A marketing plan that runs to thirty pages never gets used. One that fits on a single page—and that you can fill in over a coffee—actually guides what you do each week. This template captures every decision that matters and nothing that doesn’t. (For the thinking behind each choice, see the deeper guide on building your first marketing plan; this page is the artifact you produce from it.)
Fill in each section below. Keep your answers tight.
1. Audience
Who, specifically, are you trying to reach? Name one primary customer—the more specific, the better your message.
My primary customer is: ___
2. Offer
What are you actually asking them to do or buy, and what do they get out of it?
My offer is:
The outcome they get:
3. Core message
The one idea you want this audience to associate with you. (Pull this straight from your brand messaging worksheet.)
My core message: ___
4. Channels
Where will you show up? Choose just one or two—the platforms your customers use and that you can sustain. List them in priority order.
Primary channel:
Secondary channel (optional):
5. Weekly actions
Translate those channels into specific, repeatable actions small enough to do on a busy week. This is the part that turns a plan into results.
Each week I will:
6. One key metric
Pick the single number that tells you whether this is working. Resist tracking everything—choose the one that matters most for your goal.
My primary metric:
My target:
7. Review date
A plan you never revisit is a guess. Set a date to look at your metric and adjust.
I’ll review this on: ___
How to use it
Once it’s filled in, this single page is your marketing operating system. Your weekly actions tell you what to do; your one metric tells you whether it’s working; your review date tells you when to change course. Keep it somewhere visible. When you’re tempted to chase a shiny new tactic, check it against the page—if it doesn’t serve your audience, offer, or metric, it can probably wait.
Revisit the whole thing each quarter. As you learn what actually drives results, double down on what’s working and quietly drop what isn’t.
FAQ
Why only one page?
Because you’ll actually use it. Long marketing plans get filed and forgotten. A single page keeps your decisions visible and your focus narrow enough to execute.
How is this different from the "First Marketing Plan" guide?
The guide explains how to think about channels, messaging, and tracking. This template is the fill-in artifact you create once you’ve done that thinking. Use them together.
How many channels should I list?
One or two, in priority order. Spreading across more dilutes your effort and makes results impossible to read.
How often should I update it?
Review your metric on the date you set, and refresh the whole plan each quarter as you learn what’s working.