

Monday.com marketing plan template

4 Best Practices When Crafting a Marketing Plan

1. center everything around your value proposition.

What makes you stand out from the crowd? Why should customers choose you over the competition?

When building your marketing plan, you always need to keep your value proposition top of mind. It has to take center stage when crafting every piece of content, creating new campaigns, and establishing your buyer personas.

Your value proposition is the thing that differentiates your brand from others in the space. If you’re not sure what yours is, try looking at what you do better than everyone else in your industry. If you can’t figure it out, then you need to establish the thing that does make you different. It could be your product, customer service, content plan, branding, or even price.

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There are dozens of different paths you can take with your marketing. Within the marketing world, it can be easy to get distracted by new, shiny marketing tactics that are “guaranteed” to convert. While it can be tempting to give in to them, it’s best to stick to your core tactics.

Once you have your marketing plan set up, you need to stick to it to ensure the highest odds of success in reaching your goals. Once you’ve reached your primary objectives (or you’re on the trajectory to do so), then—and only then—should you even consider shifting your marketing efforts to other tactics.

3. Be consistent with your branding

Your branding is your business, and your business is your branding.

When it comes to building the right marketing plan, it’s important to measure the results of your efforts. One of the more challenging aspects of marketing success is measuring how well you are branding yourself. How powerful is your brand?

Your brand image has the power to turn customers off forever with a bad first impression or create raving fans who tell all their friends to buy from you.

One of the key elements to establishing your branding is to ensure you’re consistent. You need to know what type of brand you want to be, then ensure you’re congruent with it everywhere—on your website, social media, ads, in your voice, and even in your customer support.

4. Build a tool stack

In the digital age, you’ll only get so far with your marketing plan without the right tools. Even if you don’t consider yourself tech-savvy, you need to have the right technology at your disposal in order to make a dent with your marketing—even if you lean heavily on traditional marketing tactics.

Here are a few different types of marketing tools you should consider using:

  • Marketing strategy software
  • Email marketing software
  • Content marketing software
  • Social media software
  • Project management software
  • Analytics software

If you have a lean budget, don’t worry. There are plenty of tools in nearly every tool category that won’t cost you a thing.

Level Up Your Marketing Strategy

No matter how great your product or service is, you won’t be able to create consistent growth without a proper marketing plan.

Remember, ‌marketing plans with the greatest odds of success start with the end in mind. Stay focused on your business objectives, and pay attention to what’s working. By staying flexible, you’ll be able to optimize your strategy over time and find success in your industry.

If you want to stay up to date on the latest marketing strategies and trends, then  sign up for The CMO newsletter today . Our email newsletter offers practical advice and software recommendations from industry experts you can use to level up your marketing strategy and grow your business.

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Business Plan: What It Is + How to Write One

Discover what a business plan includes and how writing one can foster your business’s development.

[Featured image] Woman showing a business plan to a man at a desk.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a written document that defines your business goals and the tactics to achieve those goals. A business plan typically explores the competitive landscape of an industry, analyzes a market and different customer segments within it, describes the products and services, lists business strategies for success, and outlines financial planning.  

In your research into business plans, you may come across different formats, and you might be wondering which kind will work best for your purposes. 

Let’s define two main types of business plans—the traditional business plan and the lean start-up business plan. Both types can serve as the basis for developing a thriving business, as well as exploring a competitive market analysis, brand strategy, and content strategy in more depth. 

There are some significant differences to keep in mind [ 1 ]: 

The traditional business plan is a long document that explores each component in depth. You can build a traditional business plan to secure funding from lenders or investors. 

The lean start-up business plan focuses on the key elements of a business’s development and is shorter than the traditional format. If you don’t plan on seeking funding, the lean start-up plan can serve mainly as a document for making business decisions and carrying out tasks. 

Now that you have a clear business plan definition, continue reading to learn how to start writing a detailed plan that will guide your journey as an entrepreneur.  

How to write a business plan 

In the sections below, you’ll build the following components of your business plan:

Executive summary

Business description 

Products and services 

Competitor analysis 

Marketing plan and sales strategies 

Brand strategy

Financial planning

Explore each section to bring fresh inspiration and reveal new possibilities for developing your business. Depending on which format you're using, you may choose to adapt the sections, skip over some, or go deeper into others. Consider your first draft a foundation for your efforts and one that you can revise, as needed, to account for changes in any business area.

1. Executive summary 

This is a short section that introduces the business plan as a whole to the people who will be reading it, including investors, lenders, or other members of your team. Start with a sentence or two about your business, your goals for developing it, and why it will be successful. If you are seeking funding, summarize the basics of the financial plan. 

2. Business description 

Use this section to provide detailed information about your company and how it will operate in the marketplace.

Mission statement: What drives your desire to start a business? What purpose are you serving? What do you hope to achieve for your business, the team, and customers? 

Revenue streams: From what sources will your business generate revenue? Examples include product sales, service fees, subscriptions, rental fees, license fees, and more. 

Leadership: Describe the leaders in your business, their roles and responsibilities, and your vision for building teams to perform various functions, such as graphic design, product development, or sales.  

Legal structure: Are you operating as a partnership or a corporation? If you’re registering a specific legal structure within your province or territory, include it here and the rationale behind this choice. 

3. Competitor analysis 

This section will include an assessment of potential competitors, their offers, and marketing and sales efforts. For each competitor, explore the following:

Value proposition: What outcome or experience does this brand promise?

Products and services: How does each one solve customer pain points and fulfil desires? What are the price points? 

Marketing: Which channels do competitors use to promote? What kind of content does this brand publish on these channels? What messaging does this brand use to communicate value to customers?  

Sales: What sales process or buyer’s journey does this brand lead customers through?

4. Products and services

Use this section to describe everything your business offers to its target market. For every product and service, list the following: 

The value proposition or promise to customers, in terms of how they will experience it

How the product serves customers, addresses their pain points, satisfies their desires, and improves their lives.

The features or outcomes that make the product better than those of competitors

Your price points and how these compare to competitors

5. Marketing plan and sales strategies 

In this section, you’ll draw from thorough market research to describe your target market and how you will reach it. 

Who are your ideal customers?   

How can you describe this segment according to their demographics (age, ethnicity, income, location, etc.) and psychographics (beliefs, values, aspirations, lifestyle, etc.)? 

What are their daily lives like? 

What problems and challenges do they experience? 

What words, phrases, ideas, and concepts do consumers in your target market use to describe these problems when posting on social media or engaging with your competitors?  

What messaging will present your products as the best on the market? How will you differentiate messaging from competitors? 

On what marketing channels will you position your products and services?

How will you design a customer journey that delivers a positive experience at every touchpoint and leads customers to a purchase decision?

6. Brand strategy 

In this section, you will describe your business’s design, personality, values, voice, and other details that go into delivering a consistent brand experience. 

What are the values that define your brand?

What visual elements give your brand a distinctive look and feel?

How will your marketing messaging reflect a distinctive brand voice, including tone, diction, and sentence-level stylistic choices? 

How will your brand look and sound throughout the customer journey? 

Define your brand positioning statement. What will inspire your audience to choose your brand over others? What experiences and outcomes will your audience associate with your brand? 

7. Financial planning  

In this section, you will explore your business’s financial future. If you are writing a traditional business plan to seek funding, this section is critical for demonstrating to lenders or investors that you have a strategy for turning your business ideas into profit. For a lean start-up business plan, this section can provide a useful exercise for planning how you will invest resources and generate revenue [ 2 ].  

Use any past financials and other sections of this business plan, such as your price points or sales strategies, to begin your financial planning. 

How many individual products or service packages do you plan to sell over a specific time period?

List your business expenses, such as subscribing to software or other services, hiring contractors or employees, purchasing physical supplies or equipment, etc.

What is your break-even point, or the amount you have to sell to cover all expenses?

Create a sales forecast for the next three to five years: (No. of units to sell X price for each unit) – (cost per unit X No. of units) = sales forecast.

Quantify how much capital you have on hand.

When writing a traditional business plan to secure funding, you may choose to append supporting documents, such as licenses, permits, patents, letters of reference, resumes, product blueprints, brand guidelines, the industry awards you’ve received, and media mentions and appearances.

Business plan key takeaways and best practices

Remember: Creating a business plan is crucial when starting a business. You can use this document to guide your decisions and actions and even seek funding from lenders and investors. 

Keep these best practices in mind:

Your business plan should evolve as your business grows. Return to it periodically, such as every quarter or year, to update individual sections or explore new directions your business can take.

Ensure everyone on your team has a copy of the business plan, and welcome their input as they perform their roles. 

Ask fellow entrepreneurs for feedback on your business plan and look for opportunities to strengthen it, from conducting more market and competitor research to implementing new strategies for success. 

Start your business with Coursera 

Ready to start your business? Watch this video on the lean approach from the Entrepreneurship Specialization :

Article sources

BDC. “ Step 2—Prepare a winning business plan , https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/start-buy-business/start-business/create-effective-business-plan." Accessed November 13, 2022.

CBDC. " NEW fillable CBDC Business Plan ,   https://www.cbdc.ca/en/new-fillable-cbdc-business-plan." Accessed November 13, 2022.

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Sample Juice Bar Business Plan

Growthink.com Juice Bar Business Plan Template

Writing a business plan is a crucial step in starting a juice bar business. Not only does it provide structure and guidance for the future, but it also helps to create funding opportunities and attract potential investors. For aspiring juice bar business owners, having access to a sample juice bar business plan can be especially helpful in providing direction and gaining insight into how to draft their own juice bar business plan.

Download our Ultimate Juice Bar Business Plan Template

Having a thorough business plan in place is critical for any successful juice bar venture. It will serve as the foundation for your operations, setting out the goals and objectives that will help guide your decisions and actions. A well-written business plan can give you clarity on realistic financial projections and help you secure financing from lenders or investors. A juice bar business plan example can be a great resource to draw upon when creating your own plan, making sure that all the key components are included in your document.

The juice bar business plan sample below will give you an idea of what one should look like. It is not as comprehensive and successful in raising capital for your juice bar as Growthink’s Ultimate Juice Bar Business Plan Template , but it can help you write a juice bar business plan of your own.

Example – FreshSip Juicery

Table of contents, executive summary, company overview, industry analysis, customer analysis, competitive analysis, marketing plan, operations plan, management team, financial plan.

At FreshSip Juicery, we are passionate about providing our community with a refreshing and healthy alternative to traditional fast food options. Located at the heart of the city, our juicery specializes in crafting a wide assortment of freshly squeezed juices, smoothies, and acai bowls, all made from locally sourced fruits and vegetables. We pride ourselves on our commitment to quality, ensuring each drink and bowl is not only delicious but also packed with nutritional benefits. Our goal is to become a staple in our local community, offering a welcoming space for health enthusiasts and those looking to make healthier dietary choices.

Our success is driven by our focus on quality, affordability, and customer experience. We’ve quickly become a favorite in our community, thanks to our extensive menu that caters to a variety of dietary needs and preferences. Additionally, our strategic location and strong relationships with local suppliers have enabled us to maintain a steady supply of fresh ingredients, ensuring the highest quality of our products. Our accomplishments to date include a growing base of loyal customers, positive feedback on social media, and recognition from local health and wellness groups, setting us apart as a leading juicery in our area.

The juice and smoothie bar industry has shown remarkable resilience and growth, driven by increasing consumer focus on health and wellness. Trends indicate a rising demand for nutritious, convenient meal options, particularly among millennials and health-conscious individuals. The industry has also seen innovation in product offerings, such as the introduction of superfoods and organic ingredients, catering to evolving consumer preferences. With this backdrop, FreshSip Juicery is well-positioned to capitalize on these trends, offering a product lineup that aligns with current market demands and sets us apart from traditional fast-food and beverage options.

