Looking for an answer to your question “How to write a marketing strategy for my Business Plan”? Explore how to write a winning marketing strategy for your business plan using 8 essential steps, practical tips, examples, and tools small business owners can use today.
Writing the “Marketing Strategy” section of a business plan can feel intimidating, especially if you run a service-based business where marketing often happens between jobs, late nights, or during stolen lunchtime moments.
After working with trades and service business owners for years, I’ve learned that most of them do market their business — they just never write it down in a structured way! And that’s exactly what lenders, investors, and even Google (if you’re using your plan for public content) want to see: structure, clarity, and a bit of real-world logic.
How to Write a Marketing Strategy for My Business Plan
The artice breaks down how to write a marketing strategy for my business plan into eight practical, no-fluff steps. You’ll learn to define your target audience, develop a customer value proposition, choose the right digital marketing channels, and map out an actionable marketing implementation plan that helps your business grow.
Here’s what you’ll take away:
- A step-by-step system to create a marketing strategy
- Examples and tips learned through real client experiences
- Long-tail marketing strategy techniques you can repeat
- Tools and resources to make everything easier
And of course, we’ll keep this conversation real, practical, and totally non-academic — because business plans don’t need to read like a university thesis.
Let’s dive in.
Step 1. Start With a Clear Market Research Foundation
Most business owners skip this step because it “feels too corporate.” But trust me — even five minutes of focused market research techniques can transform your entire plan.
Here’s the quick version I use with my clients:
✔ Identify your ideal customer (buyer persona development)
Who are they? What do they value? What problems do they need fixed yesterday?
Think in terms of:
- Age, location, lifestyle
- Urgency of the problem
- How they search for solutions online
- What they complain about most
✔ Analyze competitors (competitive analysis marketing)
Google your service. Click on the top 5 results. Compare:
- Services
- Pricing strategy marketing
- Guarantees
- Customer reviews
- Tone and branding
You’re not copying them — you’re ensuring you position yourself differently.
✔ Identify market demand
If demand is seasonal, expanding, or shrinking, your marketing strategy should reflect it.
For structuring this in your business plan, check out our foundational pillar post: https://improvebusinessprocesses.com/8-proven-steps-on-how-to-write-a-small-business-plan-that-works/
For a deeper breakdown of how to analyze your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, see this guide on the real SWOT analysis benefits for small businesses.
Step 2. Define Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) With Precision
Once you define who you serve and why, it becomes easier to shape your mission and vision. (Post coming soon). Your unique selling proposition (USP) is the heart of your marketing strategy, telling people why they should pick you over anyone else.
To craft a strong USP do the following:
✔ Identify what customers say you do best
(Yes — look through your reviews. They usually tell you what your true strengths are.)
✔ Extract the one thing you consistently deliver
- Speed
- Customer service
- Specialist expertise
- Reliability
- Local trust
- Safety
- Emergency response
✔ Turn it into a bold value statement
“If your basement is flooding at 2 a.m., we’re the team that answers.”
That’s a value proposition — not fluff!
Step 3. Set Clear Marketing Goals and Objectives
This is where your marketing strategy shifts from “ideas” to an actionable plan. Business plans must show measurable intention.
Strong Examples:
- Grow customer inquiries by 25% in 6 months
- Book 10 new monthly clients through Google Ads
- Increase website traffic by 2,000 visits per month
- Improve online visibility for small business through SEO
- Launch a referral program for customer retention strategies
Use the SMART format (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound). For clear examples see this breakdown on how to use SMART criteria for objectives. If you need help breaking your goals into realistic, measurable pieces, this guide on how to create business goals walks you through the process
Step 4. Choose the Best Marketing Channels for Small Business Growth
This is where most small business owners get overwhelmed — not because channels are complicated, but because there are so many.
Here are the channels I recommend for service businesses based on experience:
✔ Google Business Profile
Still one of the most powerful tools for local service businesses.
✔ Website + SEO
Your website should use clean brand awareness strategy techniques and speak directly to the customer problem you solve.
✔ Content Marketing Plan
Blogs, guides, and tutorial videos build authority — especially in niches like plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and home services.
