How to Write a Marketing Strategy for Your Small Business (Without Wasting Time or Money)
There are two common extremes when it comes to creating a marketing strategy for a small business.
The first? Spending weeks building a beautifully formatted, overly detailed document that looks impressive… but never actually gets used.
The second? Paying a significant amount of money for a strategy that feels clever and complex, only for it to quietly gather digital dust while day-to-day business takes over.
Neither approach works.
A marketing strategy should not be a corporate-style business plan. Nor should it be a theoretical exercise filled with jargon and grand visions. A good small business marketing strategy is practical. It is rooted in research. It informs daily decisions. And most importantly, it keeps you focused on activity that drives growth.
If you are wondering how to write a marketing strategy for your small business, here is what actually matters.
Start With Clear Marketing Goals (Not Big Dreams)
One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make is confusing business ambitions with marketing objectives.
“I want to double turnover” is a business goal.
“Increase qualified enquiries by 20% over the next six months” is a marketing goal.
A strong marketing strategy for a small business focuses on specific, measurable outcomes that marketing activity can directly influence. That might include improving website traffic, ranking for particular keywords such as “marketing consultant Sussex”, increasing conversion rates, or generating a consistent number of leads per month.
These goals should be realistic and rooted in your current position. They give your marketing structure. Without them, everything becomes reactive. You post because you feel you should. You try a new platform because someone else is using it. You invest in advertising because it sounds like a good idea.
Clear marketing goals create direction and accountability.
2. Market Analysis: Insight Over Intimidation
Market analysis does not need to feel academic, but it does need to be intentional.
When developing a marketing strategy for a small business, you should understand:
Is demand for your service increasing, stable or declining?
What language are people using when they search?
What questions repeatedly appear in Google results?
What frustrations are surfacing in industry conversations?
Looking at search behaviour, trends and recurring pain points gives you direction. It shows you what your audience actually cares about, rather than what you assume they care about.
However, surface-level research only tells part of the story. Deeper analysis can uncover gaps in positioning, shifts in buyer expectations, and opportunities that are not immediately obvious. Interpreting that information correctly is what turns research into a competitive advantage.
3. Carry Out Competitor Analysis Based on Search Reality
Your competitors are not just the businesses you know personally or see on social media. They are the ones ranking in Google when your ideal client searches for your service.
If you want to be found for terms like “small business marketing strategy”, “marketing consultant Sussex” or “social media marketing for B2B”, then the businesses appearing on page one are your real competition.
Analysing them properly goes far beyond glancing at their homepages. It involves understanding how their websites are structured, how they position their services, what keywords they are targeting, and how effectively they convert traffic into enquiries. It also means assessing their content strategy, their authority signals, and how consistently they show up online.
On social media, it is not simply about how often they post. It is about how they communicate, what type of content builds engagement, and whether their messaging aligns with a clear target audience.
Competitor analysis should not lead to imitation. It should lead to clarity. It shows you the standard required to compete and highlights opportunities to differentiate.
Done properly, this step alone can transform your marketing direction.
4. Understanding Your Target Audience Properly
A marketing strategy cannot succeed without a deep understanding of your target audience.
Many small businesses describe their audience in broad terms. For example, “small business owners” or “start-ups”. That is rarely enough.
A strong strategy explores:
What specific challenges they are facing
What has frustrated them about previous solutions
What objections stop them buying
What outcome they truly want
Where they spend time online
Are they overwhelmed and short on time? Are they sceptical because they have invested in marketing before without seeing results? Are they actively searching for guidance, or do they need educating first?
Your messaging, website structure, content marketing and calls to action should all be shaped by these insights.
Understanding your audience at this level requires more than guesswork. It requires research, conversation and honest evaluation. It also requires the confidence to narrow your focus rather than trying to appeal to everyone.5. Bonus tip: start small, build smart
Even with free tools, the key is consistency, planning, and insight. Pick a couple of tools to start with, maybe scheduling + Canva, then layer in analytics and trend research as you go. You’ll be amazed at how much you can do without spending a penny.
Free tools don’t mean free results by accident. The magic comes from using them strategically, consistently, and creatively. And if you ever want to take your marketing further without the stress, we’re always here to help small businesses in Sussex , Surrey and beyond get visible, get leads, and feel in control.
5. Turn Insight Into Practical, Focused Tactics
Once your research is clear, the tactical side of your marketing strategy becomes far more effective.
For your website, this might mean:
Structuring core pages around specific services and keywords
Creating content that supports your SEO strategy
Ensuring every page has a clear, compelling call to action
Aligning messaging directly with your audience’s pain points
For social media marketing, it might involve:
Choosing one or two platforms based on where your audience genuinely engages
Defining a realistic posting frequency
Planning content themes that build authority and trust
Including consistent calls to action that drive enquiries rather than passive engagement
For content marketing, it means producing valuable, keyword-informed content that answers real questions and strengthens your visibility over time.
A good marketing strategy for a small business is not about being everywhere. It is about being strategic, consistent and intentional.
The Difference Between a Document and a Working Strategy
The true value of a marketing strategy isn’t in how it looks, it’s in how it shapes the decisions you make every day. It helps you focus on the right priorities, avoid distractions, and feel confident that your activity is aligned with clear, achievable goals.
Creating that kind of strategy requires objectivity, honest assessment, and sometimes the ability to challenge assumptions or cut through ideas that feel exciting but aren’t commercially practical. That’s where working with an experienced consultant can make a real difference. Someone like Remarkabull Marketing brings practical insight, advanced research and clear guidance to ensure your strategy isn’t just a document, but a working plan that drives results.
If you want your marketing to feel purposeful instead of reactive, it’s worth talking to a consultant who can help you build a strategy that you actually use—one that sits at the centre of how your business grows.
Why Working With Remarkabull Marketing Gives You the Edge
You can try to write your own marketing strategy. But will it be objective? Commercially grounded? Built on the right data to actually get results?
When you’re deep in your business, it’s tough to see gaps clearly, assess competitors without bias, challenge assumptions, or focus on what truly drives revenue rather than what just feels comfortable. That’s where an experienced consultant makes all the difference.
At Remarkabull Marketing, we don’t do templated strategies or theory-heavy documents. We provide:
Advanced competitor and keyword research that actually informs your strategy
Clear, focused marketing goals aligned with growth, not vanity metrics
Honest, straight-talking advice about what is worth your time and budget
A tactical plan that is practical, realistic, and built to deliver measurable results
Most importantly, our strategies aren’t for filing away, they’re designed to be used. To guide decisions, keep you on track, and make your marketing purposeful rather than reactive.
If your marketing feels inconsistent or unclear, it’s rarely because of effort, it’s usually down to strategy. Working with Remarkabull means getting clarity, focus, and a plan that actually moves your business forward.
Ready to see how this could work for your business? Book a free strategy session with us, no obligation, no pressure, just a conversation about your business and how we can help you grow.
Claim the offer now by emailing lydia@remarkabull.co.uk or contact us here.