Ever feel like your marketing is stuck in an endless loop of second-guessing? You spend hours researching the ‘best’ approach, tweaking your messaging, or debating whether to focus on LinkedIn, email marketing, or SEO - only to end up paralysed by indecision. Every move feels risky, so nothing ever gains momentum. Welcome to the Marketing Overthinkers Club. We meet on Tuesdays, but no one can decide what time.
But there’s a way out. It’s not a magic formula or the latest guru-endorsed hack. It’s simply this: a 90-day marketing plan.
Here’s why this short, structured approach works - and how you can use it to grow your business without the mental clutter.
1. It Forces You to Focus
When you give yourself 90 days, you’re forced to prioritise. You can’t do everything, and that’s precisely the point. Instead of chasing every shiny new idea, you pick one or two key objectives and go all-in. The result? Clearer decisions, better execution, and measurable results.
By narrowing your focus, you avoid distractions and decision fatigue. Instead of juggling tactics, you direct your energy towards what truly drives results while freeing up mental space for strategic thinking.
Imagine you set an objective to generate 30 new leads. Your chosen strategy might be to run a LinkedIn campaign targeting decision-makers in the manufacturing industry. No distractions. Just focus.
2. It Encourages Action, Not Perfection
Perfectionism is a growth killer. When your plan spans just 90 days, there’s no time to craft the 'perfect' email sequence or wait until your website is 'just right'. Instead of striving for perfection, you’ll adopt a mindset of testing, learning, and improving. You’ll start thinking, “I’ll put this out now and improve it later.”
A short timeline forces action. Instead of waiting for everything to be perfect, you test, adjust, and move forward. The quicker you act, the faster you learn what works.
Progress beats perfection every time. As Harry S. Truman famously said, "Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction." When you focus on taking action rather than perfecting every detail, you move faster, learn more, and grow quicker.
3. It Makes Measurement Manageable
In small businesses, changing market conditions, evolving customer needs or shifts in priorities often mean that annual marketing plans are obsolete by March. A 90-day plan, on the other hand, gives you a short enough window to test ideas, make progress, and adjust your strategy before drifting too far off track. It’s like a boat making regular course corrections for wind and sea conditions, instead of steering rigidly in one compass direction but then needing a major adjustment later.
Working in shorter cycles allows you to you measure only what matters. Instead of drowning in data, you track key numbers, quickly see what’s working, and adapt accordingly.
During each 90-day cycle, you might track metrics like lead generation numbers, website traffic, engagement rates, and conversion rates. After the 90 days are up, review the data, learn from it, and adjust your next plan accordingly.
4. It Creates Momentum
Ever notice how big goals can feel daunting? A year-long objective can seem like a mountain. But break it into four 90-day chunks, and suddenly, you have four smaller, more achievable sprints.
Hitting smaller milestones keeps motivation high. Each small win triggers a dopamine boost, which keeps you and your team energised and makes it easier to stay on track and push forward.
5. It Keeps Your Team Aligned
Marketing can’t thrive in isolation. A 90-day plan ensures everyone - from sales to marketing to customer service - knows the goals, understands the strategy, and is working towards the same outcomes.
With a clear plan, everyone knows their role and works towards the same goal. Regular check-ins ensure alignment and prevent wasted effort.
Consider holding a quick '90-Day Marketing MOT' meeting at the start of each quarter. These sessions align everyone’s efforts and set a positive tone for the months ahead.
How to Create Your 90-Day Marketing Plan in 5 Simple Steps
- Set a clear goal. Ask yourself what you want to achieve in the next 90 days, and make it specific and measurable.
- Choose one to three key strategies that are most likely to achieve that goal.
- Break these strategies down into actionable steps with deadlines.
- Along the way, measure what matters by identifying the metrics that’ll tell you if you’re on track.
- Finally, review and refine your plan at the end of the 90 days, learning from your results and adjusting as needed.
Ready to Stop Overthinking?
Marketing doesn’t have to be a guessing game or an overwhelming to-do list. With a 90-day plan, you get clarity, focus, and a clear path to growth.
Pick one goal. Just one. Then get on with it - because perfect plans don’t build businesses, action does.
If you want more practical advice on how to take control of your marketing, get your copy of my book, The Marketing Machine. It describes the system I use with all my clients to help you create a strategy and plan for your business so you can stop overthinking and start growing. Get your copy today and take the first step towards marketing clarity.
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