✔ Digital marketing strategy
This includes:
- Social media ads
- Google Ads
- Email marketing
- Retargeting
- Short-form video platforms
✔ Local marketing strategy
Flyers, vehicle wraps, community events, local partnerships — still highly effective.
Your Company Overview section explains who you serve — now your Marketing Strategy explains how you reach them.
For a deeper dive into selecting practical channels, this small business marketing strategy guide lays out the five keys for choosing the right ones
Step 5. Map Out Your Marketing Funnel (From Awareness to Conversion)
Your marketing strategy needs to show you understand the journey from:
“I’ve never heard of you” to “Here’s my credit card.”
Break down your sales funnel stages:
1. Awareness: People discover your brand (social media, SEO, ads)
2. Interest: They read a blog, click an ad, or join your email list
3. Decision: They compare your pricing and value to competitors
4. Action: They book a consultation, call, or purchase
When you map this out, the marketing strategy section of your business plan becomes 10X clearer.
Step 6. Outline Your Key Marketing Tactics (Your “Actual Plan”)
This step answers the lender’s most important question:
“How will you attract and keep customers?”. Consider the following:
✔ effective marketing strategies for startups
- Referral incentives
- Welcome discounts
- Seasonal promotions
- Local partnerships
✔ uncover how to create a marketing strategy
Plan how you will attract your target audience.
✔ learn how to implement marketing strategies for service businesses
Include tactics such as:
- Service bundles
- Vehicle branding
- Customer reminders
- Email follow-ups
- Maintenance plans
- Video content is especially powerful for trades and service businesses. This guide to video marketing in small business explains how to use it to stand out
✔ key elements of a small business marketing plan
A lender expects to read information about :
- Audience
- Goals
- Channels
- Budget
- Timeline
- Measurement metrics
Step 7. Create a Marketing Budget That Matches Your Growth Stage
Your business plan must include what you expect to spend — even if it’s small.
A typical small business breakdown looks like:
- 40% Google Ads + social ads
- 30% SEO + website
- 20% content creation
- 10% traditional marketing
Be honest about your capacity. Some businesses start with $100 a month — and that’s okay. Anything is better than zero dollars!
Step 8. Measure Your Results With the Right Metrics
Know that you cannot improve what you never measured!
Track:
- Website visits
- Click-through rates
- Calls from Google Business Profile
- Social engagement
- Repeat customer rate
- Review growth
- Email list growth
These marketing performance metrics show lenders and investors you’re serious about growth.Don’t overlook customer experience—this breakdown of what makes good customer experience shows how it influences marketing performance.
📌 Recommended Tools to Support Your Marketing Strategy
These practical tools can help you build out your marketing materials and keep things organized.
1. Epson EcoTank ET-4950 Wireless All-in-One Color Supertank Printer
Excellent for printing proposals, leave-behind materials, and flyers.
2. Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive
Perfect for storing marketing files, photos, templates, and backups.
3. Logitech C920x HD Pro PC Webcam
Great for digital marketing; virtual meetings with your team or clients
Conclusion – How to Create a Marketing Strategy for my Business Plan
Writing a marketing strategy doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth. When broken into simple, logical steps, it becomes a powerful tool to understand your customers, choose the right marketing activities, and prove to lenders that you’re ready to operate at a higher level.
Remember: your marketing strategy isn’t about fancy language — it’s about clarity, consistency, and practical execution. Whether you’re a one-person business or managing multiple teams, these eight steps will help you build a marketing strategy you can actually use.
If you’d like help mapping out your marketing activities or setting up templates for your plan, contact us:
FAQ for How to Write a Marketing Strategy for My Business Plan
What are the key elements of a small business marketing plan?
Audience, goals, value proposition, channels, budget, and metrics.
Why is a marketing strategy important for startups?
It helps small businesses attract customers, reduce waste, and scale with direction.
How do I implement a marketing strategy for my service business?
Define your target audience, choose practical channels, and use a repeatable marketing plan step-by-step.
How to write a marketing strategy for my business plan?
Follow eight steps: research, USP, goals, channels, tactics, budget, funnel, and measurement.
