You can download your copy of our free marketing plan template<\/a> below. Or, keep reading for a summary of the structure across Opportunity, Strategy, and Action.<\/p>\n Free marketing plan template download<\/strong><\/p>\n Use our simple three-page Microsoft Word template if you work for a small business who needs to create a simple, practical marketing plan quickly. It's structured in three sections of steps using the acclaimed RACE Growth System for improving marketing results<\/p>\n Access the Free marketing plan template<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div><\/span><\/h3>\n This template is structured around the OSA process, of which you can see examples in different sectors in our editable Word plan templates, is structured in three parts:<\/p>\n For each of the three parts there are 5-steps relevant for every small business.<\/p>\n Step 1. Performance review<\/strong><\/p>\n A summary of financial and marketing performance for the previous year (existing business) highlighting future potential.<\/p>\n Including: Recommended resource: <\/em>Performance review template<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Step 2. Marketplace review<\/strong><\/p>\n Opportunities and threats from changes in customer profiles, behaviour, competitor, and intermediary activity.<\/p>\n Including changes in: Recommended resource: <\/em>Brand audit and marketplace review template<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Step 3. PESTLE review<\/strong><\/p>\n Identify key opportunities and threats arising from recent changes in the broader macro-environment.<\/p>\n Factors to include: Recommended resource: <\/em>PESTLE analysis template<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Step 4. Key Issues SWOT\u00a0<\/strong> Recommended resource: <\/em>Create a SWOT using RACE\u200b<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Step 5. SMART objectives<\/strong><\/p>\n Use a conversion-based model to calculate sales based on channels. Recommended resource: <\/em>Digital marketing planning spreadsheet<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Step 1. Your brand value proposition. Start with why?<\/strong> All business are brands, so define and refine your brand messaging and offer including: Recommended resource: <\/em>Brand positioning template<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Step 2. Customer segmentation and targeting\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n What are your priority audiences for your different products and services? Recommended resource: <\/em>C<\/em>ustomer persona guide and template<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Step 3. Modern Marketing Mix\u00a0<\/strong> Factors to include: Recommended resource: <\/em>PESTLE analysis template<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Step 4. RACE communications strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n What are your priorities for improving inbound, always-on and campaign communications?<\/p>\n Including 25 core communications activities from: Recommended resource: <\/em>RACE\u200b communications strategy audit\/healthcheck<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Step 5. Business Model Canvas summary\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n What are the priorities for these key elements for a small business?<\/p>\n Including: Recommended resource: <\/em>Online start-up business model template<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Step 1. Marketing budget and resource plan<\/strong> Including: Recommended resource: <\/em>Marketing budget spreadsheet template<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Step 2. Marketing dashboard\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Define your KPIs for reviewing performance across the customer lifecycle. Including: Recommended resource: <\/em>RACE Marketing Dashboard<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Step 3. Campaign plan process\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n A standard, repeatable process for each campaign will improve results.<\/p>\n Factors to include: Recommended resource: <\/em>Marketing campaign template<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Step 4. Always-on plan and MarTech\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Define how to automate and optimize your online communications and how technology can support this.<\/p>\n Including: Recommended resource: <\/em>Marketing Technology selection guide<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Step 5. 90-day action plan summary\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Select the priority activities for each quarter for campaigns, media, content, and website.<\/p>\n Including: Recommended resource: 90-day action plan template<\/a><\/p>\n Download our Word template free marketing plan<\/a> to quickly access a three-page format for structuring and aligning your marketing strategy.<\/p>\n Free marketing plan template download<\/strong><\/p>\n Use our simple three-page Microsoft Word template if you work for a small business who needs to create a simple, practical marketing plan quickly. It's structured in three sections of steps using the acclaimed RACE Growth System for improving marketing results<\/p>\n 
\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n Structure of this marketing plan template<\/h3>\n
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Section 1. OPPORTUNITY \u2014 Where are we now, what do we want to achieve?<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smartinsights.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Marketing-plan-template-Part-1.jpg\")
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\n\u2022 Performance against target for Sales, Profitability
\n\u2022 Customer acquisition
\n\u2022 Customer retention<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Customer preferences and behaviour
\n\u2022 Competitor activity
\n\u2022 Intermediaries, (e.g., digital)<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Political
\n\u2022 Economic
\n\u2022 Social
\n\u2022 Technological
\n\u2022 Legal
\n\u2022 Environmental<\/p>\n
\nUse an 8-cell TOWs matrix analysis to review SWOT against potential future strategies. Then summarize key issues. Including:
\n\u2022 Strengths + SO Strategies
\n\u2022 Weaknesses + WO Strategies
\n\u2022 Opportunities + ST Strategies
\n\u2022 Threats + WT Strategies<\/p>\n
\nRecommended resource: Digital marketing planning spreadsheet Including:
\n\u2022 Sales forecast by month
\n\u2022 Profitability by month
\n\u2022 Targets for target audience by channel<\/p>\n2. STRATEGY \u2014 How will we prioritize investment to achieve our goals?<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smartinsights.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Marketing-plan-template-Part-2.jpg\")
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\nWhy will people buy from you? Priority improvements to your brand and how you communicate it.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Elevator pitch
\n\u2022 Digital Value Proposition
\n\u2022 Brand identity
\n\u2022 Brand tone-of-voice<\/p>\n
\nIncluding:
\n\u2022 Priority target audiences
\n\u2022 Customer personas
\n\u2022 Content mapping
\n\u2022 Layered targeting approach, (demographics, behaviour, intent, and value)<\/p>\n
\nHow will you improve your products and services and the experience delivered through your Digital Value Proposition?<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Product
\n\u2022 Pricing
\n\u2022 Place
\n\u2022 Promotion (Step 4)
\n\u2022 People
\n\u2022 Process
\n\u2022 Physical Evidence<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Plan
\n\u2022 Reach
\n\u2022 Act
\n\u2022 Convert
\n\u2022Engage<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Value proposition
\n\u2022 Customer segments
\n\u2022 Customer relationships
\n\u2022 Key activities and resources
\n\u2022 Channels
\n\u2022 Cost structure
\n\u2022 Revenue streams<\/p>\n3. ACTION \u2014 How will we implement and resource our plan?<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smartinsights.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Marketing-plan-template-Part-3.jpg\")
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\nA monthly summary of media, agency, MarTech and staff spending.
\nRecommended resource: Marketing budget spreadsheet template<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Acquisition media spend
\n\u2022 Creative spend
\n\u2022 Content marketing and SEO activities
\n\u2022 PR and events
\n\u2022 Team or staff costs
\n\u2022 Website and MarTech costs<\/p>\n
\nRecommended resource: RACE Marketing Dashboard<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Year-on-Year and Month-on-Month performance for Reach, Act, Convert and Engage<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Campaign goals and tracking
\n\u2022 Target audience and targeting
\n\u2022 Key campaign messaging
\n\u2022 Media plan and budget
\n\u2022 Campaign editorial plan<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Prioritized plan across RACE for each quarter for activities
\n\u2022 Defined MarTech stack<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Reach \u2013 Media
\n\u2022 Act \u2013 Customer journeys and content
\n\u2022 Conversion
\n\u2022 Engage \u2013 customer communications and loyalty<\/p>\nNext Steps?<\/h3>\n
\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n