When one of my first marketing clients asked me to create a strategic plan, I eagerly said yes. I was excited. Confident. Slightly terrified. Because while I knew what a strategic plan was in theory, I had no real idea how to actually build one from scratch. I opened a blank document, typed “Strategic Plan” at the top, and stared at the cursor blinking back at me like it was just as confused as I was.
So if that’s you right now—if someone’s asked you to create a strategic plan and you don’t even know where to begin—let me help you skip the spiral of Googling templates and winging it. You don’t have to fake your way through it like I did. Here’s a straightforward, high-level overview of what to include in a marketing strategic plan, so you can confidently get started every single time.
1. Determine the Current State of the Organization
Before you start setting goals or brainstorming tactics, you need to know where you’re starting from. This is the step where you take a good, honest look at your current marketing efforts. What platforms are you on? What kind of content are you creating? What’s working? What’s not? Is the current social media strategy meeting business objectives now?
Pull as much data as you can: including social media analytics, email open rates, website traffic, and customer feedback. This doesn’t have to be fancy or overwhelming. Even a simple spreadsheet with key metrics and observations can give you a clear picture of your baseline. This snapshot of your current state will ground your strategy in reality.
Pro tip: This is a great time to run a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to organize your observations and identify patterns.
2. Agree Upon Where You Want to Be—and By When
Once you know where you are, you need to define where you’re going. What does success look like, and when do you want to get there?
This step is all about setting clear, measurable goals. These goals should align with your client’s or company’s broader business objectives. Are you trying to increase brand awareness? Drive more traffic to your website? Generate leads? Grow your email list?
Make sure your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Instead of saying, “We want more Instagram followers,” say, “We want to grow our Instagram audience by 25% over the next six months.”
Setting these targets early will help you stay focused, prioritize your tactics, and measure your success later on.
3. Recognize What Has to Happen to Get You There
This is where your strategy really takes shape. Think of this step as building a bridge between your current state and your desired future. What actions need to be taken to achieve your goals?
This is also where your content strategy lives. If one of your goals is to increase brand awareness, maybe you need to start a consistent blog, launch a podcast, or run a paid social campaign. If your goal is to build community, maybe you need to focus on more interactive content like polls, live videos, or a Facebook group.
Everything you do should serve the larger goals you set in Step 2. Be specific about which platforms you’ll use, what types of content you’ll create, how often you’ll publish, and how you’ll measure performance.
And don’t forget about alignment: your tactics should not only make sense for your brand but also for your audience. Always bring it back to who you’re trying to reach and what matters to them. Learn more about the 5 Musts When Creating a Content Strategy here.
4. Identify Your Resources
Now that you know what needs to happen, it’s time to figure out how you’re actually going to make it happen.
This step is all about inventorying your resources—not just what you have, but what you might need. Break it down into four key categories:
- People: Who will write the content, design the graphics, post on social, run the ads, etc.? Do you need to outsource anything to freelancers or agencies?
- Tools: Do you have the right tools for scheduling, analytics, design, or project management?
- Vendors/Consultants: Do you need to bring in outside help for things like SEO, paid media, or branding?
- Budget: How much money do you have to put behind your efforts? This includes ad spend, tool subscriptions, and any outsourced help. The Hearing Review suggests using data from previous campaigns to create benchmarks.
Don’t let limited resources limit your goals—at least not yet. Start by defining what you need to succeed, then adjust based on what’s realistic.
5. Assign Responsibility
This is the part where you turn your ideas into action.
For every tactic you plan, you need to clearly assign who’s doing what. Even if you’re a one-person team, writing it down helps you stay organized and accountable. If you’re working with a team, be specific about who’s responsible for each task and when it’s due.
A good rule of thumb? If a task doesn’t have an owner, it probably won’t get done. Project management tools like Basecamp and Monday.com can make this part way easier.
6. Continuously Review Your Plan
Finally, remember that a strategic plan isn’t a one-and-done document. It’s meant to evolve.
Set regular check-ins (monthly or quarterly) to review your progress. What’s working? What needs to change? Is your audience responding the way you hoped? Are you hitting your benchmarks?
Not sure if your plan needs to be updated yet? Robin Samora writes a helpful article on the 10 Signs It’s Time to Update Your Marketing Plan. It’s a helpful guide for recognizing when your strategy might need a refresh.
Be ready to adjust your strategy, timeline, or approach based on what you learn. A good strategy grows with your business and responds to what’s happening around you. Being flexible is just as important as having a solid plan.
Final Thoughts
Creating a strategic plan can feel overwhelming at first, but it doesn’t have to be. Start with where you are, define where you’re going, and build a practical roadmap to get there. Keep it simple, keep it flexible, and keep it aligned with your goals.
You don’t need an MBA or a decade of experience to create a solid strategy—you just need a clear process. Hopefully, this guide gives you that. Now go open that blank doc again, but this time with confidence.
You’ve got this!
Author Bio
Author BioAlexis Barth is a freelance marketer originally from Kearney, Nebraska, now based in Ohio. She earned her degree in marketing from Cedarville University and launched her own marketing company, REAL Marketing, during her senior year in 2024. Specializing in social media management and strategy, she works with a variety of clients to help them grow their presence and connect with the right audiences. She currently interns with the National Institute for Social Media and is on her way to earning her Social Media Strategist certification. She believes great marketing is really just about understanding people—and making the right connections that leave everyone better off.
Very well written and right to the point. The steps made sense, and I would suggest also doing an STP (segment, target and positioning) analysis as well as the SWOT. Great job Alexis.