TL;DR (Overview)
If you’ve been wondering how to make marketing plan that won’t get abandoned after week One, the secret is keeping it simple, strategic, and sustainable. In this post, you’ll learn:
- Why most marketing plans fail (and how to avoid making these mistakes).
- How to connect your plan to real business goals – so you actually want to stick to your plan.
- A step-by-step framework for creating a marketing plan you’ll actually use.
- Strategies for consistency that reduce overwhelm (because overwhelm is a creativity killer!).
- How to adjust your plan as your business grows – make it the gift that keeps on giving!
Let’s be honest, we can’t rely solely on feeling motivated or excited because those are feelings that come and go! You need a marketing plan that doesn’t feel overwhelming!
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Why Most Marketing Plans Fail
Like anything we do, making a marketing plan feels exciting at first. It’s easy to wake up early and create content – but sticking with it? That’s the hard part! No matter how much you enjoy the marketing strategy you pick, sticking with it long-term is not easy!
The most common reasons marketing plans fail:
- Trying to do too much at once (aka trying to keep up with all the different social platforms and marketing strategies).
- Not connecting the plan to actual business goals (aka no real tangible results).
- Overcomplicating things with unnecessary details (also adding to your overwhelm)
Instead, strategic planning and marketing should work together to support what you actually want: steady leads, aligned clients, and growth without burnout.
I’m ashamed to say this but we’re friends so I can be honest with you right? For the first two years of my business, I tried to show up in all the places! Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Blog, Pinterest…. Yikes! Not only was I burnt out, I wasn’t getting any real results. Overtop of that I kind of felt quite sh*tty! I would compare myself to others; how they were showing up and the results they were getting. I’d jump from this strategy to that to try and do what others did so I could achieve their results (shiny object syndrome). And like I said, it got me nowhere other than feeling super crappy.
In January 2025 I decided enough was enough! I deleted IG off my phone and I stopped trying to do it all. I did my own SEO strategy and relaunched my website in March 2025. It was not a beautiful, but more importantly, SEO optimized website! I also started consistently blogging twice a week at the end of March. Wanna know what happened? By September, 6 months later, my website impressions (how many times my links appeared in search results) went from 3k/month to 50k/month! I was finally seeing results because I picked one strategy and consistently stuck to it!
If you want to learn more about growing your business with SEO and Blogging, read this post: Blogging for your business: How to use SEO to grow your business
Step 1: Start with Strategic Planning and Marketing Goals
Before making a marketing plan, ask yourself: What do I want my marketing to actually achieve?
Examples of goals include:
- Booking 3 new clients per month
- Growing your email list by 200 subscribers per quarter
- Increasing organic website traffic by 20%
Strategic planning and marketing aren’t about doing “all the things”—they’re about aligning your actions with results that matter! I always ask my clients what their business goals are before creating their website strategy. Keeping your business goals top of mind ensures we create content (and a marketing plan) that supports your business.
Step 2: How to Create a Marketing Strategy That Feels Doable
You need to pick a marketing strategy that feels realistic for you. Something you know you can stick to long-term!
When you create marketing plan strategies, focus on:
- Who you’re speaking to (ideal client profile).
- Where they’re spending time (Pinterest, Google, podcasts, etc.).
- What do you enjoy doing, what brings you joy?
I am all about alignment and I really believe your marketing strategy should be in alignment for you. It should feel good when you do it and it should bring you more joy than stress. That being said, of course you’re going to have hard and frustrating days when you’re working on marketing. But overall, it should be something you want to do vs something you feel like you should do.
For example, I was trying to show up daily on Instagram when I absolutely hated it! Now I blog twice a week, sometimes I don’t want to but even on my hardest blogging days it’s way better than when I was doing something out of alignment!
Of course, it’s also important to show up where your ideal clients are actually hanging out! For wellness providers and coaches Blogging and Pinterest are both great options because you get to provide long-form valuable content on your blog and then promote it over on Pinterest! And if you do enjoy social media, you can always use that to point people back to your website as well!
Step 3: Creating a Marketing Plan You’ll Actually Use
Forget the 20-page document you’ll never look at again. The best marketing plans are simple.
Here’s a 3-part framework for creating a marketing plan you’ll stick to:
- Choose 1 long-form platform → Blogging, YouTube, or podcasting.
