Marketing Plan Template for Small Businesses (Free to Copy)

Most small businesses do not need a long marketing document. They need one page that answers five questions: who are we selling to, what do we want to achieve, what will we do, how much will it cost and how will we know it worked. The template below does exactly that, and fits on a single sheet you can pin by your desk.

If you would rather understand the thinking first, read our step-by-step guide on how to write a marketing plan. This page is the practical template.

The one-page marketing plan template

Copy the sections into a document or spreadsheet and fill them in. Aim for a few lines in each; if a section runs long, you probably have more than one plan.

Section	What to write
1. Period	The months the plan covers, usually the next 6 or 12
2. Where we are now	Sales, enquiries and the main sources of customers today
3. Target customers	Who buys from you, where they are and what they care about
4. What makes us the better choice	One or two honest reasons a customer picks you over the alternatives
5. Goals	Two or three measurable targets with dates
6. Channels and actions	What you will do in each channel, and how often
7. Budget	Money and time for each action
8. Calendar	Key dates, seasons and campaigns month by month
9. Measures	The numbers you will check, where and how often
10. Owner	Who is responsible for each action

A filled-in example

Here is the template completed for an imaginary independent café in a market town. The figures are illustrative, not benchmarks.

Section	Example
Period	January to June
Where we are now	Busy weekends, quiet weekday afternoons. Most new customers find us on Google Maps or walk past.
Target customers	Local remote workers and parents after school drop-off; weekend visitors to the market.
Better choice because	Fast Wi-Fi with plug sockets at every table; bakes made on site each morning.
Goals	Raise weekday afternoon takings by 20% by June; collect 300 email subscribers.
Channels and actions	Google Business Profile updated weekly with photos; "work from here" afternoon deal; loyalty card; monthly email; two Instagram posts a week.
Budget	£40 a month for printed cards and the email platform; 3 hours a week of staff time.
Calendar	January: launch afternoon deal. February: half-term kids' bakes. April: Easter menu. June: summer terrace.
Measures	Till reports for 2–5pm each week; profile views and calls in Google Business Profile; email sign-ups.
Owner	Owner for email and profile; shift lead for loyalty cards and posts.

Marketing campaign plan template

The one-page plan covers the year. Individual campaigns, such as a launch, a seasonal offer or an event, deserve their own short plan:

• Campaign name and dates
• Single goal with a number, for example "60 bookings for the Mother's Day lunch"
• Audience: who exactly the campaign is for
• Offer or message: the one thing you want them to know
• Channels and assets: emails, posts, posters, ads, landing page, and who makes each
• Timeline: announce, remind, last call and follow-up dates
• Budget
• Result: filled in afterwards, with one lesson for next time

Our guide to marketing campaign strategy goes through each step in more detail.

Marketing strategy template: the questions behind the plan

A marketing strategy is the thinking a plan rests on. If you are unsure what to write in sections 3 and 4, answer these first:

1. Which customers are most valuable to us, and why do they choose us?
2. Which customers do we want more of?
3. What problem do we solve for them, in their words?
4. Who else could they choose, including doing nothing?
5. Where do these customers look for a business like ours?
6. What can we do consistently with the time and money we actually have?

For worked examples of strategies, see marketing strategy examples.

Tips for making the plan work

• Set fewer goals. Two targets you check every month beat ten you forget.
• Plan for the time you really have. A weekly email you abandon in March is worse than a monthly one you keep up.
• Book a monthly review. Thirty minutes to compare results with the plan and adjust.
• Keep last year's plan. It is the best evidence of what works for your business.