Here’s something nobody wants to admit: most marketing plans are complete rubbish. They consume budgets, frustrate teams, and deliver almost nothing. And it’s not usually because the tactics were wrong – it’s because the plan was broken before anyone even started executing it.
If your marketing feels like throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks, you’re not alone. I’m going to walk through exactly why this happens and how to fix it. And if you’re tired of plans that look pretty in PowerPoint but fall apart in reality, let’s talk. I work with companies as a Fractional CMO to build marketing plans that actually deliver.
Where Marketing Plans Go Wrong
They Skip the Diagnosis
Most people jump straight to “let’s run some Instagram ads” without asking the hard questions first. What’s actually working right now? What’s broken? Where do we stand compared to competitors? You wouldn’t take medicine without a diagnosis, but marketers do this constantly.
Start by understanding where you are. Run a brand audit. Talk to your customers. Look at what competitors are doing. Get the full picture before you make a single decision about tactics.
The Goals Are Meaningless
“We want to grow the brand” tells you absolutely nothing. It’s not a goal, it’s a daydream. Without proper SMART goals, nobody knows what they’re aiming for or whether they’ve hit it.
Be specific. Instead of vague aspirations, try something like:
- Take unaided brand awareness from 20% to 35% in the next 12 months
- Increase online sales by 25% this quarter
- Add 15% more email subscribers by December
Now you’ve got something real to work toward.
Tactics Don’t Match the Strategy
This is where businesses waste the most money. Someone reads that TikTok is hot, so suddenly there’s £20k allocated to TikTok ads, despite your audience is 55 year old accountants who’ve never opened the app.
Every single tactic needs to serve your actual goals. Building awareness? Focus on reach channels. Driving conversions? Email and PPC are your friends. Don’t chase trends. Chase results.
The Plan Tries to Do Everything
I’ve seen marketing plans with 25 objectives and 50 tactics. They’re doomed before the ink dries. You can’t do everything, and trying to means you’ll do nothing well.
Pick 2-3 main objectives. That’s it. Then choose the tactics that will move the needle on those specific goals. A focused plan with fewer moving parts will always outperform a bloated mess.
They Forget About the Funnel
Too many plans obsess over one part of the customer journey and ignore the rest. Usually it’s sales—everyone wants conversions yesterday. But if nobody knows your brand exists, you’re not converting anyone.
Think about the full journey. Use broad campaigns to get on people’s radar. Create content that helps them evaluate options. Run retargeting to push them over the line. Then actually look after them post-purchase so they come back. Every stage matters.
Nobody Measures Anything (Or They Do, Then Ignore It)
Marketing isn’t something you launch and walk away from. But plenty of plans have no process for tracking what’s happening or adjusting course when things go sideways.
Check your numbers regularly. Are you hitting your KPIs? If not, figure out why. Use the data to understand what’s working and change what isn’t. Marketing requires constant attention and tweaking.
What Actually Works
Do Your Homework First
Before you write anything down:
- Audit where your brand actually stands
- Research your audience properly
- Analyse competitors to find gaps you can exploit
Set Goals That Mean Something
Make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Prioritize them too—you can’t chase five top priorities at once.
Make Tactics Serve Strategy
Choose tactics because they’ll achieve your objectives, not because they sound cool or everyone else is doing them.
Balance Long and Short Term
You need brand-building for the long game and sales activation for immediate results. The research suggests around a 60/40 split works well. 60% on building the brand, 40% on driving sales.
Actually Track Performance
Set regular check-ins. Look at reach, engagement, ROI. Whatever metrics matter for your goals. Then adjust based on what you learn.
Let’s Fix Your Marketing Plan
Building a marketing plan that works takes a proper understanding of your market, clear objectives, and disciplined execution. If your current plan isn’t delivering, I can help.
Get in touch and let’s build something that aligns with your business goals and drives real results. As a Fractional CMO, I bring the expertise and focus to transform your marketing from frustrating to effective. The best marketing plans aren’t just written, they’re executed with purpose and adjusted until they work.