Maybe you’re not sure where to start. Maybe you’re looking at a blank page. Or maybe you just want to be sure you haven’t left something really important out of your plan.

I previously posted an easy marketing plan PowerPoint template on this blog. Designed for an executive-level audience, it’s purposely under 15 slides to keep the presentation tight. That template assumes you’ve done a bit of homework first.

But not everyone is that far along, and I received a few requests to provide perspective regarding what goes into a full marketing plan.

Does your desk look like this?

If you need a list of the pieces and parts needed for a complete plan, this post is for you. In it you’ll find an outline as well as a downloadable Word template to make planning easier.

MARKETING PLAN OUTLINE

Here’s an outline of sections included in the Word template:

Marketing Plan

• Executive Summary
• Situation Analysis
  • Market Summary
  • Core Discipline/Offering
  • Competition
  • Technology
  • SWOT Analysis
  • Keys to Success
  • Critical Issues
• Marketing Strategy
  • Target Market Segments (Audience/Persona)
  • Positioning
  • Marketing Mix (Price, Product, Place, Promotion)
  • Marketing Research
• Financials
  • Sales Forecast
  • Expense Forecast

Some of the sections include a brief explanation or prompts. Other sections are hopefully more obvious.

If all you need is a checklist of what to create, the above list may suffice. But if you’d like to be one step closer to done, you can download and fill in the Word template below.

You might also like:

• Easy Marketing Plan Template: Less Than 15 Slides and You’re Done
• 6 Questions to Optimize Your Marketing Funnel (with template)
• Design Your Small Business Marketing Funnel Online Course

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”About

Kevin Namaky

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Kevin Namaky is the Founder of Gurulocity. As a brand marketing leader and as Head of Strategy at a global consulting firm, he created billions in new value for companies big and small. Kevin founded Gurulocity to help small business owners and entrepreneurs hone their strategic marketing craft and unlock their potential. Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.