A Straightforward Guide for Marketers

A few years ago, I faced one of the most demanding campaigns of my career. The project had an incredibly tight deadline, and my team was juggling multiple tasks with limited resources.

a marketing specialist creates an action plan for a team project

At first I felt completely overwhelmed – until I sat down and made a detailed action plan. By breaking the campaign down into smaller, actionable steps with clear deadlines and responsibilities, everything fell into place.

Not only did we deliver on time, but the campaign exceeded all expectations, generating twice as much engagement as we predicted. That experience taught me the true power of structured planning.

In my experience, an action plan is key when it comes to marketing. It could mean the difference between a campaign that sizzles and one that fails.

Let’s take a closer look at what these plans actually are, how they can benefit you and how to make them.

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What is an action plan?

An action plan is a suggested strategy for everything you want to achieve. It’s a clear, detailed list of all the steps you need to take to achieve your goal, along with a suggested timeline for when you’ll complete each step or task.

You may have heard of action plans in the past, but never tried to create your own. Or maybe this is a completely new concept to you and you’re pretty sure you just heard a chorus of angels in the background.

What is the purpose of the action plan?

Action plans are designed to help you reach your goals faster. By breaking down projects into smaller steps, you can ensure that:

Complete your goal on time.
Don’t skip a step.
Communicate effectively with team members.
Set reasonable expectations for what you can accomplish in a certain amount of time.

Although they will vary in complexity, action plans are good for small projects, large projects, projects that you complete alone, and projects that involve other team members or individuals outside of your organization.

Convinced that you need action plans in your life? Good. Let’s look at the steps needed to implement them.

How to write an action plan

Action plans can be as simple or as complex as they need to be. However, before you start writing down the steps to achieve your goal, you’ll need to identify something very important … your goal, of course!

1. Define your goal.

What would you like to achieve? Is there a new campaign you need to prepare before a specific launch date? You may be partnering with another company or nonprofit for cross-promotion. You may want to increase brand awareness through various channels.

Regardless of your goals, be very clear about what you want, why it’s important, and when you need to do it. I highly recommend creating a SMART action plan by getting involved SMART goals into him.

SMART stands for:

Specifically
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Right on time

This framework helps you determine whether your goals are realistic, identify what actions are needed to achieve your goals, and define what success looks like.

Download HubSpot’s free SMART goals template now.

2. Use a template.

Once you’ve determined what you want to achieve and when you’ll need to do it, it’s time to start coming up with your plan.

I recommend using a template or a tool to record your action plan and share it with everyone who needs to be involved. (You’ll find some options in the next section.)

3. Brainstorm.

Consider all the steps you must take to complete your project. I find it helpful to start with the larger aspects of a project and then break them down into smaller tasks. No task is too small to be listed (let’s be honest, checking things off a to-do list feels overwhelming).

4. Delegate and assign responsibilities to team members.

You don’t have to go alone! Hopefully, you have a trusted team available to help you complete your tasks and bring you closer and closer to your goal. This also allows you to determine what resources you need to achieve your goal.

5. Schedule due dates.

If your project needs to be finished by a certain date (which it should, or could be extended indefinitely), then each task will have a deadline. Note that some tasks can be worked on at the same time, while others will require the previous task to be completed before you can start a new one.

6. Set alerts to keep yourself (and your team) on track.

It is very easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and forget about the bigger project looming in the distance. I suggest using scheduled deadlines to set reminders and pencil in time to work on specific tasks.

7. Track your progress and report back to your team.

I wrote action plans that looked great when I wrote them, but as I worked through them, I discovered that things needed to change. You can experience this too, so if you find yourself falling behind on tasks, it may be time to re-evaluate and potentially adjust your action plan.

If you work with others, communication is key to making sure everyone is on the same page, especially if you need to make changes.

8. Celebrate and review.

Completing a project is often a cause for celebration, but don’t forget to review what worked and what didn’t to make the project better next time.

I’ve found that leadership action plans not only help me achieve my goals, but also help my team understand what they need to do. They also serve to identify weak links in my organization.

Action plan formats may vary depending on the needs of your specific project. However, as long as you include the goal, steps, people involved, and deadlines, you’ll have a solid plan to work with.

Action plan templates

When you’re ready to create an action plan, there’s no need to start from scratch. I’ve put together a few templates to provide the framework you need to design your marketing strategy.

Action plan template

Download HubSpot’s free action plan template now.

HubSpot offers two free action plan templates plus instructions for completing them. I like the simple columns that cover all the essential elements you need for an action plan: description, priority, due date, proxy, status, risks and notes.

It makes it easy for you to get down to business and share your plan with other stakeholders.

I think another big advantage is that you can download the templates in whatever format best suits your company’s needs: Excel, Google Docs, Google Sheets or Word.

Integration plan template

Below is an example of an action plan a 30-60-90 Daily boarding plan. I like it because it can always be adapted to include individuals in a marketing position or to create a marketing plan for your organization.

Download HubSpot’s free 30-60-90 day plan template.

This template helps you define high-level goals and more specific ones that need to be met within a certain time period.

Marketing action plan template

A marketing action plan doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. It can be as simple as this template:

Source

This one takes a slightly different approach than HubSpot mentioned above. It provides columns for description, responsible person, start and end dates, resources, blockers, and outcomes.

As you search for the right action plan template, consider which one fits your project’s needs and goals — or adjust the headers to match your needs.

Marketing plan template

Another resource I recommend is Hubspot’s Marketing Plan Template. This is more than an action plan.

It guides you through the entire process of planning a marketing campaign. If you’re looking for a template to create a comprehensive plan, check this one out. Your specific action plans can then fit under the umbrella marketing plan.

No matter how you do it, creating an action plan can take some time. However, I guarantee that you will save time, energy and resources when you have a clear plan of action for your next project or campaign.

Tips for creating an action Plan

Want to make action planning not only efficient, but also something you actually look forward to? Check out my tips and tricks to help you streamline the process and stay on top of your game.

Use project management tools. Tools like Trello, Asana or Monday.com can be your best friend for organizing things. They allow you to create, assign and track tasks with ease, while ensuring smooth collaboration with your team.
Start with a brain dump. Ever feel like you’re juggling too many ideas? Write down everything – yes, everything – without worrying about order. When it’s all out of your head, you can start to organize it logically.
Prioritize like a pro. Not every task deserves your immediate attention. Use tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to find out what’s urgent and important. Focusing on them first will help you avoid the procrastination trap.