Do you have a marketing plan? If your answer is “no,” you’re not alone.

Most business owners know they should have a plan—but figuring out where to start can be overwhelming. That’s why today’s post breaks it down into three simple, powerful questions. If you think through each of these, you’ll get better results from your advertising. Guaranteed.

1. Who Is Your Audience?

Before you do anything else, figure out who needs your product or service.

Once you know who your ideal customer is, it’s easier to pick the right platform (Facebook, Instagram, Google, etc.) and create content that speaks directly to them. When your message matches your audience, the results always improve.

2. How Much Should You Spend?

According to HubSpot, the average B2C business spends 6.5% of total revenue on advertising.

This isn’t a hard rule, but it gives you a good benchmark. If your competitors are spending that much, you might want to run the numbers. Just like anything else in business—the more you put in, the more you’ll get out.

3. Who’s Going to Do It?

When it comes to executing your marketing plan, it takes time, money, and content.  The best way to figure out who will take care of your advertising is for you is to look at your budget. 

– Small Budget ($300 or less): Do it yourself. Dedicate 1 hour per week and use free tools. You can get by spending as little as $30/month.

– Medium Budget ($300–$5,000): Hire a freelancer or agency. A good agency should easily pay for itself 3–4x over every month.

– Large Budget ($5,000+): Hire in-house. Having someone full-time, focused solely on your marketing, will outperform an agency. (And if an agency tells you otherwise, they’re not being honest.)

Once you answer these three questions, everything else falls into place.

That’s all for today! As always, if you have questions or want help putting your marketing plan together, don’t hesitate to reach out. We love helping fellow business owners.