Our target customers are health-conscious individuals seeking nutritious and delicious alternatives to traditional fast food. This group includes busy professionals, fitness enthusiasts, and families looking for quick, healthy meal options. Our customer base values quality ingredients, convenience, and products that cater to specific dietary needs, such as gluten-free, vegan, or low-calorie options. We’ve tailored our menu to meet these needs, offering a variety of juices, smoothies, and bowls that appeal to our diverse clientele. Our focus on customer experience and satisfaction has helped us build a loyal following within our community.

Top Competitors: GreenLeaf Juicery, VitaBoost Smoothie Bar, and Pure Energy Café.

FreshSip Juicery differentiates itself from competitors through our commitment to quality, locally sourced ingredients, and a menu designed to cater to a wide range of dietary preferences. Unlike our competitors, we offer an extensive selection of juices, smoothies, and acai bowls, emphasizing freshness and nutritional value. Our competitive advantages include our strategic location, strong supplier relationships, and a focus on creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for our customers.

Our marketing strategy focuses on highlighting the quality, nutritional value, and affordability of our products. We offer a range of freshly squeezed juices, smoothies, cold-pressed juices, and acai bowls, priced competitively to attract a broad customer base. Our promotions plan includes leveraging social media to showcase our products, engage with our community, and share customer testimonials. We also plan to participate in local health and wellness events, offer loyalty programs, and partner with fitness centers to increase brand visibility and attract new customers. Through these efforts, we aim to strengthen our position in the market and drive traffic to our juicery.

Key operational processes at FreshSip Juicery include sourcing high-quality, local ingredients, maintaining strict quality control, and ensuring a seamless customer experience. Our operations are designed to support rapid order fulfillment without compromising on quality or service. We have set milestones that include expanding our menu offerings, increasing our daily customer count, and enhancing our customer loyalty program. These milestones are aimed at driving growth, increasing revenue, and solidifying our reputation as the go-to juicery in our community.

Our management team comprises individuals with extensive experience in the food and beverage industry, including expertise in nutrition, business management, and customer service. This diverse skill set ensures we are well-equipped to oversee daily operations, manage supplier relationships, and drive strategic growth. Our team’s passion for health and wellness aligns with our company’s mission, enabling us to deliver an exceptional experience to our customers while maintaining a strong and sustainable business model.

Welcome to FreshSip Juicery, a new Juice Bar dedicated to serving customers in Sacramento, CA. As a local juice bar, we pride ourselves on filling a gap in the market where high-quality, local juice bars are scarce. Our mission is to bring a fresh, healthy, and delicious option to the community, offering a variety of juices and smoothies made from the finest ingredients.

At FreshSip Juicery, our product lineup is designed to cater to a wide range of tastes and dietary needs. We offer freshly squeezed juices, smoothies, cold-pressed juices, juice cleanses, and acai bowls. Each product is crafted with care, ensuring that our customers enjoy the highest quality drinks and bowls every time they visit us. Our commitment to quality and variety sets us apart from the competition, making us a premier destination for juice lovers in Sacramento.

Located in the heart of Sacramento, CA, FreshSip Juicery is perfectly positioned to serve the local community. Our strategic location allows us to reach a broad audience, from health-conscious individuals looking for nutritious options to those simply seeking a refreshing drink or snack. We are excited to be a part of the Sacramento community and look forward to welcoming customers from all walks of life.

FreshSip Juicery stands out in the competitive juice bar market for several reasons. Our founder brings invaluable experience from previously running a successful juice bar, which has been instrumental in shaping our approach to business. Moreover, our commitment to creating better drinks and smoothies than our competitors, combined with our extensive selection of flavors, juices, and bowls, positions us for success. We believe that our unique offerings and dedication to quality will make us a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

Since our founding on 2024-01-05, FreshSip Juicery has achieved significant milestones as a S Corporation. We’ve invested time and effort into developing our brand, including designing our logo and developing our company name, which resonate with our vision and values. Additionally, we found a great location that enhances our visibility and accessibility to our target market. These accomplishments to date lay a solid foundation for our future growth and success in the Sacramento community.

The Juice Bar industry in the United States is currently a thriving market with a sizeable consumer base. According to recent market research, the Juice Bar industry is estimated to be worth over $2 billion, with a steady annual growth rate of approximately 4%. This indicates a strong demand for healthy beverage options among consumers, presenting a promising opportunity for businesses operating in this sector.

One of the key trends driving growth in the Juice Bar industry is the increasing focus on health and wellness among consumers. With more people seeking out nutritious and natural food and beverage options, Juice Bars have become popular destinations for those looking to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diets. This trend aligns well with the offerings of FreshSip Juicery, which prides itself on using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients to create delicious and nutritious juices and smoothies for its customers in Sacramento, CA.

Furthermore, another trend in the Juice Bar industry is the rising popularity of customizable beverage options. Consumers today are looking for personalized experiences, including the ability to tailor their drinks to meet their specific tastes and dietary preferences. FreshSip Juicery can capitalize on this trend by offering a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and add-ins for customers to choose from, allowing them to create their perfect custom beverage. By staying attuned to industry trends and consumer preferences, FreshSip Juicery is well-positioned to succeed in the competitive Juice Bar market.

Below is a description of our target customers and their core needs.

Target Customers

FreshSip Juicery will target a diverse customer base within the local residents, focusing on individuals who prioritize health and wellness in their daily routine. This segment appreciates the benefits of fresh, nutrient-packed juices as part of their diet. The juicery will tailor its offerings to meet the demand for high-quality, convenient nutrition options that fit into the fast-paced lifestyle of health-conscious consumers.

Aside from the health enthusiasts, FreshSip Juicery will also appeal to young professionals and students looking for quick, healthy meal alternatives. This demographic is often on the lookout for food and beverage options that can support their busy schedules without compromising on taste or nutritional value. The juicery’s strategic location and product range will ensure it becomes a preferred choice among this segment.

