Define Audience and Goals
2-3 daysDocument ICP, SMART goals, and baseline metrics.
Field context
This workflow is part of 4 niche fields
Free step-by-step business marketing plan for small business owners. Plan business marketing plan with calculators and checklists covering define audience.
Document ICP, SMART goals, and baseline metrics.
Split budget across SEO, paid, email, and local based on CAC targets.
Create offers, landing pages, and ad creative with clear CTA.
Calculate ROI by channel, cut bottom quartile, scale winners.
Allocate monthly marketing budget by channel.
Calculate return on spend by campaign.
Set max CAC from unit economics.
Tie campaign revenue to gross profit not just revenue.
Model affiliate or sales commission in CAC.
Typical US SMB marketing spend.
| Stage | % of Revenue | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | 15-25% | Awareness, offers |
| Growth | 8-12% | Paid + email |
| Mature | 5-8% | Retention, brand |
Social algorithms change — email is highest-ROI owned channel.
Master one paid channel before spreading budget thin.
Pause campaigns below break-even ROAS after statistically meaningful spend.