What are the 7 parts of a marketing plan?
Most small business marketing plans cover seven parts: the SBA lists six sections and then a seventh step, measuring and updating the plan. Its marketing and sales guide (checked 5 Nov 2026) names target market, competitive advantage, sales plan, marketing and sales goals, marketing action plan, budget, and measuring and updating the plan. It adds that most plans cover these topics and you should use what works for your business.
For a business with fewer than ten people, those seven headings fit on one page if you rename them as the questions they answer:
| SBA section | One-page field | The question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing and sales goals | Goal | How many new customers, by when, worth how much? |
| Target market | Customer | Who exactly buys, and what are they trying to fix? |
| Competitive advantage | Offer | Why you over the obvious alternative, in one sentence? |
| Sales plan and marketing action plan | Channels | Where will buyers hear of you, and what happens when they reply? |
| Budget | Budget | What does each channel cost per month? |
| Marketing action plan | Calendar | What happens in which month, and who does it? |
| Measure and update your plan | Measures | Which numbers tell you to keep, change or stop a channel? |
The SBA's own budget advice is short: include a complete breakdown of the costs, try to be as accurate as possible, and keep tracking costs once the plan is running. It also publishes a marketing plan example (last updated 8 April 2024) if you want to see its full layout.
How much should a small business spend on marketing?
There is no single right percentage, and the SBA's marketing guide doesn't give one (checked 5 Nov 2026). The most useful dated benchmark we found is The CMO Survey, run by Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, Deloitte and the American Marketing Association. Its 2026 edition was in the field from 7 to 29 January 2026, and 308 marketing leaders at US for-profit companies responded.
| Group in the 2026 CMO Survey | Answers | Marketing spend as % of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| All companies | 154 | Mean 8.96%, median 5% |
| Under $10 million in sales revenue | 20 | Mean 13.34% |
| Fewer than 50 employees | 23 | Mean 16.26% |
| B2B services companies | 41 | Mean 10.07% |
Figures come from the survey's topline report (page 39) and its firm and industry breakout report (pages 124 and 126). Read them with care. The small-company groups have only 20 and 23 answers, 97% of respondents are VP-level or above, and a mean can be pulled up by a few big spenders: the overall mean of 8.96% sits well above the 5% median.
A workable rule for a first plan: start near the 5% median, then adjust for how much growth you need. A business with $240,000 in annual revenue would plan $240,000 × 5% = $12,000 a year, or $1,000 a month. Our sibling guide to setting a small business marketing budget goes further on choosing the number.
Small business marketing plan sample: a local bookkeeping firm
Here is a filled one-page plan for an invented business. Northwind Bookkeeping is a sample firm, not a real company, and every number below is an assumption chosen to show the arithmetic.
| Budget line (sample) | Monthly | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Local search ads, 12 months at $400 | $400 | $4,800 |
| Website refresh (one-off) | - | $2,400 |
| Chamber membership and networking events | - | $1,200 |
| Referral partner lunches, $100 a month | $100 | $1,200 |
| Email tool, $50 a month | $50 | $600 |
| Printed leave-behinds for partners | - | $600 |
| Reserve for whatever works best by June | - | $1,200 |
| Total | $12,000 |
Check it adds up: $4,800 + $2,400 + $1,200 + $1,200 + $600 + $600 + $1,200 = $12,000. (The calendar runs ads for ten months, so if you follow it, $800 of the ad line moves into the reserve.)
Now the measures. $12,000 ÷ 12 clients = $1,000 to win each client. At $350 a month, fees cover that cost in $1,000 ÷ $350 = about 2.9 months (revenue, before the firm's own costs), and a client who stays the full first year brings in $350 × 12 = $4,200. If one in four consultations becomes a client (another assumption to replace with your own rate), 12 clients need 48 consultations, or 4 a month. That is the number Northwind checks first each month, because it shows trouble before signed clients do.
How do you turn the plan into a marketing calendar?
