The one page marketing plan every creative needs
Very few creatives go into their field with a solid business or marketing plan. Most creatives ‘fall into’ their profession from dabbling in a skill as a passion or a side project that eventually organically evolves.
If this is you, well done on making a career out of your passion! But if you’ve got the ability to generate a higher income by charging more, attracting more clients, automating some of your processes or monetising elements of your business, why wouldn’t you?
Very few creatives go into their field with a solid business or marketing plan. Most creatives ‘fall into’ their profession from dabbling in a skill as a passion or a side project that eventually organically evolves.
If this is you, well done on making a career out of your passion! But if you’ve got the ability to generate a higher income by charging more, attracting more clients, automating some of your processes or monetising elements of your business, why wouldn’t you?
Don’t be put off thinking you need a complex 10-page document outlining every little detail and strategy. Nobody’s got time for that. I like to keep it simple, so instead let me introduce you to the 1-Page Marketing Plan.
The one page marketing plan
It’s exactly what it sounds like - a clear understanding of what you’re offering, to who, and how you’ll get it in front of them, summarised on one page. This means you can stick it on your wall or somewhere prominent and easily remind yourself with a glance what you should be focused on.
Who it’s for
In short, anyone selling a service or product. For those of you who work under your own name, make no mistake - you are a business. If you’re not already thinking this way, this is a fundamental shift in mindset you need to make first.
If you work for someone else, this is still relevant to you too. Your employer sees value in you that they’re willing to pay for, and having a plan around how to maximise this value can be hugely beneficial for your career.
Let’s dive in with an example of one for a completely made up business running art workshops for kids:
Above: An example one page marketing plan. Download a free template PDF
As you can see, it’s made up of 10 simple boxes for you to fill out:
Product/Service
This is about what you’re selling in the simplest form. Keep it short and sharp, with only a few words maximum.
Audience
Who’s actually paying for your product or service? This might be different to who your product or service is for. In the example above, the service is for kids, but the audience is actually their parents because they’re the ones paying.
Pain Points
If you can pinpoint the deeper reasons why your audience is seeking out your product or services, you’re onto a winner. This will help you write benefit-focused copy that speaks directly to the problem they have.
Value Proposition/s
What is it that makes you and/or your business truly different? What sets you or your product apart? You might have a significant amount of experience in your field, or your product is handcrafted locally. Whatever makes your product or service special, put it here.
Influencers
I’m not talking about Instagram influencers here, although they could factor in. Consider who might influence your buyer’s decision. In the example, teachers and the kids participating in the workshops would be strong influencers on whether their parents enrol them or not.
Key Message
Think of it this way: if you were chatting to someone while ordering a coffee, what’s the one thing you’d want them to walk away knowing about what you offer? Keep this short and sweet - our human brains simply can’t retain too much information so if it’s long-winded, people don’t remember anything at all.
Free Channels
Write down every free channel you can think of that you could reach your audience or their influencers through - both online and offline. Now go back and highlight the ‘quick wins’ that are likely to have the biggest impact.
Paid Channels
This is the same as the free channels box except, you guessed it, paid. This will often refer to advertising, but it could also be things like competitions (because giving away product costs you money) or paid partnerships and collaborations. Be specific here - instead of ‘Instagram’ you might write ‘a collaborative competition with brands X and Y on Instagram’. Come up with as many ideas as you can, then highlight the channels likely to have the biggest impact.
Cost
Time is money, so consider both the financial and time implications of focusing on the free and paid channels you’ve listed. Consider whether this is something you can truly commit to.
Goal/ROI/Success Metric
How are you going to measure whether all this time, effort and potentially money has paid off? By writing a SMART goal in here of course! This could be anything from a particular number of bookings, sales, a specific return on investment (ROI) or adding people to your email list.
Whatever makes sense for you, write a maximum of three here and make sure they’re specific and timebound. I recommend not looking more than three months into the future to keep you focused
I strongly recommend reviewing this at least once every few months to keep you focused on one thing at a time. For example, your goal initially might be to increase subscribers on your email list, and the rest of the page is also focused on this. Then the following month might focus on converting a percentage of these subscribers into customers or clients.
Most of all, this is designed to be completely flexible so I encourage you to download the empty template and find what works for you.
Courtney Goes is a Melbourne-based digital marketing and brand consultant with experience across a range of industries in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Since leaving the corporate world in 2016, she’s been on a mission to help women make smarter marketing decisions to elevate their businesses and personal brands through simple, effective strategies. Working mostly with creatives, freelancers, and female-owned startups and small businesses, she provides clarity, structure and accountability to get real, tangible results. She has also launched Marketing Emporium, a resource hub designed to provide simple and straightforward marketing advice. Contact her at courtneygoes.com.
Why desire and motivation pull us in different directions
Every new year I promise myself that I will get in shape. My vision is toned and tight, tanned skin and an ability to lift my body weight effortlessly. I go to the gym, I do yoga, I eat well, drink heaps of water. For a few weeks I’m moving towards my goal and starting to feel and see results. My mood improves, I feel confident, capable and strong. And then… out of the blue, I start skipping classes as I meet my own destructive personality habits and inhibitors.
