The biggest mistake in small business marketing: no strategy
If you run a small business or charity, you need a simple digital marketing plan that lines up your goals, audience, channels and content. A joined-up digital marketing strategy for small businesses helps you spend smarter, show up where people search, and measure what matters.
What is a digital marketing plan (and why small businesses need one)
A digital marketing plan is a short, practical document that explains:
What you want to achieve (your business goals)
Who you want to reach (your audiences and segments)
Where you will show up (your key channels)
What you will say (your messages and content pillars)
How you will measure success (KPIs and simple dashboards)
For small business marketing, having a plan keeps you focused. It stops you posting just to keep up, wasting budget, or copying competitors without knowing why. It also helps you brief freelancers or agencies clearly.
Where to focus your digital marketing efforts
Start with your goals and your audience — then choose the channels that make the most sense for your business:
Website and SEO: Still your digital home. Keep it fast, accessible and regularly updated with content built around real search terms your audience uses.
Email marketing: Own your list. Use simple segmentation and automation for key touchpoints like welcome emails or follow-ups. Make every send valuable.
Social search and social media: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest are now search engines. Create helpful, human content with keywords and clear captions.
LLM and AI search (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini): Make sure your brand appears in AI answers by keeping your owned content, FAQs, reviews and thought leadership up to date.
Paid media: Use it to boost what’s already working. Don’t start here -use it to amplify.
Analytics and first-party data: With privacy changes, your own data is more important than ever. Set up basic tracking and keep your reports simple.
When to update your digital marketing plan
You don’t need to review your plan every day but don’t ignore it either. Here’s a rhythm that works for most small businesses:
Once a year: Step back and review your goals, budget and priorities. What’s changed? What do you want the next year to look like?
Every few months: Check how things are going. What’s working? What’s not? Are you spending your time and money in the right places?
Each month: Take 10 minutes to look at your key numbers. Which content is landing well? Are there any gaps or small wins to build on?
Why your small business needs a strategy more than ever
Time and budget are limited: A plan helps you cut out distractions and focus on the things that actually make a difference.
Search has changed: People now find you through Google, social platforms and AI tools. Strategy makes sure you show up in all three.
Content must connect: Consistency across your website, socials, email and ads builds trust and makes you more memorable.
Measurement matters: Clear KPIs help you see what’s working, pause what’s not, and reinvest wisely.
What to include in a simple, working digital marketing plan
Business goals and successes
Know what success looks like whether that’s more bookings, enquiries, higher order values, repeat customers, donations or sign-ups. Make sure every bit of marketing links back to one of these.
Audience and problems to solve
Who are your audience? Where do they hang out online? What do they struggle with, and how do they describe it? Use this to shape your keywords, content and offers.
Positioning and messaging
What makes you different? Why should someone choose you over a competitor? Write down 3 to 5 key messages you can reuse across your marketing.
Channel plan
Pick channels that match your audience and your time. For each one, define its purpose, content types, posting frequency and main goal.
Content pillars and formats
Choose 3 to 5 content themes that align with your audience’s needs and your expertise. Then turn them into blogs, reels, emails or guides. Repurpose where you can.
Measurement and reporting
Choose a few key metrics per channel. Check them monthly. Learn, tweak and keep going.
Governance and workflows
Who’s doing what, when? What tools are you using? Keep it simple, but clear enough so things actually get done.
Where most small businesses go wrong
No clear goals, so it’s hard to measure progress
Trying to be everywhere with inconsistent content
Relying too much on social algorithms, without owning a list
Chasing trends instead of focusing on your audience
No regular check-ins or reviews, so nothing improves
If any of the above feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. I work with small businesses and charities to create clear, practical marketing strategies that actually fit your time, budget and goals. Contact Penny to arrange a free discovery call.