The calendar turns the channel list into dated jobs with an owner. Keep it at the level of months, not days; the weekly content details belong in a separate content calendar. Here is Northwind's year by quarter (sample):
| Quarter | Main jobs | Check at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 (Jan to Mar) | Fix the website and Google profile; meet each referral partner; start ads in February; first monthly email | At least 10 consultations booked; profile has reviews from current clients |
| Q2 (Apr to Jun) | Keep ads and email; one partner lunch a month; move the reserve to the best channel in June | Cost per signed client by channel; drop the worst ad keywords |
| Q3 (Jul to Sep) | Ask every client for a review; offer partners a short guide they can hand to their clients | Year-to-date clients against the plan of 9 by September |
| Q4 (Oct to Dec) | Push the year-end and tax-season message; stop ads in December; write next year's plan | Full-year cost per client; which channel to cut next year |
If you prefer a week-by-week routine to a quarterly one, our weekly marketing system for founders shows how to fit the work into a few hours a week.
How do you know if your marketing plan is working?
Measure each channel by what it costs to win a customer, then decide. The SBA guide says to compare marketing and sales costs with the revenue they bring in, to be consistent in how you measure, and to maintain the plan annually at minimum. A monthly scorecard keeps that honest:
Two rules matter if reviews are one of your channels, as they are for most local firms. Google's Maps content policy says merchants may not discourage or prohibit negative reviews or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers, and may not offer incentives such as discounts in exchange for a review. So the plan says ask every client, not only happy ones. Google's own tips for getting reviews suggest reminding customers with a link or a QR code. In the US, the FTC's final rule on fake reviews, announced 14 August 2024, also bans incentives conditioned on a review expressing a particular sentiment. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Marketing strategy template for a small business
Copy this, fill each line in a sentence or a number, and stop at one page. If a line takes more than two sentences, it is probably two decisions.
This week: fill in the goal and customer lines, then work out your cost per customer target from the budget, as in the Northwind example. If you have no money for channels yet, our $0 marketing plan for bootstrapped B2B gives a 30-day version built on time instead of spend. For more channel options to put in the plan, see our sibling list of small business marketing ideas. If one of your channels is outreach to other businesses on LinkedIn, X or email, Siela's Lead Finder looks for people with a reason to reach out now and sends within the daily goals you set.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best way to market a small business?
Start with the channel closest to people who already need you: referrals from partners who serve the same customers, a complete Google profile with honest reviews, and direct contact with past enquiries. Pick two to four channels, give each a monthly budget, and judge them by cost per customer won rather than likes or visits.
How to plan a small business?
Write a business plan first, then a marketing plan that puts its sales section into action. The SBA describes two business plan formats: a traditional plan that can run to dozens of pages, and a lean startup plan that is typically one page and can take as little as an hour. The SBA notes that lenders and investors commonly ask for the traditional plan.
How long should a small business marketing plan be?
One page is enough for most businesses under ten people. Each of the seven parts should fit in one or two sentences or a number, with the budget and calendar as small tables. Longer plans tend to hide the two numbers that matter most: the customer goal and what you can afford to pay to win each customer.
How often should you update a marketing plan?
Review it every quarter and rewrite it once a year. The SBA says plans should be maintained annually at minimum. A quarterly check lets you move money from a channel that costs too much per customer to one that is working, instead of waiting a full year to find out.
Can I write a marketing plan with no budget?
Yes. Replace the budget line with hours per week, and choose channels that cost time rather than money, such as referral partners, review requests on your Google Business Profile and direct messages to people who fit your customer line. Measure hours spent per customer won, and add paid channels once one free channel produces customers reliably.
Sources
- SBA: Marketing and sales (Make a marketing plan) (checked 5 Nov 2026)
- SBA: Marketing plan example (checked 5 Nov 2026)
- SBA: Write your business plan (checked 5 Nov 2026)
- The CMO Survey 2026: Topline Report (checked 5 Nov 2026)
- The CMO Survey 2026: Firm and Industry Breakout Report (checked 5 Nov 2026)
- Google Maps User Generated Content Policy: Prohibited and restricted content (checked 5 Nov 2026)
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips to get more reviews (checked 5 Nov 2026)
- FTC: Final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (14 Aug 2024)