Is your marketing plan non-existent, ad hoc or outdated? If lack of time, knowledge or money derailed your attempts to develop a marketing plan, you can break the cycle with a simple approach.

Write a marketing plan by answering three questions:

1. What are the top three customer-related goals?

2. What is the single most important thing we must do consistently to achieve each goal?

3. What resources are needed to make those three important things happen? 

Read on for more perspective on each question. And check out the example of a 1-Page Marketing Plan for the fictitious ABC Company.

You have the ability to influence how your company is perceived within your target market. And your customers can make the best allies to help build a distinctive brand identity for your business.

Write Your 1-Page Marketing Plan

1. What are the top three customer-related goals?
Customer-related goals deserve your highest priority because customers are the life-blood of your business. Make a list of goals that would allow your company to attract and keep customers. Increase your chance of success by focusing on three measurable benchmarks to achieve in the next six to 12 months.

Customer goals tend to fall into one of the following categories:

2. What is the single most important thing we must do consistently to achieve each goal?
For each of your goals, identify the critical activity, information or skill that will make or break your ability to reach your goal. These critical success factors may involve a one-time effort or an on-going process.

For example, a company with a goal to increase referrals from customers might identify upgrading software to manage its customer database as the most important thing to do. Another company with the same goal might decide its critical success factor is simply keeping in touch with customers on a regular basis.

To complete this question, also summarize the reason why you identified a particular factor as the most important. It will be important to communicate the rationale to others–and to refine those assumptions as you gain more information and experience as the marketing plan is implemented.

3. What resources are needed to make those three important things happen?
Money may be the first thing that comes to mind, but it’s best to identify your resource needs in terms of staffing, skills, technology, equipment, raw materials and physical space. Then, decide how much money you will need to put each resource in place.

For example, people can fill the need for time, capacity and skills. Determine if your current staff are available and capable, or if you will need outside personnel because more manpower (time and capacity) or new skills are critical.

Establish a budget or best estimate for each resource that has an associated cost. Decide if funds will be drawn from operations or if outside financing is necessary.