Let’s be honest—if you’re a small business owner, marketing strategy might sound like one of those things you should have, but you’re not exactly sure how to start. And it’s really easy to overcomplicate it. The good news? You’re not alone. We talk to small business owners all the time who feel the same way. That’s why today, we’re going to break down exactly what a marketing strategy is, why it matters, and how to create one using a marketing strategy template that actually works for your business.
No fancy jargon, no over-complicated steps—just a simple plan to help you get clear and move forward!
What we’re covering in this article:
- What a marketing strategy is
- Why small businesses need a marketing strategy
- A simple marketing strategy template
- How Enji’s marketing strategy generator can help
What is a Marketing Strategy?
At its core, a marketing strategy is your game plan for how you’re going to get people to notice your business, engage with it, and, ultimately, buy from you. It’s basically defining the steps you’ll take to build awareness and attract the right customers—without feeling like you’re constantly spinning your wheels.
Think of it like this: your marketing strategy is the roadmap that guides all your marketing efforts. It outlines who you’re targeting, what message you’re sending, and where you’ll be showing up. A well-thought-out strategy makes your marketing more effective and helps you stay consistent—because we all know that consistency can be one of the hardest things to keep up with when you’re juggling a million other tasks!
If you’re curious to learn more about what a marketing strategy is, we’ve got a whole video on it! Check it out here: What is a Marketing Strategy?
Why Small Businesses Need a Marketing Strategy
Let’s talk about why a marketing strategy is so critical for small businesses (because we don’t expect you to just take our word for it). The biggest reason? Without one, it’s way too easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind and lose sight of the bigger picture. Have you ever woken up and thought, “I guess I should post something today?” That’s a pretty clear sign your small business needs a marketing strategy.
Here are three reasons why a marketing strategy template will help:
- Focus: A solid strategy gives you a clear direction. Instead of trying to do everything, you’ll know exactly what you’re working toward.
- Consistency: When you have a strategy, it’s way easier to stay consistent. The goal is to have your marketing become a regular part of your routine, rather than something you only do when you have time (which, let’s be real, you never have time).
- Results: Most importantly, a marketing strategy helps you get better results. You’ll be able to track what’s working, make adjustments, and keep improving over time.
Without a strategy, it’s all too easy to throw spaghetti at the wall and hope something sticks. But with a clear plan, you’ll know what’s working and where to double down.
A Simple Marketing Strategy Template
Now that you know why a strategy is so important, let’s dive into a simple marketing strategy template you can use to get started. Our goal is not to help you create a complicated document here—you can use this as a straightforward guide to build your strategy step by step.
1. Define Your Target Audience
Everything starts with understanding who you’re trying to reach. Who are your ideal customers? What problems do they have, and how does your business solve them? Knowing this will guide every marketing decision you make. Spend time really defining your audience—because when you know exactly who you’re speaking to, your message becomes more powerful.
2. Craft Your Value Proposition
Next, figure out what makes your business unique. What do you offer that your competitors don’t? This is your value proposition—the key message you’ll communicate to your audience to show them why they should choose you over anyone else. Make it clear, compelling, and most importantly, easy to understand. You can do this for your business overall but also for each of your customer personas—how do you uniquely solve their specific problems?
3. Set Your Marketing Goals
What do you want to achieve with your marketing? There’s a reason you’re adding it to your already hectic schedule and making it a priority. Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving more traffic to your website, increasing sales, or all of the above, your goals will shape your entire strategy. The best part? When you set goals, you’ll have something concrete to measure your progress against.
4. Choose Your Marketing Channels
Next, where are you going to promote your business? There are plenty of channels to choose from—social media, email marketing, SEO, paid ads—the list goes on. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to be everywhere. Pick the channels where your audience hangs out, and focus your efforts there. It’s better to do a few things really well than to spread yourself too thin. You likely will want to choose more than just one though!
5. Plan Your Marketing Activities
This is where your day-to-day marketing tasks come in. Think about the specific actions you’ll take to reach your goals—like creating content, posting on social media, sending email campaigns, or optimizing your website. Break these tasks down into manageable steps and map them out on your calendar (Enji has a great marketing calendar!), so you always know what’s coming up.
6. Measure and Adjust
Once you start implementing your strategy, it’s time to track your results. Are you hitting your goals? If not, what can you tweak to get better results? A good strategy is flexible—you need to be willing to adjust based on what’s working (and what’s not). This is where tracking your KPIs (key performance indicators) comes in handy, and it’s one of the most important steps to ensure your marketing efforts are actually paying off.
Looking for a more in-depth guide on how to create your marketing strategy? Fill out this form and we’ll send you a free video training and worksheet to walk you through the process!
How Enji’s Marketing Strategy Generator Can Help
Now, we get it—creating a marketing strategy from a template can still feel like a lot. That’s exactly why we built Enji’s Marketing Strategy Generator. It’s designed for small business owners who need to create a strategy but don’t want to spend hours figuring it out.
With Enji’s tool, you’ll answer a few key questions about your business and goals, and our strategy generator will give you a tailored marketing strategy—complete with steps, campaigns, and KPIs to track your progress. You can check out the Marketing Strategy Generator here and start your free trial today!
Take Action with This Marketing Strategy Template
Creating a marketing strategy doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a clear plan in place, you’ll have the direction and consistency needed to grow your business. The best part? You don’t have to do it alone . Enji’s Marketing Strategy Generator is here to help you create a strategy that works—so you can spend less time guessing and more time seeing results. Ready to take the next step? Start your FREE trial with Enji today! And if you want to see our marketing tools in action before you do, check out this Enji demo first.
