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Outline for a Marketing Plan

by Tim Berry

The exact nature of your business, your marketing strategy, and the uses for your marketing plan dictate its contents. You add detail or take it away to suit your needs. In the real world you’ll want to customize your outline according to whether you are selling products or services, to businesses or consumers, or you’re a nonprofit organization.

Palo Alto Software partnered with marketing guru John Jantsch, creator of the proven Duct Tape Marketing System, in the developement of Marketing Plan Pro v11 powered by Duct Tape Marketing. The software has several outlines to help you tailor your marketing plan.

The 30-Minute Marketing Plan offers just the basics, a very simple plan that you can get done quickly. It is a good way to document your thinking, or just get started. It lets users who are already familiar with the Duct Tape Marketing System briefly summarize the main sections of the marketing action plan.
Click here to see a PDF of a 30 Minute Marketing Plan outline

The Basic Marketing Plan is a modest marketing plan for the people who don’t have the time, or the need for an extremely detailed plan. You can start here, including such topics as internal Marketing Training, drafting your Marketing Materials, and more. You can Switch to the Standard plan later when you need to expand your marketing activities.
Click here to see a PDF of a Basic Marketing Plan outline for the same company.

The Standard Marketing Plan walks you through all the steps of the Duct Tape Marketing System. It includes the most detail, and breaks each task down into smaller steps for you to plan your marketing actions in detail.
Click here to see a PDF of a Standard Marketing Plan outline for the same company.

The marketing plan examples linked above show how the same company begins its marketing program with a simple action plan and then expands its plan and activities. Note that in each case the idea is to write a plan that serves just the needs of moment. It is an action plan.

Write the plan, take the actions, review the results. Keep what works, change what doesn’t, and expand the plan and the actions as the company grows.

{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }

SENKASI HENRY September 1, 2008 at 6:00 am

I appreciate the guidance outline on the marketing plan. I would however prefer a book – soft copy concerning the systematic development of a marketing plan & how to undertake a successful market research. I have high affinity for a career in marketing.

With regards/Thanks

SENKASI HENRY

Albert Opiyo October 24, 2008 at 7:10 am

Dear All

I need more details on Marketing Plan writing.

Can I have anything above those that are displayed on your site and if yes How can I get them.

Regards

Albert O. Opiyo

Kim Taylor November 5, 2008 at 8:51 pm

Hi I am working on a group marketing plan for with a couple of
classmate, I am having the hardest time coming up with a name, for our Marketing plan project.our foucus for this program is to offer free medical service. to unsuried mothers and children within the community.our service will be operating from a moblie unit, traveling to various local commuinty offering health care screening and free vaccine to children, any Ideal how I should start the Marketing Plan since this is a free service non-for profit.
all money will comes from grants and help from the local community. sfaffing services would be base off of volunteer services. Please offer any help as to if your company offer template for a community base free services.

Thanks
K.T

Thanks
K.T

David Wood November 28, 2008 at 11:54 pm

Wow there is a lot to learn

Asif Hameed January 14, 2009 at 6:36 am

It really provide a good help of mine to learn about Merketing plan.

Thanks & Regards.

A.T.Weerasiri February 17, 2009 at 1:05 am

I appreciate this marketing plan , because we have no proper & clear guidance about how to write a marketing plan. I think this is a good chance for students like us who do further studies about Marketing.

Laryea Derek Barnabas April 1, 2009 at 5:23 am

Its great to help marketers out with a sample outline like that. Marketing is truly the greatest need of an organisation that needs to survive in this current competitive era.
I suggest you serve us with information on Service Marketing.
Because its an area i believe is going to benefit marketers in the coming years.
From Ghana.

1mmanuel Abella May 26, 2009 at 9:17 pm

It’s a great help! I really appreciate all your effort on helping the needy. I am currently expanding my business, and your site has been my “holy bible” for business.

