Marketing Plan

What Is a Marketing Plan?

A marketing plan “is a written document that summarizes what the marketer has learned about

the marketplace and indicates how the firm plans to reach its marketing objectives. It contains

tactical guidelines for the marketing programs and financial allocations over the planning

period.” [4]A marketing plan provides a specific marketing direction for a small business and is a

very valuable tool if it is done correctly. Because the ultimate purpose of the plan is to generate

efficient, profitable action, the marketing plan should consist of usable, practical instructions

that are designed to ensure that resources are properly applied. [5]

Marketing plans can range from a one-page summary to more than one hundred pages.

Although it is said by some that the ideal marketing plan length for a stand-alone document (i.e.,

a document that is not part of the total business plan for a company) is twenty to fifty

pages, [6] the length of a marketing plan for a small business can be any length that will satisfy

the needs of the business. The page count of the plan may not be a good way to measure the

adequacy of the plan. The marketing plan should be measured by readability and

summarization.