8 STEPS TO BUILDING A MARKETING PLAN THAT DRIVES REAL RESULTS

So, you are a founder or a business leader. You need to get more customers and increase revenue, but you’re not sure how to get there. The pressure is building, you’re having trouble sleeping, and it hits you—you don't have a marketing plan or team to help you drive the results you need and take your business to the next level. 

Well, I’ve got some good news and some bad news.

The bad news?  → creating an actionable marketing plan that actually drives growth is really hard. It’s not as simple as posting the occasional ad and praying to the marketing gods. 

The good news? →  You’re not alone in this process. I’ve been doing this for over a decade, and I’ve driven over $129M in incremental revenue throughout my career. Based on all the pain, wins, and losses I’ve developed a marketing planning process that actually works. This processed is called ‘The Imperfect Marketing Plan.’ 

And I am giving this playbook away for free. 

So, here’s my 8 step guide to building the ‘Imperfect’ Marketing Plan that’ll transform your business:

1️⃣ Actually, Listen to Your Team: Conduct Internal Interviews

Marketing isn’t just a set of tactics—it’s a strategy that shapes your organization. And it all starts with serious self-reflection. Think of it like you’re assessing yourself in the mirror before hitting the gym— do you want bigger arms? Great - do more curls. Not happy with your butt? Perfect - do more squats. Having open conversations with your team will help you understand where your company currently stands and where you can get better. Tip: Some of your best business ideas will come from the team members closest to customers (regardless of title) - be sure to create a safe environment for your team to share their honest thoughts. 

2️⃣ Understand Your Market: Know Your Enemy & Environment

When setting your marketing strategy - you need to understand the environment. Like a historic war general understanding his/her landscape or a champion boxer watching a tape of their upcoming opponent before a fight - you need to know the major players - your competitors - where they are winning - the white space in the market - trends - and the opportunities you can exploit.

3️⃣ Bust Out the Calculator: Dive Into Your Data & Set KPIs

To win in marketing and business, data isn’t a nice to have, it is a requirement. Determine the metrics that matter most for your business, and set key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your growth objectives. Data-driven goals will keep you focused and accountable. Alongside this goal-setting, take the time to examine your internal data to gauge your current performance— this reveals what’s working, what isn’t, and where to focus next.

4️⃣ Get Crystal Clear on Your Target Audience & Their Deepest Pain Points

This is the most critical step in building your new marketing plan - and it's the step that most companies get wrong. Your business isn’t about your product, it’s about your customers. Successful marketing centers on identifying your ideal customer profile (ICP) and understanding their needs, pain points, and unique challenges—particularly the ones your competitors overlook. You need to be able to close your eyes and picture your ideal customer - and know them better than they know themselves.

5️⃣ Develop a Scroll-Stopping Value Proposition

Now that you know your target customer inside and out—ask yourself again: How do you solve your customer’s deepest pain points? Why should customers choose you over the competition? What is the one thing you do better than anyone else? To stop your potential customers in their tracks, don’t focus on your product -  speak directly to your target audience's needs and how you can solve their problems in a new, different and exciting way. 

6️⃣ Establish Strategic Priorities: From Awareness to Churn

You’ve done all the analysis—now it’s time to build the bones of your plan. In this step, start by examining how your customers buy your product or services. Map out your marketing funnel step by step, identifying objectives for each stage— such as raising brand awareness, driving traffic to your website, improving lead-to-customer conversion, upselling, and reducing churn. These specific goals will become your strategic priorities and all your future marketing initiatives will ladder up to these priorities. 

7️⃣ Create Your ‘Imperfect’ Revenue-Driving Marketing Plan 

Think about the marketing programs you could launch that would move you closer to accomplishing your strategic priorities. Need to raise brand awareness? Start creating content and sharing it on social media. Need to drive traffic to your website? Start investing in Google or Meta ads. In this phase of planning strive for progress, not perfection. 

8️⃣ Failure: The Key Ingredient for Success 

Remember, there is no such thing as a perfect marketing plan. You are going to come up with ideas that don't work. You are going to launch campaigns that miss the mark. GOOD. Take your learnings, get better, and incorporate them into your marketing plan. It's this discipline that will result in you building a marketing machine. 

Now, if you don’t have the marketing leadership or team to bring your new plan to market - you have a problem. But you have the choice to hire internally, onboard marketing experts (like ourselves), or bring on other agencies that can launch winning programs and campaigns that drive these priorities forward. 

If you're looking for more guidance in creating a strategy that delivers tangible results, we're more than happy to help. Be sure to connect with us on our socials or book a meeting with myself here.