- Choose 1 short-form platform → Pinterest, Instagram, or TikTok.
- Choose 1 nurturing channel → Email list or a private community (e.g Facebook group).
This keeps your plan focused and repeatable without overwhelm. When you try to show up in too many places you end up burning out and not showing up anywhere. I say this with the most empathy because that’s exactly what happened to me! And I really don’t want that for you! Choose one of these marketing strategies and stick to it! You will start to see results, I promise.
Step 4: Develop Strategies for Consistency
A plan only works if you can follow it. Here’s how to stick with your marketing plan:
- Create a content calendar so you know exactly what to create when you sit down to work.
- Batch content weekly or monthly.
- Use templates for repeatable tasks (emails, blogs, graphics).
- Automate scheduling with tools like Tailwind, Planoly, or Later. Or simply pre-schedule in the actual platform itself!
No matter how much you love the marketing strategy you pick; there will come a time when you really just don’t want to do it! Especially if it’s something, like Blogging, that takes a long time to start seeing results.
When I finally created a content calendar for my Blogging strategy I was finally about to stick to my marketing strategy! I am not kidding, posting twice a week felt less stressful with a clear strategy and content calendar than when I was posting once a week but at random. Having this content calendar made it so much easier! Now, I know exactly what to write every time I sit down to create content. No more flying by the seat of my pants!
If you want some help staying consistent with your posting schedule, here’s the exact ClickUp Calendar I use to schedule my blog posts! GET FREE ACCESS!
Step 5: Review and Adjust Regularly
Your plan isn’t “set it and forget it.” It should evolve with your business.
Every quarter, review:
- Which strategies brought in leads or clients?
- What felt aligned with your energy and schedule?
- Where should you scale back or double down?
This ensures your plan grows with you instead of holding you back. The best thing you can do for your business is look at the data! Look at your Google Analytics and Google Search Console if you’re using your SEO and Blogging. Or use the Analytics available in whichever platform you use.
Remember, nothing is set in stone. You can grow, change and evolve – and you should!
TL;DR (Recap)
Here’s a quick recap of how to make marketing plan you’ll actually use:
- Define strategic goals → align your marketing with your business goals.
- Create your marketing strategy → Identify audience, platforms, and what’s in alignment for you.
- Keep your plan simple → 1 long-form, 1 short-form, 1 nurture channel.
- Build consistency systems → Create a content calendar, batch content creation, use templates and automate.
- Review quarterly → Adjust based on results and alignment.
FAQs About Creating a Marketing Plan
What is the first step in creating a marketing plan?
Start with strategic planning and goals. Determine your business goals so that you can create a marketing plan that supports those goals! From there decide on a platform or marketing strategy based on your audience, which platform they are hanging out on and what feels in alignment for you!
How do I create a marketing strategy I can stick to?
Choose a marketing platform you actually enjoy creating content on. Whether that’s Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest or Blogging. You need to stick with your marketing strategy long-term which means you should enjoy doing it! From there, create a content calendar and batch create your content.
3. Why do most marketing plans fail?
You’re trying to do too many things at the same time. Marketing plans fail if you don’t choose a strategy that supports your long-term goals. And if you do not create a content calendar and marketing strategy you can realistically stick to. They also fail if you try to replicate someone else’s marketing strategy without deciding what you want to do and how you want to show up online.
4. How often should I update my plan?
Review it quarterly to stay on track and pivot if needed!
5. Can small businesses benefit from making a marketing plan?
Yes, of course! Small businesses should 100% have a marketing plan! Especially because you are either a solopreneur or have a small team. Which means you need to make the most of your time and having a marketing plan will do just that! It will help you stay focused and efficient.
6. What tools help stick to a plan?
ClickUp, Trello, or Asana for organization. Tailwind, Planoly, or Later for scheduling (or simply use the built in scheduler for the platform you’re using). Google Analytics and Google Search Console for tracking your data!
Final Thoughts + CTA
Your marketing plan doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. The best one is the one you’ll actually use. Start small, stay consistent, and let results compound over time.
Work with me: Want a custom marketing plan designed to fit seamlessly with your website + SEO strategy? Book a free consultation to discuss SEO and Website Design to market your business. Together, we’ll launch your site and map out a plan that helps you grow sustainably, without relying on social media trends.
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