Moreover, FreshSip Juicery will cater to families seeking healthier food choices for their children. By offering a variety of kid-friendly flavors and incorporating educational elements about the benefits of fruits and vegetables, the juicery will become a go-to destination for parents aiming to instill healthy eating habits in their children from a young age. This approach will not only expand the customer base but also foster a community around healthy living.

Customer Needs

FreshSip Juicery meets the growing demand for high-quality beverages and smoothies that customers desire for their daily nourishment and refreshment. Residents seek not only taste but also the assurance of health benefits, which our carefully curated menu ensures. Our offerings cater to the health-conscious consumer looking for nutrient-rich options that do not compromise on flavor.

In addition to satisfying the nutritional needs, FreshSip Juicery provides a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere where customers can enjoy their drinks. This environment becomes a casual meeting spot for friends, a tranquil setting for individuals to unwind, or a quick stop for professionals on the go. We understand the importance of creating an experience, not just serving a drink.

Moreover, FreshSip Juicery addresses the need for convenience in today’s fast-paced world. Our strategic location, coupled with options for mobile ordering and delivery, ensures that customers can easily access our products without disrupting their busy schedules. We recognize the value of time and strive to make our service as efficient and accessible as possible.

QuickBite Eats’s competitors include the following companies:

FreshSip Juicery’s competitors include the following companies:

Sun & Soil Health Company offers a wide variety of organic juices, smoothies, and health shots, focusing on using locally sourced and organic ingredients. Their products are priced at a premium, reflecting the quality and sourcing of their ingredients. The company operates multiple locations within the Sacramento area, targeting health-conscious consumers looking for organic and sustainable options. Their key strengths include a strong commitment to sustainability and community involvement, which resonates well with their customer base. However, their premium pricing can be a barrier for more price-sensitive customers, making it a weakness in attracting a broader audience.

Vibe Health Bar also serves as a significant competitor, offering a diverse menu that includes acai bowls, smoothies, juices, and vegan eats. They position themselves in the market with competitive pricing and a focus on health and wellness. Vibe Health Bar operates several locations across Sacramento, catering to individuals seeking nutritious, fast-casual dining options. Their strengths lie in their extensive menu that appeals to various dietary preferences and the integration of superfoods into their offerings. A potential weakness is the intense competition in the fast-casual segment, requiring continuous innovation and marketing efforts to maintain customer interest and loyalty.

Cap City Squeeze Juice Bar is known for its wide selection of fresh juices, smoothies, and wellness shots, aimed at providing quick and healthy options to its customers. Their pricing strategy is competitive, offering value for money with an emphasis on quality and freshness. The juice bar has a strategic presence in Sacramento, targeting busy professionals and health-conscious individuals looking for convenient nutrition solutions. A key strength of Cap City Squeeze is their focus on convenience, with locations strategically placed to serve their target customer segments effectively. However, a potential weakness could be the challenge of differentiating themselves in a crowded market, where consumers have numerous options for juice and smoothie bars.

Competitive Advantages

At FreshSip Juicery, we pride ourselves on delivering an unparalleled experience that goes beyond just serving drinks and smoothies. Our commitment to quality ensures that every sip is not only refreshing but also superior in taste to our competition. We understand that variety is the spice of life, which is why our menu boasts a more extensive array of flavors, juices, and bowls than any other juice bar in the area. Each ingredient is carefully selected to ensure the highest level of freshness and nutritional value, making our offerings not just delicious but also beneficial for health. This dedication to excellence in both taste and variety positions us as a leading choice for those seeking a premium juice bar experience.

Moreover, our competitive edge is further sharpened by our innovative approach to customer service and engagement. We recognize the importance of a personalized experience, which is why our staff is trained to not just serve but also to educate our customers on the benefits of each ingredient we use. This interactive approach not only enriches the customer experience but also fosters a sense of community and loyalty towards our brand. Additionally, we stay ahead of industry trends by continually updating our menu with new and exciting offerings, ensuring that our customers always have something new to look forward to. By combining superior product quality with a dynamic and engaging customer service model, FreshSip Juicery sets itself apart as a leader in the juice bar industry.

Our marketing plan, included below, details our products/services, pricing and promotions plan.

Products and Services

FreshSip Juicery emerges as a vibrant spot for health enthusiasts and juice lovers, offering a variety of refreshing and nutritious beverages and bowls designed to cater to a wide range of tastes and dietary needs. At the heart of their menu are the freshly squeezed juices, which are made to order using the finest, locally sourced fruits and vegetables. Customers can expect to pay an average of $7 for a medium-sized drink, which is a testament to the juicery’s commitment to affordability without compromising on quality. These juices are perfect for those looking for a quick vitamin boost or a refreshing drink to go.

For those in search of a more filling option, the smoothies at FreshSip Juicery provide a delicious solution. Blended with real fruit and other natural ingredients like yogurt or almond milk, these smoothies are both nourishing and satisfying. With prices averaging around $8 for a generous serving, customers can enjoy a variety of flavors, tailored to suit their personal taste or nutritional goals, making it a popular choice for breakfast or a post-workout meal.

The cold-pressed juices represent another highlight of the menu, offering a longer shelf life and a method that retains more nutrients and enzymes than traditional juicing methods. Priced at about $9 per bottle, these juices are an excellent option for those looking to stock up on their juice fix or seeking a more intense nutrient intake. The meticulous cold-press process ensures that each bottle is packed with pure, concentrated goodness.

For customers interested in a detox or health kick, the juice cleanses from FreshSip Juicery offer a structured way to reset the body. With a range of options available, from one-day refreshers to more extended cleanse plans, prices start at $45 per day. These cleanses are designed to provide a balanced intake of nutrients while giving the digestive system a break, and they come with guidance and support to help customers through their cleansing journey.

