Let’s be real: most of us don’t have time to build a flawless, color-coded, Pinterest-worthy marketing plan. In my experience, the people who DO HAVE a flawless plan likely have trouble with completing the plan (it’s a stalling tactic; see ‘The Perfection Trap' below).
If you’re like me, you’re too busy juggling client work, emails, invoicing, and maybe trying to sneak in a workout or a few minutes of peace before the next Zoom call.
The truth? Marketing planning isn’t about creating a “perfect” system. It’s about giving yourself a clear direction: a roadmap you can follow even when life throws curveballs. And life WILL throw you plenty of curveballs.
Marketing Plan: Avoid The Perfection Trap
When we chase perfection in our marketing plans, two things usually happen:
- We get so stuck trying to make the plan perfect that we never actually start.
- We burn out trying to follow a rigid plan that doesn’t fit our real life.
Sound familiar? That’s because perfectionism and marketing don’t mix. Marketing is a test. Why wait when you’re learning what will (maybe, possibly) work?
PLUS… Business shifts. Algorithms change. Your energy ebbs and flows.
No plan will ever be flawless (and it doesn’t need to be).
Don’t fall into this trap. It doesn’t serve you or your business to sit on the sidelines.
It might sound silly, but you have to do marketing to know whether it works. I’ve seen too many business owners ‘wait and see’ when they needed to ‘test and adjust’ to make a bigger impact.
Create a Marketing Plan that Keeps You Moving
What matters most is knowing your next step. Think of marketing planning as a compass, not a GPS.
- A compass provides direction: you’re heading north (to where, we don’t know!).
- A GPS tries to control every turn, every stop, and recalculates the moment you drift.
Your marketing plan should be that compass. It gives you focus and clarity, but it doesn’t punish you if you take a detour.
As a project manager at the City of Portland, and now as a marketing consultant, I guide projects with ‘structured flexibility.’ This means we’ve charted the course, but we build in enough flexibility so we can be agile once we have more information.
If you don’t have a plan, it’s hard to know where you’re going, and darn near impossible to know when you’ve gotten there. It's draining to make things up as you go.
Marketing Success Through Simplicity
OK, I kind of teased this. Trust me. I’ve ridden the bike as I built it. It’s not fun.
The biggest misconception is that your marketing plan needs to be something super complex. It doesn’t. Planning only needs to help you in these key areas:
- Write enough down to reduce decision fatigue. When you know your priorities, you waste less energy second-guessing.
- Create a schedule that builds consistency. Small, imperfect actions done regularly beat a polished plan sitting in a drawer.
- Don’t over-plan: leave room for life. If you miss a day or pivot mid-month, you’re still moving (and not starting over).
During this month’s membership quarterly planning session, I showed members how a simple Google doc can guide them through a successful quarter.
Keep it simple. Essentials only.
Focus on the joy of crossing things off and tracking your progress.
How to Simplify Your Marketing Efforts
Here’s how you can start planning for direction, not perfection:
- Set a theme for the month. (Example: visibility, lead generation, or client retention.) Select a broad theme you can speak about throughout the month.
- Pick 2–3 core tactics. Don’t try to “do it all.” Focus on tactics that attract leads. If you’re not sure which tactics attract leads, then ask people how they found you and start tracking a few KPIs so you know what to focus on next month.
- Schedule weekly check-ins. Ask: Am I still on course? Do I need to adjust? Checking in with yourself keeps you motivated. If you know it’s on your calendar, you won’t want to disappoint yourself.
- Celebrate progress. Done is better than perfect. Direction builds momentum. Even the smallest actions deserve celebration.
Effective Marketing is about DOING
The best marketing plans are lived, not laminated.
They’re flexible enough to bend when your life or business shifts. And when you approach planning this way, you’ll find it feels lighter, more sustainable, and (BONUS!) more effective.
So the next time you feel pressure to make your marketing plan perfect, remember: your business doesn’t need perfection.
It needs your steady, imperfect, values-driven action in the right direction.
Ready to transform your marketing plans? Attend an upcoming event: