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A shampoo? Good! A shampoo that is a conditioner? Great!! A shampoo that is a conditioner AND a body wash? Just take my money already!!! And just like that, marketing becomes the essence of a profitable business that offers more and more to its customers. Rather it is something beyond just putting out flyers and sending out cryptic tweets. It is, also, beyond the nitty-gritty of clicks and Facebook ads. It is rather… something genius.
We are talking genius like Sony taking over ad spaces in the London subway to beckon the PS5 launch, or something equally marvelous like Nike taking 4,000 hours of sports footage to create an ad deserving a world cup of its own. It can also be something thoughtful like Burger King UK asking people to order from other food outlets to support businesses hit by the pandemic, or something out-of-the-box like furniture giant Ikea promoting their cribs with print ads disguised as a pregnancy test.
See, that is what marketing brings to the table. And if you thought the key department that gets things up and running in an organization is full of ad nerds talking about clicks and banners, you have reached the right conclusion. However, just like everything, at the helm of this department is a carefully-structured and workable marketing plan. A document crafted and aligned with your business strategies, communicating about the activities that will put the word out regarding your brand. It is an effective tool to bring in more customers to your company while spelling out the roadmap to do so. If devised with a careful strategy, a marketing plan can go above and beyond to keep you in front of the competition.
But we are not here to talk about full-fledged decks detailing who does what in the marketing department. We are here to shine the spotlight on one-page marketing plans, your key to keep it short, sweet, and effective. This blog will bring to the fore the six helpful strategies to craft a one-page marketing plan according to the type of business and project you are handling. Additionally, you will also get to try our finest ready-to-use templates along with some handy tips on how to make a one-page marketing plan work for your company. Read on.
Devising a one-page marketing plan: 6 simple strategies
That a marketing manager has to juggle a lot will be an understatement. There is a gamut of tasks involved, the most crucial being formulating a one-page marketing plan for the organization to follow. How does one encapsulate that gamut onto a single sheet of paper? Rather how can one depict the essence of customer acquisition and retention so concisely? For starters, here is a basic structure of a one-page marketing plan that marketers employ:
- Executive summary: The grail of the matter, this is a brief descriptor of what the one-page marketing plan hopes to achieve. It sums up the activities and targets of a marketing campaign in just a few lines.
- Product: What is the marketing plan for? Is it a shampoo that doubles up as a conditioner? What are its unique selling propositions? In other words, the subject of your campaign goes in this section.
- Customer: Who will you promote the business to? What is your target market? Who are you trying to win over? Is it young people struggling with a dry scalp? Or the middle-aged holding on to every strand on their head? Include that in this section.
- Goals and objectives: What do you want to achieve with the marketing plan? Is it earned media you crave? Or is it more number of signups for your website in a month? Elucidate that in this section.
- Strategy: How will you market the product? Will you set up stalls at a local retail chain supermarket? Or will you create a buzz around the product on social media? Include the promotional strategies here.
- Pricing: How are you planning to lure the audience? Is it with a promotional discount code on social media? Or is it with coupons on special purchases for a limited time? Mention that in this section.
- Message: You must define the message of the campaign in the plan clearly. What do you want to convey to the audience? Is your service worth trying? What content are you going to put out to align with that message? Elaborate this information in this section.
Now, the above components, when put together, can serve as a handy boilerplate for companies who are at the helm of elaborate marketing campaigns. But just like no two businesses are the same, no two marketing plans are the same either. Therefore, we dove deep into our repository and came up with six nifty approaches to create a one-page marketing plan according to the company and project specifications. We have also picked out some of our classiest templates to go with the approach you choose to follow. And away we go!
#1 The SMARTUE approach
We have all heard of setting SMART goals before (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound). But the reason why it comes up every time on our whiteboards is that it is among the most efficient approaches that marketing gurus swear by. SMARTUE, however, aligns your one-page marketing plan with two more criteria — Unique and Evaluable. You have to set unique goals so as to not cover the same aspects in other business plans. Also, your goals should be evaluated from time to time to leave scope for improvement. Therefore, with SMARTUE, you create a fool-proof plan that covers all aspects of making waves with your new product or service.