Last but not least, the acai bowls are a delightful treat, bursting with antioxidants and served chilled. Starting at $10, these bowls are topped with a variety of fresh fruits, granola, and other superfoods, offering a balanced meal that’s both delicious and visually appealing. The acai bowls are a favorite among customers looking for a nutrient-dense meal that satisfies the sweet tooth without the guilt.

In summary, FreshSip Juicery caters to a diverse clientele with its wide range of products, prioritizing freshness, quality, and nutritional value. Whether it’s a juice to kickstart the day, a smoothie for a nourishing snack, or an acai bowl for a fulfilling meal, there’s something for everyone at this inviting juicery.

Promotions Plan

FreshSip Juicery leverages a comprehensive promotional strategy to attract a broad customer base, focusing on the vibrant and health-conscious community in Sacramento, CA. At the heart of its approach lies a robust online marketing campaign, utilizing social media platforms, email marketing, and a user-friendly website to engage potential customers. The Juicery will harness the power of Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to showcase its delicious, visually appealing juice offerings, share customer testimonials, and post engaging content that highlights the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, an email marketing strategy will keep subscribers informed about new flavors, special promotions, and events, encouraging repeat visits and fostering a loyal customer base.

Beyond online marketing, FreshSip Juicery will implement local outreach efforts to integrate itself into the Sacramento community. The Juicery will partner with local gyms, yoga studios, and wellness centers to offer exclusive discounts to their members, creating a mutually beneficial relationship that boosts visibility and attracts health-conscious individuals. Participating in local farmers’ markets and community events will also serve as a prime opportunity to introduce FreshSip Juicery to potential customers, offering free samples and promotional materials to entice trial and build brand awareness.

In-store promotions will play a critical role in drawing customers into the Juice Bar. FreshSip Juicery will offer opening week discounts, loyalty programs, and seasonal specials to incentivize visits. The interior design of the Juice Bar, emphasizing a comfortable and inviting atmosphere, will encourage customers to spend time in the store, increasing the likelihood of impulse purchases. Additionally, collaboration with local artists and musicians for in-store events will create a unique, community-focused experience that distinguishes FreshSip Juicery from competitors.

To maximize reach and impact, FreshSip Juicery will also invest in targeted online advertising. Utilizing search engine optimization (SEO) techniques will ensure that the Juicery appears prominently in search results for juice bars and healthy eating options in Sacramento. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising on Google and social media platforms will target specific demographics within the local area, driving traffic to the website and physical store.

Finally, FreshSip Juicery recognizes the importance of customer feedback and will actively encourage reviews on platforms such as Yelp and Google. Positive reviews will be leveraged in promotional materials, and any constructive criticism will be addressed promptly to continually improve the customer experience. By implementing these diverse promotional methods, FreshSip Juicery expects to establish a strong presence in Sacramento, attracting a wide range of customers eager to embrace a healthier lifestyle through delicious, high-quality juices.

Our Operations Plan details:

  • The key day-to-day processes that our business performs to serve our customers
  • The key business milestones that our company expects to accomplish as we grow

Key Operational Processes

To ensure the success of FreshSip Juicery, there are several key day-to-day operational processes that we will perform.

  • Procure fresh fruits and vegetables from local suppliers to ensure the freshness and quality of ingredients, which can differentiate FreshSip Juicery from competitors.
  • Perform daily inventory checks to maintain optimal stock levels, minimizing waste while ensuring that we can meet the demand for our most popular juice blends.
  • Implement strict cleanliness and sanitation protocols to maintain a hygienic environment for both employees and customers, adhering to local health and safety regulations.
  • Prepare a variety of pre-planned juice recipes, including options for customization, to cater to a wide array of customer preferences and dietary restrictions.
  • Train staff regularly on customer service excellence, efficient juice preparation techniques, and knowledge about the nutritional benefits of different fruits and vegetables to enhance the customer experience.
  • Use energy-efficient and high-quality juicing equipment to maximize juice yield, reduce operational costs, and support sustainability efforts.
  • Engage customers through social media platforms and a loyalty program, offering promotions, health tips, and information about new products to increase customer retention and attract new patrons.
  • Analyze sales data and customer feedback regularly to refine menu offerings, pricing strategies, and operational processes, ensuring the business adapts to changing market demands and customer preferences.
  • Manage finances diligently, including the monitoring of expenses, revenues, and cash flow, to ensure the profitability and financial health of FreshSip Juicery.
  • Collaborate with local health and fitness centers, schools, and businesses to sponsor events or offer discounts, expanding our market reach and building community ties.

FreshSip Juicery expects to complete the following milestones in the coming months in order to ensure its success:

  • Secure the Ideal Location : Identify and lease a prime location in Sacramento, CA, that is accessible and visible to our target market. This location should also comply with local zoning laws for food and beverage establishments.
  • Obtain Necessary Permits and Licenses : Successfully navigate the regulatory environment to obtain all necessary permits and licenses required to operate a juice bar in Sacramento. This includes health department permits, business licenses, and any other local compliance requirements.
  • Build Out and Equip the Juice Bar : Complete the construction or remodeling of the leased space to fit the FreshSip Juicery concept, including purchasing and installing all necessary equipment for juice production and sales operations.
  • Hire and Train Staff : Recruit, hire, and train a team of enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff members who are committed to providing excellent customer service and can effectively communicate the health benefits of our juice products.
  • Launch Our Juice Bar : Officially open FreshSip Juicery to the public with a well-publicized grand opening event that generates buzz in the community and attracts initial customers to the store.
  • Implement a Marketing and Brand Awareness Campaign : Roll out a strategic marketing campaign that utilizes social media, local influencers, and community events to build brand awareness and drive traffic to the juice bar.
  • Establish a Loyal Customer Base : Develop a loyalty program and engage with customers through feedback and personalized experiences to cultivate a loyal customer base that frequents the juice bar.
  • Optimize Operational Efficiency : Continuously monitor and adjust operations to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and ensure the highest quality of products are being served at the best possible price point.
  • Get to $15,000/Month in Revenue : Achieve the financial milestone of generating $15,000 in monthly revenue, which indicates a growing and sustainable business.
  • Evaluate Expansion Opportunities : After stabilizing the business and achieving consistent revenue growth, assess the feasibility of expanding FreshSip Juicery through additional locations in Sacramento or neighboring areas to increase market share.

