Building a marketing strategy is often a long process for many businesses. Marketing is critical to success in any niche, so it certainly is not something to rush. By the time it’s complete, a full marketing plan may rival the Dead Sea Scrolls for length.
Alas, while your business must leave no stone unturned in its quest for marketing excellence, not everybody has the time or inclination to sit down and read a lengthy report. The ability to summarise your marketing strategy briefly and impactfully is vital. To achieve this aim, you’ll need a one page marketing plan.
What is a one page marketing plan?
A popular term in business is “elevator pitch.” The idea behind this is simple – you should explain a concept, strategy or product within the minute or 90 seconds that it takes to ride a lift with somebody. If you do this successfully, you will be invited to discuss your proposal in more detail.
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The idea of a one page marketing plan is to move the elevator pitch to the printed page. If you can capture the essence of your marketing strategy to a few hundred words, you have a strong idea. Equally, if you can summarise and explain your marketing strategy convincingly in just one page, you’re likelier to elicit a positive response.
So, in summary, the purpose of a one page marketing plan is to share the values of your business, explain who you will be targeting with a marketing campaign, and point out why this approach will prove profitable. If you cannot break down your marketing strategy to just one page, look deeper and see how it can be streamlined. After all, as Albert Einstein memorably claimed, “if you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
Benefits of a one page marketing plan
A one-page marketing plan has many benefits, especially when discussing your intentions with a third party.
| Memorising the content of a one page marketing plan ensures that you’ll always be able to explain your approach in short, succinct terms |
| A one page marketing plan is completely portable. It can be emailed as a small PDF or left with attendees of a physical meeting as a handout |
| Your one page marketing plan will act as a helpful reminder of your core values and intentions as a business, as well as a topline summary of your target audience |
| The use of visual cues on a one page marketing plan can make it easily accessible and readable by anybody, including people who speak a different language |
| You’ll have a quick and easy reference guide to ensure that your marketing approach remains on track |
When should a business create a one page marketing plan?
Never start with a one page marketing plan and then expand your strategy from there. It’s much easier to condense than summarise. Your one page marketing plan should be the final piece of the puzzle. Once you have met as a team and devised a lengthy and detailed marketing strategy, you’ll have the answer to any question that could be posed to you.
Is a one page marketing plan really good enough?
When it comes to a marketing plan, quality trumps quantity. On paper, a one page plan is actually better than anything of greater length. Many people in modern business are time poor and grow restless if expected to sit through a lengthy presentation.
| But is that all you need? |
|---|
| A one page plan is not suitable as your only strategic approach to marketing. Most people intrigued by your one page plan will have further questions and ask for more information. If you cannot answer these queries, you’ll appear unprepared and unprofessional. However, as an appetiser, a one page marketing plan is hard to beat. |
One page marketing plan template – what sections to include?
Every business and industry is different, but the fundamental elements of a one page marketing plan are universal. Your document should follow this format to capture the attention and imagination of readers.
- Title – keep this brief but informative. Include the name of your business, information about the marketing campaign, and relevant dates if the strategy is time-sensitive
- Executive summary – you’ve already condensed your entire marketing plan into one page. Now, you need to digest this even further. Include an executive summary that covers the fundamentals of the project and encourages further reading
- Purpose of the marketing campaign – explain why you are running this campaign. Perhaps you’re looking to sell off excess stock, or maybe you’re looking to drum up new business from a new audience
- Target audience – explain who you will be marketing to and how you plan to reach them. If you sell to younger consumers, you may wish to use Instagram or TikTok. A B2B marketing campaign may be better served by Facebook or LinkedIn
- Business USP – explain why your business differs from your competitors and how this will be communicated to your target audience
- Marketing hook – effective marketing revolves around making consumers feel they will miss out by not investing in your product or service. What is the driving force behind your marketing campaign? Low prices, a superior product or service, unique problem resolution, or something else?
- Special offers – if you are including a special offer in your campaign, such as a discount in exchange for signing up for a newsletter, make this clear
- Fundamental message – summarise what you want to tell a consumer in one sentence. This does not need to be a snappy, catchy advertising slogan – just an explanation of what you’re trying to explain to your audience (i.e., “Creative.onl is a successful agency with a great track record in creating one page marketing plans”)
- Anticipated profit and loss – discuss how much you have budgeted for this marketing drive and how much you expect to recoup in conversions after the campaign has run its course
- Summary – once again, condense your intentions for the marketing plan (and why it is a worthwhile endeavour) into a couple of sentences
One page marketing plan PDF
If you’re interested in creating a one page marketing plan PDF, get in touch with Creative.onl today. We will provide a template for your use.
