A few years ago I faced one of the most challenging campaigns of my career. The project had an incredibly tight schedule and my team had to multitask with limited resources.
At first I felt completely overwhelmed – until I sat down and created a detailed plan of action. By breaking the campaign down into smaller, actionable steps with clear deadlines and responsibilities, everything fell into place.
Not only did we deliver on time, but the campaign exceeded all expectations and generated twice as much engagement as expected. This experience taught me the true power of structured planning.
In my experience, an action plan is crucial in marketing. It could be the difference between a campaign that sizzles and one that fizzles out.
Let’s take a closer look at what these plans actually are, how they can benefit you, and how you can implement them.
Table of contents
What is an Action Plan?
An action plan is a suggested strategy for whatever you want to achieve. It is a clear, detailed list of all the steps you need to take to achieve your goal, along with a suggested timeline for when you will complete each step or task.
Maybe you’ve heard of action plans before, but never tried creating your own. Or maybe this is a completely new concept to you and you’re pretty sure you just heard a choir of angels in the background.
What is the purpose of an action plan?
Action plans are designed to help you achieve your goals faster. By breaking projects down into smaller steps, you can ensure:
- Reach your destination on time.
- Don’t skip any step.
- Communicate effectively with team members.
- Set reasonable expectations about what you can achieve in a given period of time.
Although they vary in complexity, action plans are suitable for small projects, large projects, projects you complete alone, and projects that involve other team members or individuals outside your organization.
Are you convinced that you need action plans for your life? Good. Let’s take a look at the steps required to implement it.
How to write an action plan
Action plans can be as simple or complex as they need to be. However, before you start writing down the steps to achieve your goal, you need to identify something very important…your goal, of course!
1. Define your goal.
What do you want to achieve? Is there a new campaign you need to prepare before a specific launch date? Maybe you partner with another company or nonprofit to cross-promote. Maybe you want to increase brand awareness through different channels.
Whatever your goals, be clear about what you want, why it’s important, and when it needs to get done. I highly recommend creating a SMART action plan through engagement SMART goals in there.
SMART stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Reachable
- Relevant
- Punctual
This framework will help you determine whether your goals are realistic, what actions are needed to achieve your goals, and define what success looks like.
Download HubSpot’s free SMART goals template now.
2. Use a template.
Once you’ve determined what you want to accomplish and when it needs to be done, it’s time to start developing your plan.
I recommend using a Template or a tool to capture your action plan and share it with everyone who needs to be involved. (See the next section for some options.)
3. Brainstorm.
Consider all the steps needed to complete your project. I find it helpful to start with larger aspects of the project and then break them down into smaller tasks. No task is too small to be listed (let’s face it, checking things off a to-do list feels great).
4. Delegate and assign responsibilities to team members.
You don’t have to do it alone! Hopefully you have a trustworthy team to help you complete your tasks and get you closer and closer to the finish line. This also allows you to see which resources you need to achieve your goals.
5. Schedule due dates.
If your project needs to be completed by a certain day (which it should be or could drag on indefinitely), each task has its own due date. Keep in mind that some tasks can be completed simultaneously, while others require a previous task to be completed before you can begin the new one.
6. Set up notifications to keep you (and your team) informed.
It’s very easy to get lost in the daily grind and forget about a larger project that’s coming up in the distance. I suggest using your scheduled due dates to set reminders and schedule time to work on specific tasks.
7. Track your progress and report back to your team.
I’ve written action plans that looked top notch when I wrote them, but as I worked through them I realized things needed to change. This may also be the case for you. So if you find that you’re behind in completing your tasks, it may be time to re-evaluate and perhaps tweak your plan of action.
When working with others, communication is key to ensuring everyone is on the same page, especially when you need to make changes.
8. Celebrate and review.
The completion of a project is often a cause for celebration, but don’t forget to review what worked and what didn’t so that the project runs more smoothly next time.
I have found that leadership action plans not only help me achieve my goals, but also help my team understand what they need to do. They also serve to identify any weak points in my organization.
Action plan formats may vary depending on the needs of your specific project. However, as long as you include the goal, steps, people involved, and due dates, you will have a solid plan to work with.
Action plan templates
When you’re ready to create an action plan, you don’t have to start from scratch. I’ve put together a few templates to provide the framework you need to develop your marketing strategy.
Action plan template
Download HubSpot’s free action plan template now.
HubSpot offers two free action plan templates along with instructions on how to fill them out. I like the simple columns that cover all the essential elements you need for an action plan: Description, Priority, Due Date, Assignee, Status, Risks, and Notes.
It makes it easy for you to get straight to the point and share your plan with other stakeholders.
Another big advantage, in my opinion, is that you can download the templates in any format that best suits your company’s needs: Excel, Google Docs, Google Sheets or Word.
Onboarding plan template
Below is an example action plan of a 30-60-90 day onboarding plan. I like it because it can be customized at any time to engage individuals in a marketing position or to create a marketing plan for your business.
Download HubSpot’s free 30-60-90 day plan template.
This template allows you to define both high-level goals and more specific goals that need to be achieved within a specific time period.
Marketing action plan template
A marketing action plan doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. It can be as simple as this template:
This takes a slightly different approach than HubSpot’s approach described above. It contains columns for description, responsible person, start and end dates, resources, blockers and results.
When looking for the right action plan template, think about the one that fits your project needs and goals – or customize the headings to suit your needs.
Marketing plan template
Another resource I recommend is Drift Kings Media marketing plan template. This is more than an action plan.
It guides you through the entire marketing campaign planning process. If you’re looking for a template to help you create your overall plan, check out this one. Your specific action plans can then fit under the overarching marketing plan.
Regardless of how you go about it, creating an action plan can take some time. However, I guarantee you that having a clear plan of action for your next project or campaign will save you time, energy and resources.
Tips for creating an action Plan
Do you want action planning to not only be effective, but also actually something to look forward to? Check out my tips and hacks that will help you simplify the process and stay on track.
- Use project management tools. Tools like Trello, Asana, or Monday.com can be your best friend when it comes to organizing things. They allow you to easily create, assign, and track tasks while ensuring seamless collaboration with your team.
- Start with a brain dump. Have you ever felt like you were juggling too many ideas? Write everything down – yes, everything – without worrying about the order. Once you have everything figured out in your head, you can start organizing it logically.
- Prioritize like a pro. Not every task deserves your immediate attention. Use tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to figure out what is urgent and important. By focusing on these first, you avoid the trap of procrastination.
- Stack similar tasks together. Why keep switching gears when you can group related tasks? I find that batch processing not only saves time but also helps me stay on top of things, making my workflow smoother.
- Set micro-deadlines. Large projects can be daunting, but breaking them down into smaller, bite-sized tasks with short deadlines will help you stay motivated and make consistent progress.
- Automate reminders. Forgetting tasks was like that last season. Set up automatic notifications with Google Calendar or your favorite task manager so nothing gets leaked.
- Reflect and refine. Progress isn’t just about checking boxes. Take a step back regularly to review what is working and what isn’t. By adjusting your plan over time, you ensure you are always on track.
Try it and you’ll tackle even the most complex projects with confidence and ease.
Start planning today
I hope that with this guide, templates, and tips you can start creating an action plan right away.
I know that you will feel more organized and peaceful when everything is planned, which ultimately leads to time savings and successful implementation of your projects.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2021 and has been updated for completeness.