Our management team has the experience and expertise to successfully execute on our business plan.

Jayden Phillips, CEO

Jayden Phillips brings a wealth of experience to FreshSip Juicery, primarily through his successful tenure as the owner and operator of a juice bar. His entrepreneurial journey in the health and wellness sector has equipped him with an in-depth understanding of the market dynamics, customer preferences, and operational efficiencies critical for a beverage business. Jayden’s hands-on experience in managing day-to-day operations, coupled with his strategic vision for growth, positions him well to lead FreshSip Juicery towards achieving its mission. His leadership style, characterized by a focus on quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction, is expected to drive the company’s success in the competitive juicery space.

To achieve our growth goals, FreshSip Juicery requires funding to expand our menu offerings, enhance our marketing efforts, and improve our juicery’s infrastructure. This investment will support our objective to become the leading juicery in our area, offering a diverse range of healthy and delicious products to our growing customer base.

Financial Statements

Balance sheet.

[insert balance sheet]

Income Statement

[insert income statement]

Cash Flow Statement

[insert cash flow statement]

Juice Bar Business Plan Example PDF

Download our Juice Bar Business Plan PDF here. This is a free juice bar business plan example to help you get started on your own juice bar plan.  

How to Finish Your Juice Bar Business Plan in 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your juice bar business plan?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

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How to Write a Dog Grooming Business Plan + Free Sample Plan PDF

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Elon Glucklich

8 min. read

Updated February 20, 2024

Download a free one-page dog grooming sample business plan

The bond between humans and their canine companions has always been strong. But spurred by increases in dog ownership across the U.S. , household spending on pets has risen in recent years.

The $5.4 billion global pet grooming services market is projected to grow at a 7% annual rate through 2030, creating new opportunities for dog-loving entrepreneurs to turn their passion into a business opportunity.

Whether you’re starting a boutique grooming salon or a mobile grooming service—a business plan can significantly increase your chances of success.

Download a free dog grooming sample business plan and complete it as you work through this guide.

  • What should you include in a dog grooming business plan?

Here are the common sections to consider when writing your dog grooming business plan.

  • Executive summary
  • Market analysis
  • Services and products
  • Marketing and sales strategy
  • Operations plan
  • Company summary
  • Financial plan and forecasts

The details of your plan will differ based on factors like the services you offer, whether you hire full-time employees or contractors, and whether your business is based in a brick-and-mortar building or goes to clients’ homes.

Check out our step-by-step guide to writing a full business plan for more details.

A sample dog grooming business plan outline.

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  • The 8 elements of an effective dog grooming business plan

Don’t make your dog grooming business plan longer than it needs to be . If you’re writing it for yourself, stick with a few pages and cover the aspects that will help you run your business.

But if you’re writing the plan because you’re seeking a bank loan or investment , it will likely need to be more detailed.

1. Executive summary

The executive summary is a concise overview of your dog grooming business plan. The executive summary should briefly touch on your company overview target market but shouldn’t be more than 2 pages long.

Its purpose is to highlight the mission and unique aspects of your business, whether that’s to provide superior pet care or introduce innovative grooming techniques to your market. 

2. Market analysis

What’s the opportunity that exists for your business? 

The market analysis section is a detailed assessment of the market you’re entering. In this case, you should cover current trends in the dog grooming industry, such as increasing pet ownership rates and a growing emphasis on pet care and wellness.

You must also identify your primary customer segments . Include demographics that help define who your customers are and what they want. Maybe you target pet owners in urban areas, busy professionals, or families seeking convenient and comprehensive grooming services.

Be sure to list out key competitors in your region, noting their service offerings, pricing, and market positioning. This analysis will help you identify opportunities to differentiate your business. For instance, your research might lead you to realize there are a lack of options in your area for mobile grooming services, or specialized care for anxious pets.

3. Services and products

The products and services section is where you detail the full range of grooming services and products you plan to offer. 

Consider writing them out as a list, like this example:

Basic services

  • Washing and drying
  • Hair trimming
  • Nail clipping
  • Ear cleaning.

Specialty services

  • Breed-specific grooming
  • Skin care treatments
  • Flea and tick treatments

Also, consider incorporating related products for sale, such as dog shampoos, conditioners, brushes, and other grooming tools. Whatever mix of products and services you choose to offer, connect them to your market opportunity. At its most basic, running a successful business is about identifying customer problems and providing solutions .

Detailing these services and products gives your customers a clear understanding of what your business provides and its value proposition .

4. Marketing and sales strategy

Your marketing and sales strategy turns your market research into a set of marketing strategies you can execute to attract customers. 

Through your research, you should understand how your target customers find dog grooming services — online, in print advertisements or commercials, through social media or word of mouth, etc.

Based on what you think are the most relevant marketing channels , develop strategies to make your business more visible. Strategies to consider include:

  • Advertising online or in local publications
  • Creating a website and establishing a social media presence
  • Interacting with the public at community events
  • Pursuing partnership opportunities with local pet stores

You may also want to consider discounts or special offers for repeat customers to build loyalty. 

Whatever tactics you deploy, it’s crucial to measure the impact of your marketing efforts through key performance indicators, and adjust your strategies based on what delivers value.

5. Operations plan

The operations section outlines how you will run your dog grooming business efficiently day to day. 

Whether you’re operating out of a brick-and-mortar building, a mobile van, or in clients’ homes, include details on the physical setup of your grooming salon, equipment needs, and staff requirements.

You should also discuss the process for booking appointments and managing customer relationships. Detail any software or systems you’ll use for scheduling and record-keeping. Also, outline your plan for meeting regulatory requirements and maintaining a clean, safe environment for pets.

