What's in a Marketing Strategy, and What Should It Cost? A Guide for Small Businesses

"You need a marketing strategy" is advice most small business owners have heard. Far fewer have been told what one actually contains, how it differs from a to-do list of social posts, or what a fair price for one looks like.

This guide covers what a useful marketing strategy for a small business should include, what it shouldn't, how to judge whether one is any good, and what drives the cost. It also covers when you can write one yourself, because for some businesses that's the right answer.

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The short answer

A marketing strategy is a written plan that answers four questions: who you're trying to reach, what you want to say to them, where and how you'll reach them, and how you'll know it's working. For a small business, a good one is short enough to read in one sitting, specific about what to do first, and realistic about the time and money you have.

What it costs depends on how much research goes into it and how much support comes with it. Some businesses write their own for free, and a professionally prepared strategy for a small business is typically a one-off project fee rather than an ongoing cost.

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Strategy, plan and tactics: what's the difference?

These words get mixed up all the time, and it causes problems when you're comparing quotes.

• Strategy is the thinking: who your best customers are, what makes you the right choice for them, and which few things will make the biggest difference.
• Plan is the timetable: what happens this month, next quarter and this year, and who does it.
• Tactics are the individual actions: a post, an email, an ad, a new page on your website.

Many businesses jump straight to tactics, because they're visible and feel productive. Without the strategy behind them, it's hard to know which tactics are worth the effort. A good strategy document includes all three, but in that order.

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What a useful marketing strategy should include

The exact sections vary, but for a small business I'd expect to see these.

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1. A snapshot of where you are now

An honest look at your current marketing: your website, your Google Business Profile, your social channels, how you show up in search and AI tools, and where your customers actually come from. This is usually based on an audit, and it should tell you plainly what's working and what isn't.

2. Your goals, in numbers where possible

Not "grow the business", but something you can check, such as "an average of five enquiries a week by the end of March" or "20 bookings a month from the website". The goals should come from your business, not from the marketing.

3. Who your customers are

A clear description of the people you're trying to reach: who they are, what problem they have, what they search for, and what makes them choose one business over another. If you have more than one type of customer, the strategy should say which matters most.

4. What you'll say to them

Your main message, in plain words, and the reasons a customer should choose you. This is what keeps your website, social posts and conversations consistent.

5. Which channels, and why

The specific places you'll focus on, with reasons. Just as important is the list of channels you'll leave alone for now. A small business can't do everything well, and a good strategy says no to plenty.

6. A phased roadmap

What to do first, what comes next, and what can wait. For most small businesses, a plan that runs in stages over the next few months is far more useful than a five-year vision.

7. A content plan

What you'll post or publish, roughly how often, and on which topics. Ideally with a simple calendar you can fill in and keep using after the strategy is handed over.

8. How you'll measure it

A short list of the numbers that matter, how to track them, and when to review. If the strategy can't tell you how you'll know it's working, it isn't finished.

9. A fit with your time and budget

This is the section most strategies skip, and I think it's the most important. A plan built for ten hours a week will fail if you have two. Every recommendation should be realistic for the time, money and skills you actually have.

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What a marketing strategy shouldn't be

• A thick report you never open. If it doesn't fit in your head after one read, it's too long.
• A list of every channel. Being everywhere is not a strategy.
• Jargon you can't explain to someone else. If you can't explain the plan, you can't carry it out.
• A sales pitch in disguise. If every recommendation leads to buying more services from the person who wrote it, be wary.

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How to tell if a strategy is any good

Read it, then ask yourself five questions:

1. Do I know exactly what to do in the first month?
2. Does it fit the time I really have each week?
3. Does it explain why, not just what?
4. Could I hand it to someone new and they'd understand it?
5. Will I know in three months whether it's working?

If the answer to any of these is no, go back to whoever wrote it and ask for that part to be fixed.

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What drives the cost

There's no standard price for a marketing strategy, because the work behind it varies a lot. These are the things that make the biggest difference:

• How much research goes in. A strategy based on a proper look at your website, search visibility, competitors and customers takes longer than one based on a single conversation.
• How many products, services or customer types you have. One clear offer for one type of customer is simpler than five.
• What's handed over. A document alone costs less than a document plus templates, a content calendar and a walkthrough session.
• Support afterwards. Some strategies include follow-up time to answer questions; others end when the document is delivered.

Whatever you're quoted, ask exactly what's included, how long it will take, and what you'll have at the end.

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Can you write your own marketing strategy?

Yes, and if your business is simple, your budget is tight and you enjoy this kind of thinking, writing your own is a sensible place to start. My guide to building a startup marketing plan in eight steps walks you through it.

Where outside help earns its fee is in the parts that are hard to do on your own: seeing your business the way a stranger does, knowing which channels are realistic for your sector, and saying no to things you're attached to. It's very hard to audit your own marketing objectively, because you're too close to it.

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How my Marketing Strategy works

My Marketing Strategy package is a fixed price of €1,600. It starts with a conversation about your goals and how much time you can realistically give to marketing, then an audit of what you're doing now. The result is one written strategy in plain English, covering the sections above, with a phased roadmap, a content plan and the measures to track. A strategy usually takes three to four weeks, and we go through it together on a call so you can ask about anything that isn't clear.

Afterwards you can run it yourself, come back for specific pieces, or work with me on an ongoing basis. There's no lock-in.

If you want to know what's holding your marketing back before you commit to a full strategy, a Marketing Health Check at €249 is a lighter starting point, and its fee comes off the price of the Strategy if you go ahead. Or book a free consultation and we'll work out which suits you.

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Frequently asked questions

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What should a small business marketing strategy include?

At minimum: where you are now, your goals, who your customers are, what you'll say to them, which channels you'll use and why, a phased plan, and how you'll measure results. It should also fit the time and budget you actually have.

How long should a marketing strategy be?

Long enough to be specific and short enough to read in one sitting. For most small businesses, that's a focused document rather than a thick report.

What's the difference between a marketing strategy and a marketing plan?

The strategy is the thinking about who to reach, what to say and where to focus. The plan is the timetable of actions that puts it into practice. A good strategy document usually includes both.

How often should I update my marketing strategy?

Review progress every three months and update the plan as you learn what's working. Revisit the whole strategy once a year, or sooner if your business changes significantly.

Is a marketing audit the same as a marketing strategy?

No. An audit looks at what you're doing now and how well it's working. A strategy uses those findings to set out what to do next. A good strategy is usually built on an audit.