3 min read
"Our lives are defined by opportunities. Even the ones we miss."
F.Scott Fitzgerald, 1922.
Every new year I promise myself that I will get in shape. My vision is toned and tight, tanned skin and an ability to lift my body weight effortlessly. I go to the gym, I do yoga, I eat well, drink heaps of water. For a few weeks I’m moving towards my goal and starting to feel and see results. My mood improves, I feel confident, capable and strong. And then… out of the blue, I start skipping classes as I meet my own destructive personality habits and inhibitors.
In her book, Write; 10 Days to Overcome Writer’s Block. Period. Karen E. Peterson suggests that this blockage is due to the struggle between the left and right hemispheres of the brain leading to an ultimate toddler tantrum show-down. While “the ‘just-do-it’ left hand side of the brain is logical, language-based, and adult-like, the ‘just-say-no’ right side of the brain is dominant for emotion, negative memories and sensory output.”
In the moment of deciding whether or not to go to the gym, I can logically understand that going will make me feel good because it will help me move towards my vision and goals, but in that moment, my right brain wants to feel less pressure, take the easy route and have a good time. Wine and cheese in front of the telly? Oh yes, Emily, you know me so well. Right-brain wins. I lose.
The Divided Self
“I am dragged along by a strange new force.
Desire and reason are pulling in different directions.
I see the right way and approve it, but follow the wrong.”
Ovid, 43 B.C. – 17 A.D
In The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, Jonathan Haidt explains what he calls “the divided self” quoting Roman poet Ovid to define the difference between logical and emotional thinking. Haidt goes further than left and right brain dualism, believing that the brain is divided by four parts; Mind vs. Body, and Left vs. Right, Old vs. New, Controlled vs. Automatic, thus likening the self as a “committee whose members have been thrown together to do a job, but who often find themselves working at cross-purposes [contributing] to our experiences of temptation, weakness and inner conflict.”
This idea of a divided self is not new; Plato split the body into soul and mind; Freud divided the mind into three parts; the ego, superego, and id. The common theme among philosophers is that our multi-dimensional personalities work best when working together, instead of in conflict which each other. So how do we get our divided selves working together to achieve the things we want?
Motivation and Drive
"We do things because they're interesting.
We do things because we like them, because they're inherently gratifying."
Pink, 2010
Daniel Pink, in his book, Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us, artfully surmises why we engage in some tasks, and not others. It’s interesting to note that motivation is often created after we start a new behaviour, not the other way around. Taking a single step towards achieving your goals and vision is a great start. By actively going to the gym, taking that initial action, I was on my way.
To maintain drive and momentum:
1. Set yourself realistic and achievable goals, but be kind to yourself if you don’t nail them on the first attempt. Be a personal coach, not a dictatorial punisher. Positive self-talk is really important – be kind and patient with yourself.
2. Scheduling is important. If I don’t have dedicated time that’s in my calendar, there’s a higher chance my inner toddler will want to sit on the floor and avoid it.
3. Procrastination is an avoidance mechanism which helps us find alternatives to fill in time and entertain ourselves. Procrastination is fine, so long as it has a time stamp and doesn’t interfere with your non-negotiable scheduling.
4. Give yourself mini-deadlines to review your achievements and acknowledge your loses.
5. It can take a while to develop a new habit, so don’t give up after a few weeks. The literature suggests it can take 10 – 16 weeks, so keep up the momentum.
6. Be aware that motivation may come and go. Ride the wave and stay connected with your desire. This will fuel your motivation when you’re feeling challenged.
7. Life doesn’t have to full of tasks, give yourself pockets of time to play or do nothing. You’ll feel less guilty taking time out if you’ve actively made the decision to keep periods of time free and open to fill at your will.
References and further reading:
De Botton, A (2001). The Consolations of Philosophy. Penguin Books: London, UK.
Fitzgerald, F.S (1922). The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Colliers Magazine: USA.
Haidt, J (2006). The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom. Basic Books: New York, USA.
Ovid, 43 B.C. – 17 A.D. (1989) Metamorphoses. Spring Publications: Dallas, Texas.
Peterson, K. E (2006). Write; 10 Days to Overcome Writer’s Block. Period. Adams Media: Avon, USA.
Pink, D. (2010) Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us. RSA Animation [Online] Accessed 09/06/2014 from, http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=SG&hl=en-GB&v=u6XAPnuFjJc
Emily Wills is the creative director of surface pattern design studio, SURFACE 1°22. In her various manifestations, she has worked as a fashion designer, illustrator, curator, arts educator and printed textile designer. Emily founded the SURFACE 1°22 Design School in Melbourne, offering hands-on workshops and short courses in surface and textile design. Find out more on the SURFACE 1°22 Design School Facebook or Instagram.