6. Milestones

Outlining the key milestones for your business can help you determine how long it will take to meet your goals. You can keep these brief, even writing them in bullet points. Milestones for a dog grooming business could include:

  • Obtaining initial financing
  • Securing relevant permits
  • Initiating marketing efforts
  • Acquiring a certain number of clients
  • Reaching specific revenue benchmarks

Each milestone should have an estimated completion date and designated team members responsible for achieving them.

7. Company summary

Summarize the history of your business, including its legal structure and location. Also, highlight your background in pet grooming and your reasons for wanting to start a dog grooming business.

If you’re just starting out, discuss the initial startup costs required to get the business off the ground. If you’re writing your business plan to secure a bank loan, state how much funding you need, what you will use it for, and how it will benefit your grooming business.

8. Financial plan

The financial plan is where you provide a look into your dog grooming business’s financial projections, including sales , costs , and profitability .

Remember, financial forecasts are really just educated guesses created to give you a sense of how your business can be profitable over the long term. 

They’re meant to be adjusted over time as your actual financial numbers come in, helping you determine which aspects of your business are performing as expected and where you might need to adjust your strategy.

Your financial plan should include a cash flow statement , income statement , and balance sheet .

  • Tips for writing a dog grooming business plan

Understanding pet owners’ needs and how you can best serve them is vital for writing a dog grooming business plan that you can actually use to help your business grow.

As you write the plan, give some attention to these key points.

1. Consider your business structure

Choosing the right structure is pivotal. When writing the company overview section, consider factors like taxation, liability, and business growth potential to determine whether an LLC, sole proprietorship, or corporation best suits your needs. This decision will influence your operational flexibility, financial management, and legal obligations.

2. Develop a pricing strategy

Establishing a pricing strategy that balances market competitiveness with profitability is essential. As part of your market analysis, take the time to explore pricing tiers and client expectations. Offering a variety of service packages can cater to different customer needs and enhance revenue streams. Connect those packages and pricing tiers to your projected revenues and expenses as you create your financial forecasts.

3. Create an online presence

A strong online presence is non-negotiable. So, even if you plan to leverage traditional marketing channels, you will still want to have digital marketing efforts be part of your plan. 

At a minimum, invest in a professional website, optimize for local search , and engage actively on social media platforms. This visibility attracts new clients and serves as a platform for showcasing your work and customer testimonials.

4. Highlight your credentials and training

Highlighting your credentials and commitment to ongoing professional development can set your business apart. 

Regular training in new grooming techniques, customer service excellence, and pet safety reassure clients of the quality and reliability of your services. Start by mentioning the qualifications of you and your team and include any supporting documentation, like resumes or awards, in your appendix.

5. Build on success with client referrals and reviews

Encourage satisfied customers to refer others and leave positive online reviews . Word-of-mouth and digital endorsements can significantly impact your business’s reputation and trustworthiness. Consider implementing a referral program to incentivize clients to share their positive experiences.

  • Download your free dog grooming one page sample business plan

Download your dog grooming business plan sample now for free. You can also explore Bplans’ collection of over 550 sample business plans to find other examples.

Writing a business plan for your dog grooming business helps you stand out in a crowded market. It’s one of numerous reasons that a business plan increases your chance of success. 

The plan is essential for getting your business funded. But even if you don’t need a bank loan, thinking through each aspect of your business will help you make the best strategic decisions and use your limited resources effectively.

See why 1.2 million entrepreneurs have written their business plans with LivePlan

Content Author: Elon Glucklich

Elon is a marketing specialist at Palo Alto Software, working with consultants, accountants, business instructors and others who use LivePlan at scale. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism and an MBA from the University of Oregon.

Check out LivePlan

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examples of marketing plan in business plan

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  1. 12+ Sample Marketing Business Plan Templates

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COMMENTS

  1. What is a Marketing Plan & How to Write One [+Examples]

    Clifford Chi Published: December 27, 2023 For a while now, you've been spearheading your organization's content marketing efforts, and your team's performance has convinced management to adopt the content marketing strategies you've suggested.

  2. 10 Examples of Marketing Plan and Key Takeaways (2022)

    3 1. Contently 2. Visit Baton Rouge 3. HubSpot 4. Evernote 5. University of Illinois 6. Monday.com 7. Lush 8. Coca-Cola 9. Naperville Park District 10. Starbucks 4 How to approach a marketing plan Determine your goals Check your competitors Identify your audience Craft final KPIs Perform your revisions

  3. 15 marketing plan examples to inspire your work

    10. Botanical Bounty. Botanical Bounty is an herbal tea and supplement company based out of New York City. In this marketing plan example, the Botanical Bounty executive summary quickly spells out the problem, solution, market overview, competition, and unique selling proposition (USP) for the company.

  4. 7 Examples of Marketing Plan and Why They Work

    7 Inspiring Marketing Plan Examples Struggling with your marketing plan? We've got you covered. Here are the essential elements, plus seven examples that get it right. by Kaleigh Moore Nov 5, 2021 Start your online business today. For free. Start free trial Navigating uncharted territories without a compass is impossible.

  5. How to Create a Winning Marketing Plan [With Examples] [2023] • Asana

    1. Define your plan First you need to define each specific component of your plan to ensure stakeholders are aligned on goals, deliverables, resources, and more. Ironing out these details early on ensures your plan supports the right business objectives, and that you have sufficient resources and time to get the job done.

  6. Create a Marketing Plan [+20 Free Templates]

    Some examples include social media marketing, influencer marketing, video marketing, and email marketing. Your business needs a marketing plan to understand your business, align marketing goals with business goals, ensure everyone is on the same page, stay focused on what's important and make better decisions.

  7. What is a Marketing Plan & How to Create One [with Examples]

    For example, this marketing plan template provides a high-level overview of the business and competitors before diving deep into specific goals, KPIs and tactics: CREATE THIS PLAN TEMPLATE Learning how to write a marketing plan forces you to think through the important steps that lead to an effective marketing strategy .