MORE POWER TO YOU

Njoroge Muigai June 1, 2009 at 6:49 am

Thanks alot,this info has helped me in doing my assignment.

Andy June 6, 2009 at 2:41 pm

Hi, I’m working on a writing of a marketing plan outline. “Payment terms” in the 4ps’ analysis is difficult for me. I have already searched most of the articles on this website, but I didn’t find any related information. Would you please tell me where can I find the article which contains the information of “Payment terms” on your website?

Robert R. Thomas June 13, 2009 at 10:10 pm

Tim this is great. most of us talk about having a plan of action, but this puts it right in your face to use more effectively. Thanks, great stuff. Keep up the good work.

keiynan lonsdale June 17, 2009 at 10:44 pm

Thanks heaps, this helped me with my business assessment as well.

Leonard Makori July 30, 2009 at 1:33 pm

Hi I am realy delighted that I have found a professional help through this marketing plan.Since I was promoted as a marketing manager I have recorded upward production growth in my region.Thanks a lot for this assistance

Tim August 25, 2009 at 2:44 pm

Wow – this is a superb resource and has obviously taken a long time to put together. Small businesses and entrepreneurs can learn a lot here. We’ll be recommending these pages to everyone!

http://www.marketing-made-simple.com/articles/marketing-plan.htm

Rao Muhammad Yunus February 3, 2010 at 1:10 pm

I am working in a dental marketing company which sells dental medicines ,materials and medicines.Could you please suggest any marketing plan free of cost

Chelle February 3, 2010 at 3:36 pm

Rao,

You can go ahead and check the sample marketing plans collected on this website, but also realize there are a lot of tools out there and resources designed to help you write your plan. When trying to use a sample plan as a starting point, you’re not really writing a plan for your business. Your best bet is to use the guidance offered and start out on your own.

John Jantsch did a great job in explaining how quickly you can get to implementation once you have your plan in place. I would suggest looking into purchasing our Marketing Plan Pro powered by Duct Tape Marketing software, or check out more of the free resources and sample plans on this site.

Thanks for your question.

duncan sakimpa July 16, 2010 at 1:21 pm

The information i found out in the marketing plan has been very helpful to me in doing my assignments, the examples given are exemplary.
Thanks.

Sakimpa.

Ram January 28, 2011 at 7:35 am

This is really very good site. thanks a lot.

Dan June 22, 2011 at 9:21 am

This website has helped my company tremendously!!!

Tim Love October 28, 2011 at 4:36 pm

Thank you for posting such a tremendous wealth of resources on setting up marketing plans. These marketing plans have helped me in explaining to clients various options open to them, running a small business sometimes taking up most of their available working time, some times key elements such as customer and lead generation become left out – much to their detriment!

Asela T October 30, 2011 at 10:08 am

Very good samples of the basic model of a marketing plan

theinfojunkie January 19, 2012 at 4:55 am

This site is fantastic wish I knew who the hosting company was and web designer. However; the info provided by Tim Berry far exceeded my expectations.

If you’re ever hosting an event in the Chicago land area please put me on your mailing list.

Bravo Sir Tim

Geurcute February 18, 2012 at 12:50 pm

Do you have to have a marketing plan for a small Antique/Vintage Mini Mall, where I rent space to individuals so they can sell their vintage items?

beverly aguillon February 21, 2012 at 11:02 pm

i want example of marketin plan

Jennifer March 9, 2012 at 2:03 pm

Well done!! clear and very good plans! thanks for your effort

admin March 16, 2012 at 5:36 pm

You can click the Sample Plans tab at the very tab of your screen, or just click this link: http://www.mplans.com/sample_marketing_plans.php

admin March 16, 2012 at 5:37 pm

You can view our entire list of sample marketing plans at http://www.mplans.com/sample_marketing_plans.php

admin March 16, 2012 at 5:39 pm

The page was designed, and is hosted, by the team at Palo Alto Software – parent company of Mplans. Thanks for the kind words!

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