Works for: This approach is the master of all. So whether you are just starting off with a product that can create a revolution or simply leveling up with your marketing efforts and collaborations, SMARTUE will get you where you want to go. More so, the methodology will give you a full-fledged view of the objectives to accomplish besides letting you stay abreast of your constraints. Once you have factored it all in, it is time to execute.
Use these templates: Good design can never go wrong. So when you need to have a good tool to communicate with your team, you can use our catchiest templates. Download these templates and edit them to put the right foot forward. To make these truly SMARTUE, you can personalize them and then cross-check with other plans as well.
#2 The 3P approach
Derived from the conventional pattern of the advertising business, the 3P outlines a thinner outlook than the SMARTUE way of making one-page marketing plans. It centers the plan around the Product, the Pricing, and the Place. Each P is then broken down into workable segments and then connected with the other two components. That way, this approach helps distribute team effort evenly according to the assigned component.
Additionally, you can route all these components with the end goal of getting more customers to create a lucid roadmap for success. The approach also enhances the campaign efforts by encapsulating all these efforts under a common message, making it quick to execute.
Works for: The 3P approach makes it easier to plan for short-term marketing goals. It can also work for those looking for product-centric methods to market their ideas. More so, companies in the IT and consumer goods sectors can work out a systematic route for marketing a product as per its profitable features in this approach. Another advantage is the simplicity of the approach that makes it flexible for adaptation in any niche market.
Use these templates: You cannot execute an influential product launch without a proper marketing strategy (unless you are a company like Tesla with a $0 advertising budget, but even that has a plan behind the wheel). So to put that strategy into action, you can use these one-page marketing plan templates with bespoke design. An epitome of your personal brand, these templates will help you speak your mind clearly.
#3 The 3C approach
Marketing gurus may not always be up for the traditional 3P approach. But they have a reason to be inclined that way. After all, a lot is happening offline as well as in the digital marketing realm. It is time to be more relatable for the customers. Rather it is time to earn the customers. And the 3C approach does just that. This approach of devising a one-page marketing plan puts the focus on the target and resources for marketing — the Customer, the Company, and the Competitors. Marketing managers using the 3C approach include customers or the target audience into the plan; the company and its brand message along with the mode of communication; and the factors that distinguish the company from its competition.
Works for: The 3C approach churns out one-page marketing plans that are more brand-centric. It brings all the creative thinkers on board and helps in easy management of the product-related operations. Therefore, this approach is fruitful for companies setting long-term goals. This approach also helps tech startups get off the ground fast and grab an enviable position among the competition.
Use these templates: Strike a balance between the haves and have-nots with these fully-editable one-page marketing plan templates. The descriptive layout allows the concentration of marketing efforts around the customers and the brand communication to acquire them. It also spells out a roadmap for the resources needed to build a rapport with the customers. Use the succinct design of these templates to keep your team on a consistent growth track.
#4 The pyramid approach
Often overlooked while devising a one-page marketing plan is the progression of activities. Additionally, this can lead to the marketing team losing track. Enter the pyramid approach! Deriving the concept from how a pyramid expands towards the base, the approach makes a one-page marketing plan align with the means to get to the bigger picture. The emphasis is on the mode of message transmission in order to grow the business metrics. The team communication plan is an integral part of the one-page marketing plan made with this approach.
Works for: This approach works for organizations with an elaborate team structure. Additionally, companies handling marketing operations for a mass-manufactured product can use the pyramid approach to delineate the tasks for their team to the executive level. This approach depends more on execution strategies, so it may need multiple channels of communication going down to the lowest level.
Use these templates: Strengthen your control over marketing operations using these fully-editable one-page marketing plan templates. The crisp design shines the spotlight on the business processes and tactics applied to get to the end goal. It also helps eliminate any erroneous element in execution. Manipulate these templates according to your needs.