  8. How To Write A Marketing Plan

    It is important to know what other people besides you think about your company, so spend some time before writing your marketing plan talking to employees, customers, shareholders and community...

  9. 5 Steps to Create an Outstanding Marketing Plan [Free Templates]

    4. Customer Analysis. In this part of the marketing plan outline, you get plenty of space to share all the data you collected during your market research. If your company has already done a thorough market research study, this section of your marketing plan might be easier to put together.

  10. What Is a Marketing Plan? And How to Create One

    Here are some examples: Launching a new product or service Carrying out campaigns through different marketing channels, including social media, email marketing, print media, TV, or offline events Implementing paid advertising Measuring marketing efforts over specific periods of time, such as every quarter, six months, or year

  11. 38 Marketing Plan Examples, Samples, & Templates

    / Updated September 15, 2023 Looking to create a marketing plan? Here are 38 marketing plan examples from real-life brands and hypothetical companies to help you map out your goals, strategies, and successes. The following marketing plan samples break down the outlines from these plans.

  12. Everything You Need to Write a Marketing Plan

    Types of marketing plans There are several different types of marketing plans you can use based on certain strategies that make sense for your organization. Your business will likely need a combination of the following marketing plans to create an effective, comprehensive marketing strategy: Advertising plan Branding plan Content marketing plan

  13. What Is a Marketing Plan? Types and How to Write One

    Marketing Plan: A marketing plan is a business's operational document for advertising campaigns designed to reach its target market . A marketing plan pulls together all the campaigns that will be ...

  14. 6 Ranked Marketing Plan Examples for Small Businesses

    Marketing Plan Example 4: Hubspot's Content Marketing Plan for All Businesses. Hubspot lays out a comprehensive marketing plan for businesses of all sizes. From small to SMBs to enterprise, this plan focuses on building quality content into a recurring, reliable marketing lever. Image Source.

  15. How to Create a Marketing Plan In 2023 (Template + Examples)

    Subscribe here Marketing is an often misunderstood profession. Peers often stereotype marketing with massive budgets, loosey-goosey timelines, haphazard tactics, high-profile influencers, and Snapchat filters. In reality, modern marketing plans are more complex and orchestrated than a Premier League-winning football team.

  16. Marketing Plan Component of Your Business Plan

    The marketing portion of a business plan addresses four main topics: product, price, promotion, and place. A business plan is a blueprint for taking an idea for a product or service and turning it into a commercially viable reality. The marketing portion of the business plan addresses four main topics:

  17. Marketing Plan

    State and review the marketing mix in terms of the 8Ps of marketing - Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, Physical Evidence, and Performance. Strategies to increase market share, enter new niche markets, and increase brand awareness are also encompassed within the marketing plan.

  18. 50 Excellent Marketing Plan Examples to Model and Modify

    Why It Works: Data visualization is a valuable resource to use when planning, launching, and reviewing marketing plans.. 3. Bronto. This 20-page marketing plan template describes a B2B email campaign for a fictitious company called Bronto. We like this template because it's focused on email marketing, allowing you to outline the specific steps for organizing and running an email campaign ...

  19. 24 of My Favorite Sample Business Plans & Examples For Your Inspiration

    As you explore business plan examples from real companies and brands, it's easier for you to learn how to write a good one. But what does a good business plan look like? And how do you write one that's both viable and convincing. I'll walk you through the ideal business plan format along with some examples to help you get started. Table of Contents

  20. How to Write Marketing Plan in Business Plan with Examples

    By Joseph Ferriolo Last Updated on - January 3, 2024 A marketing plan in business plan is one of the very important sections of a business plan. Marketing is done to spread awareness about your business and its product/service. On this page: What is a marketing plan? Marketing Plan vs Marketing Strategy

  21. Marketing Plan Examples & Samples for Business Scaling

    MARKETING PLAN EXAMPLE: MARRIOTT INFLUENCE MARKETING CAMPAIGN. One great example of a marketing plan that includes utilizing an online influencer is the Marriott "Millionth Mobile Check-In" sweepstakes. For that campaign, Marriott wanted to raise awareness and use of their app for mobile check-ins.

  22. How to Write a Sales and Marketing Plan

    A sales and marketing plan is a document that outlines strategies for creating awareness of your product or service among a defined group of prospective buyers. It also describes pricing and distribution structures that provide the highest anticipated return on investment. A successful sales and marketing plan is based on the estimated market ...

  23. How To Create A Small Business Marketing Plan In 9 Simple Steps (with

    But there's a simple framework you can use to come up with a plan that's actionable and effective. Follow these nine steps to set your marketing team up for success: 1. Establish your goals. First off, you need to set your marketing goals. But you can't just set a random, vague goal like "Make more money.".

  24. 2024 Digital Marketing Strategy Guide

    A digital marketing strategy is a plan that gets a product or brand in front of potential customers. ... Goals should also support your business objectives. An example of a digital marketing goal ...

  25. Business Plan: What It Is + How to Write One

    A business plan is a written document that defines your business goals and the tactics to achieve those goals. A business plan typically explores the competitive landscape of an industry, analyzes a market and different customer segments within it, describes the products and services, lists business strategies for success, and outlines ...

  26. Sample Juice Bar Business Plan

    Marketing Plan. Our marketing plan, included below, details our products/services, pricing and promotions plan. Products and Services. FreshSip Juicery emerges as a vibrant spot for health enthusiasts and juice lovers, offering a variety of refreshing and nutritious beverages and bowls designed to cater to a wide range of tastes and dietary needs.

  27. How to Write a Dog Grooming Business Plan + Free Sample Plan PDF

    Download your dog grooming business plan sample now for free. You can also explore Bplans' collection of over 550 sample business plans to find other examples. Writing a business plan for your dog grooming business helps you stand out in a crowded market. It's one of numerous reasons that a business plan increases your chance of success.