Fuel Your Growth: 8 Pillars of a Successful Marketing Plan

Updated Feb 25, 2025

Your marketing plan is your blueprint for success. It fuels your growth.

What should you include in your marketing plan? If you’re looking for a single “right answer,” there isn’t one.

For example, chief marketing officers (CMOs), business owners, or CEOs often have a unique marketing plan template they prefer.

Alternatively, they may have a step-by-step process they want you to follow.

If so, by all means, use that template or process. But if you ARE the CMO or a small or midsize business (SMB) owner, you may need some guidance (or a refresher).

Online sources are inconsistent. According to Inc., 7 components are essential to a marketing plan, while Forbes describes 15 key components of a marketing plan. That’s a pretty big discrepancy, and the two don’t align very well.

When I was at DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School, studying integrated marketing, the curriculum highlighted 6 sections of a marketing plan.

What’s most important is that you:

1. HAVE a marketing plan.
2. Review and update your marketing plan annually based on your success metrics.

In this article, we offer these 8 Pillars of a  Successful Marketing Plan.

Pillar #1.

Executive Summary of Your Marketing Plan

You’ll want to include the executive summary of your marketing plan at the front of your marketing plan.

Stick with the Big Picture: Just the Facts, Ma’am

Very few business owners or executives (virtually none) want to wade through your marketing plan’s details. This marketing plan section allows owners, board members, and others to review the plan at a high level.

Be sure to include information about budgets and forecasting. Business owners and executives will want to see that information.

Make It First, Write It Last.

By the way, although the executive summary should appear first in your document, it should be written last. The details come together to form the overall big picture.

Again, most important, HAVE a plan. A plan ensures the best use of your resources and the maximal impact on your business. Budgets are never limitless; you’ll want to execute those activities that will most profoundly impact your business reputation and revenue.

Need help developing and prioritizing your marketing plan? Contact Us.

Pillar #2.

Identify Your Target Audience(s)

Make It a Narrow, Clearly Defined Audience.

You can’t target every potential market. Narrow down your audience.

Many SMBs tend to cast a very wide net: “We’re a restaurant, so we’re targeting ‘people who eat.’”

That’s a very broad audience. Time and budgets won’t allow it. You need to get more granular.

Define Just 1 or 2 Audiences.

Instead, identify the most essential target segments. If you don’t know who your key audiences are, you may need to do a little formal or informal research before you answer this question.

Large enterprise organizations may have multiple audiences. But as an SMB, you’ll want just one or two clearly defined audiences rather than numerous audiences. Furthermore, you may not choose your largest audience. You may choose to focus on the audience that is most valuable to your business.

Keep in mind that one of your key audiences may be your existing (repeat) customers.

Pillar 3.

Situational Analysis

For the third pillar of the marketing plan, you’ll want to analyze your business situation and the marketplace.

Marketing Research and Competitive Analysis

Review all your market data and your current situation. What quantitative and qualitative marketing research is available? (This pillar may be subdivided into “Marketing Research” or “Competitive Analysis.”)

Research what competitive intelligence you can gather. Formal marketing research is often too expensive for SMBs. However, many proxies can inform this section of your marketing plan.

“Google” Your Business and Your Product or Services.

How would prospective customers search for your services online? Do you appear? What competitors appear in the Google Business Profile (3-pack).

Do you know which keywords customers use to search for you? We can conduct keyword research to find words and phrases prospective customers search to get to your (and your competitors’) websites.

Collect Reviews, Testimonials, and Surveys.

What reviews have satisfied AND dissatisfied customers left for you on Google Business Profile, Yelp, Nextdoor, or other platforms? Do you have authentic testimonials? Check your email; what feedback have customers spontaneously given you?

Do you regularly solicit feedback from your customers? A simple, one- or two-question survey, such as the Net Promoter Score Survey, can provide positive and constructive feedback. Simply, follow up the first question that asks the likelihood that they would refer someone to your business (on a 1 to 10 scale) with a question about how you can improve (if the score is low) or what you do well (if your company gets a 9 or 10).

 Ask Employees.

Do you have a sales team or customer service representatives? Ask them for feedback they’ve received. Also, ask their personal opinions.

What makes your product or service unique? What else do prospects or customers need?

Ask a Chatbot.

Ask a chatbot questions, such as “Who is known for x in the Chicago Area?” where “x” is your product or service.  r ask the chatbot, “What is y known for?” where “y” is your company name, or if you’re a solopreneur—your name.

SWOT Analysis

Most market plans include a SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis separately from the competitive analysis, but we would argue these go hand in hand.  Therefore, we include the SWOT in this section of the marketing plan.

SWOT identifies internal (company-controlled) Strengths and Weaknesses as well as external (broader trends) Opportunities and Threats. Notice the first letter of each characteristic spells S-W-O-T.

Benefits of a SWOT

We like to use a SWOT analysis because it helps our clients think about broader issues, trends, and possibilities—rather than simply day-to-day operations.

Difference Between an Internal Strength and an External Opportunity

The difference between a strength and an opportunity confuses many people.

