Our 2025 Guide to Strategic Marketing Planning

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Strategic marketing planning and goal setting is on the to-do list for many businesses at the start of a new year. It’s a time to get your budget forecast ready, to look back at the performance of your marketing over the past 12 months and to plan for a successful year for 2025.

With the marketing landscape continuously evolving with new technologies, shifting consumer behaviours, and growing competition, it’s never been more important to set clear, actionable goals that drive growth.

We think 2025 is the year your planning becomes more strategic – and with the use of our structured roadmap to strategic planning for your marketing, you’ll turn those ambitions into practical plans that deliver measurable results.

Take your marketing strategies to the next level in 2025.

First, analyse your current position

The first and most crucial step to strategic planning for growth is self-reflection and analysis. Understanding where your business is currently positioned against the existing market will help you clearly grasp the areas for growth.

Conducting an audit might not sound glamourous, but trust us – it’s the secret sauce to unlocking your business’s growth potential. An internal audit can help to uncover hidden opportunities within your current processes, whilst an external audit puts a magnifying glass on the market, trends and (yes) your competitors.

Not sure where to start? Take a deep dive into your performance data, customer feedback and team insights for your internal review. Externally, take a look at industry reports, keep tabs on the competition and even get cheeky with a survey or market research to help understand what your audience actually wants.

Marketing Planning, The Marketing GP

Identify target audiences – again!

Good marketing doesn’t involve throwing out a wide net hoping to capture the right audience for your business (because hope is not a strategy!). And unfortunately, whilst you might think you know your target audience like the back of your hand, your audience will evolve.

It’s important to regularly check-in on your target market, their behaviours, demographics, technology use, their needs and wants, and the ways they interact (or don’t) with your brand.

A review of your audience and understanding of their current profile will help you better target your marketing messaging and activities.

Define your strategic goals for 2025

It’s time to get clear on what the business wants to achieve and how marketing can support that. Now is the time to sit with the decision makers in the business and even the teams across the business to determine their goals and ensure your marketing activities align with them.

This is also the time to get clear on your budget, because whilst marketing can help drive success, success should also help drive your marketing. As the business grows, so too should your marketing budget.

When it comes to setting goals, no doubt you know they should be SMART ones. We’re talking smart, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. A SMART approach is the golden ticket to goal setting and by incorporating them into your strategic planning, this will give you a much better chance at actually achieving them.

Whether you need to invest in digital advertising for the first time, want to boost your in-house skill sets, need a website overhaul or need to continue on your PR spree, make sure you have these clearly determined.

Marketing Planning, The Marketing GP

Take a little time for reflection

Take some time to assess what has worked in the past year, what’s not and where you have untapped opportunities. By looking at your marketing performance metrics, customer feedback and competitor positioning, you can build a clear picture of where you currently stand and what you need to refine.

Take a look at your social media – what type of posts performed well and what didn’t? What internal processes worked to help support marketing, and which didn’t? What marketing investments drove the most ROI?

Good marketing should never be a set and forget strategy.

Continuous improvement is key, so don’t be afraid to test, tweak and optimise your marketing activities as you go. Think of this process as your built-in feedback loop, constantly fine tuning your strategics to keep momentum high and results even higher.

 

Set yourself up for success

Ever heard the phrase the proof is in the pudding? The performance of your marketing should be judged on your consumer’s experience with it and results.

Which means, you need a way to track these.

We recommend establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that align with your business objectives for the year. For example, the number of leads you want to produce from your social media organic content based on a set investment of resources and time.

Utilise analytics tools to monitor performance across channels, identify trends and track progress against your goals.

 

Plan for the activities that perform best for your business

Based on your initial analysis of last year’s performance, your audience needs and wants, budget, and your business and marketing goals, craft actions that are achievable and clear which you can deliver on. Use a strategy or a project management tool to help keep you on the path to success, whilst ensuring you don’t forget about any of the stepping stones along the journey.

Marketing Planning, The Marketing GP

Consider advancements in marketing and how you can bring them into your plan

While not all trends may be suited to your business, you may find rhyme with reason in terms of some trends, and benefit from tapping in. However, if you’re going to stay on top of the current trends, you need to do so with purpose and strategic planning, investing your time and resources into the areas which will be fruitful for your business or are worth testing.

Here are just a few that might just help you to level up your current strategies:

Marketing Planning, The Marketing GP

AI and automation

Leaning into AI tools can allow you to streamline processes, basic marketing creation and enhance personalisation.

Marketing Planning, The Marketing GP

Sustainability and purpose

there has never been a greater focus on the values and ethics of businesses until today. You need to consider what your consumers care about and how that aligns with what your business cares about, and how you can share that message through your marketing.

Marketing Planning, The Marketing GP

Omnichannel marketing

Businesses are finally starting to understand the benefits of omnichannel marketing, helping you to use one piece of content in many ways.

Check out our blog on omnichannel marketing

Marketing Planning, The Marketing GP

Data privacy

It’s critical to ensure your business remains compliant will build customer trust within your brand.

Ready to make 2025 your year?

If 2025 is the year you want to set clearer goals, refine your strategies and supercharge your marketing results, we’re here to help you every step of the way.

Our expert consultants can guide you through a facilitated strategic planning session to turn your big ideas into actionable steps that deliver measurable growth. Or create the plan for you through our strategic marketing service.

Book in a meeting with a CMO for guidance on your marketing strategy, outcomes and to ensure clear direction for the business and marketing team.

Table of Contents

Picture of TMGP Team
TMGP Team
Our team worked together on this blog! Click the logo to check out our team page, and learn more about the faces behind The Marketing GP.
Picture of TMGP Team
TMGP Team
Our team worked together on this blog! Click the logo to check out our team page, and learn more about the faces behind The Marketing GP.
Want to learn more about what we can do for your next project?

If any or all of what we’ve touched on here speaks to your marketing needs, schedule a video chat with our Chief Marketer, Holly Martin. We guarantee The Marketing GP ticks every box as the comprehensive outsourced marketing partner your business needs.

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