Your 2027 marketing plan: where should a business owner start?

As the end of the year approaches, many business owners start thinking about what they want to achieve next. You may have a turnover target, plans to enter a new market or ambitions to win more of the right kind of customer. But what does marketing need to do to help make that happen?

A useful marketing plan does more than list campaigns and social media posts. It connects your business goals to clear priorities, a realistic budget, named responsibilities and a way to measure progress.

If you’re planning for 2027, these five questions will help you get started.

1. What does the business need marketing to achieve?

Start with the business goal, then work backwards. If you want to grow revenue, consider where that growth will come from. Is the priority to win new customers, increase sales from existing ones, launch a service or strengthen your position in a particular market?

Be specific. “Raise awareness” can be a useful aim, but it is difficult

to plan or measure on its own. “Generate more enquiries from facilities managers in Northern Ireland” gives your team a clearer direction.

You don’t need a long list of objectives. Two or three meaningful priorities will help you make better decisions about where to spend your time and money.

2. Which customers and opportunities deserve your attention?

Trying to reach everyone can spread a limited budget too thinly. Look at your current customers: which relationships are most profitable, which have room to grow, and which are a particularly good fit for your business?

Then consider the opportunities ahead. You might have strong demand in one sector, an untapped group of existing customers or a new market that warrants testing.

Understanding who you want to reach will shape your messages, the channels you use and the activities you choose. It will also help you say no to ideas that sound appealing but do little to support your goals.

3. What has worked so far?

Before adding new activity, take stock of what you already do. Look beyond likes and impressions to the measures that matter to your business. Where did your best enquiries come from? Which events led to worthwhile conversations? What content helped customers make a decision?

Ask your sales and customer-facing colleagues what they are hearing, too. They may spot questions, objections or opportunities that do not show up in a marketing report.

Keep what is working, improve what has potential and be willing to stop activity that consumes time without delivering a useful result.

4. Who will deliver the plan?

A marketing plan is only useful if someone has the time and skills to carry it out. Consider what your in-house team can realistically manage alongside their other responsibilities.

You may need support with specialist work such as website improvements, content creation or campaign delivery. You may also need someone to lead the plan, coordinate suppliers and keep activity moving.

Be clear about ownership. For each priority, decide who will make decisions, who will do the work and when you will review progress.

5. What will it cost, and how will you know it’s working?

Putting figures against your plans makes it easier to choose between competing ideas. Include likely costs for creative work, advertising, events, software and any external support. Build in the time your own team will need as well.

You can begin with a budget range if the final figure has not been agreed. This allows you to compare what is possible at different levels of investment and set priorities before committing to spend.

Choose a small number of measures linked to your objectives. These might include qualified enquiries, meetings with target customers, conversion rates or revenue from a particular service. Review them regularly so you can adjust the plan as you learn.

What might a 12-month tactical plan look like?

Your plan does not need to be complicated. A spreadsheet can give you a clear working view of the year:

Priority	Activity	Timing	Budget	Owner	Measure
Grow sales in a target sector	Refresh sector-specific website content and case studies	January–March	To be agreed	Marketing team and specialist support	Relevant enquiries
Build relationships with prospective customers	Run a focused programme of outreach and events	April–September	To be agreed	Business development lead	Meetings with target customers
Increase sales from existing customers	Develop a customer communications programme	Throughout the year	To be agreed	Account leads and marketing team	Repeat enquiries and sales

The value is in the thinking behind each row. Why is this activity worth doing? How does it support a business goal? Who will deliver it? What result would make it worthwhile?

Start with a plan you can use

Your 2027 plan does not have to predict every opportunity or challenge the year will bring. It should give your team a shared direction and enough structure to make informed decisions as circumstances change.

At LMC Associates, we help business owners and marketing teams turn growth ambitions into practical marketing plans, with clear priorities, costings and responsibilities. We can also support delivery and help teams build their own planning skills through SOSTAC® training.

If you would like support developing a marketing plan for 2027, get in touch for a conversation about what your business needs.