#5 The inverted pyramid approach
As the name suggests, the inverted pyramid focuses on the bigger picture rather than the means to accomplish it. This involves an upward hierarchical structure of communication and execution among the team members involved. A key component of one-page marketing plans devised with this approach is the time frame of the project or campaign. Also, the plan depicts more about the product and its benefits to bring in more customers. The influx of communication is towards the upper hierarchy. Also, any change this hierarchy wants to realize comes spontaneously instead of following a point-to-point pattern of communication.
Works for: The best part about the inverted pyramid approach is that it is aligned to a swift way of planning and execution. Therefore, tech start-ups willing to leverage their resources for a comprehensive branding strategy can devise their one-page marketing plan according to this approach. Additionally, this approach works for multi-channel marketing efforts for well-established companies. This approach also makes branding campaigns more deadline-driven and rigorous.
Use these templates: Put the most complex strategy in place easily and take your brand to the next level with these one-page marketing plan templates. The slide simplifies everything you have planned for spreading the word with a concise and crisp layout. Communicate with your team effortlessly after personalizing these fully-editable templates.
#6 The cohort approach
Just like the value approach in the previous blog on creating a one-page sales plan, the cohort approach links the objectives of the marketing department to those of the sales department. So intuitively, it creates this unique ensemble of impactful product sales and marketing strategies. It also assists in making the inter-departmental collaboration more centered towards better profitability and brand execution. Additionally, it helps in better resource allocation and management while keeping track of operations in a well-coordinated manner.
Works for: The cohort approach gives companies with a sizable market share a competitive edge. Moreover, executing the one-page marketing plans devised under this approach imparts flexibility to the company’s operations. Since more people are on board as per the plan, it helps bring in a more refined lens for overview and control. Also one can prevent all possible limitations and errors using the communication channel defined in the one-pager. The methodology also works wonders for companies dealing with high-risk markets.
Use these templates: Competitive edge comes with collaboration. But collaboration comes with clear and crisp communication. So make sure you are using the right tools for it too. Download and edit our one-page marketing plan templates to give your team a reason to hustle. The simplistic design and catchy content of these templates help you carve out a robust strategy.
How to make a one-page marketing plan bring out the best in your team
When companies strive for excellence, there has to be enough room for confidence and initiative. So as far as devising a one-page marketing plan is concerned, the managerial level has to juggle a lot to arrive at the final draft. This document becomes the steering wheel for the soul of the company, i.e. the product or service. So how do you nurture this soul? How do you make sure that your efforts are hitting the bullseye every time? Here are some handy tips:
- It’s the thought that counts: As much as you are leaning towards including the resources into your one-page marketing plan, the actual drafting of the plan also needs several investments. Bring in consultants and peer reviewers to solidify your plan and its execution. Moreover, targeted and well-thought-out planning saves resources from going to waste.
- Never lose sight of the brand: Keeping things concise may leave a lot to intimation and intuition. But either way, as a marketing manager devising a one-pager, you have to make the company stand out of the crowd. And the only way to do that is to keep brand communication intact in your content. This will make your team efforts more concerted while positioning your brand strategically, irrespective of the size of the company.
- Review makes the world go round: It’s worth noting that none of the above approaches sets your one-page marketing plan in stone. Rather it gives it a flexible frame susceptible to changes. Therefore, stay open to analysis and review of your marketing plan after a certain timeline. It will help address any loopholes that may crop up in later stages.
So on the whole...
When we talk of concise and precise, nothing beats a carefully-crafted one-page marketing plan. And while you may adopt any of the listed approaches to make it, your grit and grind will ultimately define how you carry forward an impeccable marketing strategy. Choose from our selection of templates designed by industry experts and make excellence your habit. And finally, if you want to make a lasting impression in your marketing campaigns with stunning visual content, get in touch with our design team. (Disclaimer: All our subscription packages come with a dash of WOW, guaranteed!!!)