A strength is something that your company can control, such as a product feature. For example, the videoconferencing product you’re selling may easily accommodate many participants at once (an internally controlled feature). Your company has control over this attribute, so it an internal Strength.

By contrast, an opportunity might be that companies are cutting down on air travel and having more video conference calls.  ou can’t control the economy, other companies’ air travel budgets, or competitor activities. That makes this external feature an Opportunity–not a strength.

Difference Between an Internal Weakness and an External Threat

Similarly, many people interchange weaknesses (internal) with threats (external).  

They are different. Weaknesses are controlled internally. Threats are broader issues.

For example, the videoconferencing product you’re selling may have a clunky navigational interface. This is a Weakness.

At the same time, you may need to source a product impacted by new tariffs. This is a Threat. Or if the economy is in a slump, prospective customers may slash their videoconference budgets. This is also a Threat. You likely don’t have control over tariffs or the economy. 

Pillar 4.

Write Your Positioning and Messaging

Once you understand your company’s market situation and target audience, you can “position” your brand, product, or service against your competitors.

In part, you’ll want to establish the identity of your brand, whether it’s a company, product, or service. This will help your prospects and customers view you in a particular authentic way that you help shape.

How are you (i.e., your company, product, or service) different? In what way can you win against the main competition? Your situational analysis and SWOT will help inform this section.

There are many templates available to help write positioning statements.

Positioning Statement Template 1

Here’s a positioning statement template that we like from eCornell:

For (target market),

the (Brand) is the 

(point of differentiation) 

among all (frame of reference) 

because (reason to believe).

Positioning Statement Template 2

Here’s another positioning statement example from Forma Life Sciences Marketing:

For (target audience)

Brand X is the only (market context)

that (unique benefit delivered)

because (reasons to believe).

Your positioning statement is used internally.

Core Messages and Storylines

Once you’ve developed your internal positioning statement, you’ll want to write the core messages and storylines you’ll share with your target audience.

Which audiences will receive which messages and storylines? Which messages and storylines will you include with each tactic in your plan.

Learn more about branding for SMBs.

Pillar 5.

Market Strategy

One of the most critical pillars of your marketing plan is your strategy. Your market strategy outlines your objectives and how you will achieve them.

Your strategy will help you decide how to use your organization’s resources (aka money, people, and time).

People often confuse strategy with tactics.

The Difference Between Tactics and Strategies

Tactics are the “stuff” of marketing—brochures, social posts, blogs, tradeshow exhibits, etc. Tactics help you achieve your strategy.

Strategy is a broader umbrella term than tactics. 

In its most basic form, the strategy involves determining where your target audience is in your buying process and perceptions of your brand, where you want them to be, and how you’ll get them there.

What’s more, good strategies start with verbs.

Pillar 6.

Marketing Mix

The marketing mix includes your tactics for the 4 P’s of marketing: product, place (distribution), pricing, and promotions (tactics).  How will these tactics help you achieve your strategy and your objectives?

Some examples of tactics are blogs, advertising (digital, broadcast, and print), websites, brochures, email marketing…. The list is virtually limitless.

Review 6 essential promotional marketing tactics.

Pillar 7.

Marketing Budget

The list of tactics may be limitless, but (alas!) resources never are. You’ll need to assess how much each tactic will cost and whether or not you’ll need additional resources to achieve your plan.

Choose Tactics That Are On-Strategy, On-Message, and Will Impact Your Business

How much will each tactic cost? What is its impact on the business? You’ll want to choose tactics that will have the most significant impact in the short and long term. Don’t simply choose the next shiny object that “everybody else is doing” unless it makes good business sense for your business.

You’ll want to achieve the greatest “bang” for your buck.

Your business goals and market strategy will guide the allocation of your resources (i.e., time, people, and money).

The tactics should align with your messaging, storylines, and target audiences.

Create a Timeline

You may include your marketing calendar in this section of the plan. How and when will you execute your strategy and plan?

Who is responsible for the tactic? Who will implement the plan? Who will you need to consult? Who has the final approval?

Pillar 8.

Metrics and Evaluation

The last pillar of your marketing plan may be the most important. It answers the question, “Is the plan resulting in success?”

That’s why you’ll want to identify how to measure the plan’s success.

Decide Your Success Metrics BEFORE You Begin

Identify these metrics before executing your plan. What does success look like in terms of numbers?

Measure Your Success Daily or at Regular Intervals (Weekly, Monthly)

You’ll want to evaluate your success regularly to know if or when to pivot. Metric dashboards can help you to analyze your results quickly.

Course Correct Based on the Metrics

If something is not working, don’t wait a year before correcting your course.

Give your plan sufficient time to be successful, but don’t be afraid to be flexible and correct your charted course if analytics show that parts of the plan are not generating the desired results.

Be cautious about opinions. Sometimes, squeaky wheels in organizations can complain loudly about what’s not working. Opinions may become “facts.” Be sure to check the numbers before changing your plans.

Summary

When it comes to identifying the key components of your marketing plan and developing that plan, we identify eight pillars, including a strategy, budget, and measurement. However, one factor is the most important, HAVE a plan. This will make the best use of your resources and their impact on your business.

Need help developing and prioritizing your marketing plan? Contact Us.