1. What This Marketing Plan Template Helps You Do

If we were sitting over a coffee and you asked where to start, I’d tell you to ignore the long, rigid templates you find online. A good small business marketing plan template should make your life easier, not add pressure. It should help you stay visible in a way that fits the reality of running an SME. The changing priorities, limited time, and days that don’t always go to plan.

This guide gives you a simple, one-page plan you can use straight away. Nothing heavy or corporate. Just a structure that works.

By the time you complete this template, you’ll have a clear, confident view of your marketing. You’ll have:

• A clear sense of who you want to attract
  • You’ll define the customers who bring the most value and where they fit into your business.
• Insight into what your customers care about
  • You’ll understand the motivations, challenges and decision triggers that shape buying behaviour.
• Messaging that feels natural and honest
  • You’ll write simple statements that help people understand what you do and why they should choose you.
• Marketing actions that fit your capacity
  • Instead of overwhelming yourself, you’ll choose the few activities that generate real movement.
• A structure that keeps you consistent
  • You’ll have a rhythm you can commit to, the heart of how to build a marketing system for SMEs that works long term.

This mirrors the way small businesses actually work, in steady and achievable steps that make sense.

2. What is a Marketing Plan?

A marketing plan is simply a short, structured outline of:

• what matters right now,
• where you want to show up,
• and what you’ll do each week to stay visible.

It’s the practical side of your strategy, the bit you can actually follow.

3. Your One-Page Marketing Plan Template (Free & Simple)

Copy & Paste Version (For Fast Use)

Perfect for Notion, Google Docs, or wherever you keep notes.

ONE-PAGE MARKETING PLAN (SMALL BUSINESS)

1. Goals (Next 90 Days)
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2. Customers (Who you want to reach + what they care about)
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3. Core Message
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4. Channels (Pick 1–3)
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5. Weekly Rhythm
- Value post:
- Behind-the-scenes story:
- Relationship-building action:
- Tidy-up task:

6. Measures of Progress
- Conversations:
- Replies / Engagement:
- Enquiries:
- Returning customers:

4. The 6-Part Marketing Plan Template for Small Businesses

This template keeps things grounded and manageable. You can fill it in quickly and update it without stress.

4.1 Your Objectives

What you want to achieve in the next 90 days.

Keep it short and clear — two or three objectives are enough.

Example:
“Grow brand visibility with a steady weekly presence.”
“Increase inquiries from existing warm contacts.”

4.2 Your Customers

Who you’re speaking to and what they care about.

Write this in real language, not jargon.
Example: “Local homeowners who want good advice and trusted service.”

4.3 Your Message

The core idea you want people to remember.

This should connect to your marketing foundations — part of your wider marketing architecture.
Example: “A steady, reliable service you can trust.”

4.4 Your Channels

Where you’ll show up.

Choose no more than two or three.
Smaller businesses thrive with focus, not spread.

4.5 Your Weekly Rhythm

Your simple visibility pattern — the heart of a small business marketing system.

Examples:

• Two posts a week
• One behind-the-scenes story
• One relationship-building action
• A monthly email

This doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be steady.

4.6 Your Measures

How you’ll keep track without needing a dashboard.

Examples:

• Replies
• Conversations
• Enquiries
• Returning customers

These tell you more than complicated metrics ever will.

5. Why SMEs Need a Simple, Repeatable Plan

Most plans fall apart not because they’re often too big.

Small businesses have limited time, changing priorities, and a constant flow of tasks competing for attention. A simple plan:

• keeps you focused,
• reduces decision-making,
• and supports the weekly rhythm that underpins a good SME marketing strategy.

Simplicity makes the work sustainable.

6. A Filled-In Example (So You Can See It in Action)

Objective: Increase visibility and generate steady inquiries
Customer: Busy local professionals who want things explained clearly
Message: “Simple, honest marketing that works in real life”
Channels: Instagram + Email
Weekly Rhythm: Two value posts, one story, one outreach action
Measures: DMs, replies, call bookings

Your version will be different and that’s the point. The plan should fit your business.

7. How to Use This Plan in Your Business

A plan only works if it fits your week. Here’s a simple way to bring it to life:

1. Fill in each section in short, clear statements
2. Choose one week to test your rhythm
3. Adjust what feels too heavy
4. Repeat the bits that feel natural
5. Review it at the end of the month

This template is designed to sit comfortably alongside your small business marketing strategy, not replace it.

8. Common Planning Mistakes SMEs Make

• Creating plans that are too detailed to follow
• Changing direction every few weeks
• Trying to use too many channels
• Overthinking tools instead of focusing on message
• Planning for an “ideal week” rather than the real one

If you recognise any of these, it’s because we all can experience these challenges.