Marketing plan template: one page, and a worked example
Most small businesses do not need a 20-page plan. They need one page they will actually look at each month. Here it is, printable, with a worked example.
By the Desk editorLast checked 3 October 20262 min read
The short answer
A small business marketing plan fits on one page: who you serve, what you offer, one 90-day goal, three channels, the dates that matter, a budget, and one number to measure for each channel. Print the template below; for a longer version, business.gov.au has a free template and an online tool.
The one-page template
One-page marketing plan
| 1. Who you serve | One sentence on your best customer: who they are, where they are, what they need. |
|---|---|
| 2. What you offer them | Your one main offer and why it beats the alternative they would choose instead. |
| 3. Your goal for 90 days | One number: for example 20 new bookings a month, or 300 newsletter subscribers. |
| 4. Channels (pick three) | Where those customers already look: reviews, email, a letterbox drop, Instagram, a referral offer. |
| 5. The calendar | The dates that matter to you in the next 90 days, from the Australian calendar. |
| 6. Budget | Dollars a month, split across the three channels, and what each one costs per result. |
| 7. What you will measure | One number per channel, checked on the same day each month. |
A worked example: a local café
| Who you serve | Office workers within 500 metres, and weekend families from the surrounding streets |
| What you offer | Good coffee in under three minutes, and a weekend breakfast menu for kids |
| 90-day goal | 150 loyalty members, and weekend covers up 15 per cent on the same quarter last year |
| Three channels | A loyalty app at the counter; Instagram twice a week; a letterbox drop of 2,000 to nearby streets before the school holidays |
| The calendar | Back to school, Valentine's Day, Easter long weekend |
| Budget | $49 a month for the loyalty app, about $500 for the letterbox drop with printing, no paid ads yet |
| What to measure | Members signed up; weekend covers; offer codes returned from the flyer |
How to use it
Fill it in once, put it where you will see it, and check the "what to measure" line on the same day each month. If a channel has not moved its number after 90 days, swap it for another.
The longer government templates
The Australian Government's business.gov.au has a free marketing plan template (a Word document) and an online marketing plan tool that builds one as you answer questions. Business Victoria and Western Australia's Small Business Development Corporation publish their own templates too.
Common questions
What should a small business marketing plan include?
Who you serve, your offer, a goal, the channels you will use, key dates, a budget and how you will measure results.
Is there a free marketing plan template in Australia?
Yes: the template above, and the Australian Government's free template and tool on business.gov.au.
What is a one-page marketing plan?
A short plan that fits on a single page so you actually use it, as opposed to a long document filed and forgotten.