A marketing plan lays out all of the necessary components for effectively and regularly promoting your company. A marketing strategy does not have to be difficult or lengthy. Every small business should have a simple marketing strategy to guide their efforts and keep them focused on their objectives. In every marketing plan you will need to specify a vision for your business and define your mission and goals. You must set S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals and outline what you want to accomplish, at a certain time period. You need to identify and describe your ideal client (or main target group), by creating buying personas. Create a SWOT analysis and identify what makes you different from all other competitors. Search about your competitors and learn more about your market. Create a road map for achieving your goals and an action plan for what you need to do and when. The most important is to track your progress and create benchmarks. Finally in every marketing plan, you need to create a budget allocation and an advertising plan, with projections and estimated results.