How to write a one page marketing plan
Ready to draw up your one page marketing plan? Great. Follow these eight steps for the ultimate summary.
How to write a one page marketing plan
- Create a complete marketing plan
First thing’s first – gather your team and devise a complete marketing plan. You’ll need this to create your one pager later. Remember, you’re looking to take something longer and break it down to one page, not start small then pad out your strategy with needless data.
- Design your one page marketing plan
You’ll want your one page marketing plan to look visually striking. This could include the use of infographics, images and much more. Of course, you’ll also need the appropriate data and break down all necessary details. Feel free to contact Creative.onl to request a template for your marketing plan if you lack time to design your own.
- Identify the goals of your marketing campaign
If you’re undertaking a marketing campaign, you clearly have goals and hopes for the outcome. Write these down, making them as clear and measurable as possible (SMART methodology could be your friend here.) Use precise data, such as percentages, financial targets and expected conversions. You should be able to refer back to these intentions at a glance and track your progress.
- Confirm your target audience
Your one page marketing plan needs to paint a picture of your target audience. Who are you looking to sell your product or service to? What is their average age and income level? How do they wish to be marketed to, and what approaches do they respond to? What do they define as good value and preferred user experience?
- Explain the logistics of the marketing plan
Your document needs to explain how to you will go about running your marketing campaign. Will you prioritise print or digital marketing? Will you embrace social media or influencer marketing? What are your timeframes? Will you be looking at inbound marketing or active pursuits such as cold calling?
- Write an executive summary
You may think that a one page summary of your marketing plan is brief enough, but you’d be surprised. Some readers will still want to skip over the details and look for the shorthand. Open with an executive summary that provides this and convinces the reader that the rest of the document is worth their attention.
- Refine and edit
Get everybody within your business – and ideally some contacts outside – to review your one page marketing plan. Take their feedback on board and take it under advisement. Your plan should be readable and understandable to everybody, regardless of their job title or industry.
- Release your one page marketing plan
The time has come – it’s time to unleash your one page marketing plan upon the world. Regularly check in and review the performance and results of the document. If it fails to gain the traction you’re expecting, you may need to consider making amendments.
FAQ
A one page marketing plan is a summary of your marketing strategy. A successful one page plan will distil and condense all your thoughts and ideas into a short, snappy document. This means drilling deep into what matters most and cutting away all the fluff. It’s not just a list of bullets, though. A one page marketing plan needs to clearly explain why your product or service stands apart from the crowd, who you will be targeting for marketing, and how you will meet the needs of this audience.
Some people will be reluctant even to read an entire one page document. To this end, you’ll need an executive summary that condenses everything the plan involves. The key beats to hit in an executive summary for your one page marketing plan are:
• An introduction that explains why you have constructed a marketing plan and how it will benefit consumers
• A brief history of your business and an introduction to your team
• A summary of the marketplace that you’re operating within and what challenges the niche faces
• Short insights into the product or service that your company provides and why it will benefit your target audience
• Explanation of your target audience and how you plan to reach them
• Insight into your financial investment and anticipated return on investment
• Summary of the goals and targets of your one page marketing plan – baiting the hook enough to convince somebody to read the rest of the document
Before attempting a one page marketing plan, you need a complete and detailed marketing plan. Once you have this in place, work on boiling the core elements of this strategy down to a single page. Imagine that you have the length of a one-minute elevator ride to explain your marketing approach to a third party. This is the level of summarisation expected in a one page marketing plan.
An event that nobody attends is not an event. It’s just something that happened. With this in mind, you need to ensure that you can drum up interest and excitement quickly and easily. Your one page marketing plan for an event should include the following information:
• Name of the event, and a brief explanation of what it will entail
• Logistical details of the event, most notably where and when it will be held
• Explanation as to why the event is necessary and beneficial for your business and the attendees alike
• Summary of your goals for the event – what would constitute success? A particular number of attendees, a targeted percentage of new business?
• Discussion of how you will attract people to your event (guest speakers, early bird discounts on tickets, exclusive reveals of new products, etc.)
• Summary of how the event will be marketed and why you chose these avenues
• Insights into how you will evaluate the success (or otherwise) of the event