It’s a new year and a new start for many.
If your business is planning for the rest of the year, make time to review your marketing plan.
Without one, you’re literally sailing in the wind with no compass, no direction and no measurement against your efforts or goals to succeed.
But, if 2025 was the year of ‘we really should do more marketing,’ let 2026 be the year of ‘we know exactly what we’re doing and why’. Most businesses in the Channel Islands don’t struggle with ideas; they struggle with focus. One week it’s LinkedIn, the next it’s email, then someone says, ‘Should we be on TikTok?’ and off we go again.
Interestingly, local PR agency Orchard conducted research through its Orchard Insights program to examine the social media activity of local businesses. They found that most local organisations are active on social media. Still, many are spreading themselves across multiple channels with small teams and limited time, while also trying to keep up with video, too.
It makes me immediately think that they’re operating under a scattergun approach and probably spreading themselves too thin, so they can never truly master any one discipline.
That said, a simple marketing plan can be invaluable for business owners. Creating one doesn’t have to be rocket science; it’s easier than you think. In this article, I’m going to share the five-step process to creating a simple marketing plan for 2026.
Step 1: Pick three outcomes, not 30
Now, I know what you’re like, you lil pickle you. You get an idea and literally run with it. Before I’ve had a chance to whisper “WAAIIT”, you’re already signing into Canva, perusing the thousand or so templates available.
But, before you do that, it’s essential to work out what you actually want to accomplish.
Is it a stronger reputation in your industry? Do you want to attract new clients? Maybe you want your existing clients to buy more from you?
I’d suggest that you choose three clear outcomes and be ruthless. If an activity doesn’t support those three outcomes, put it aside. A nice-to-have outcome is less important than a must-do outcome.
Step 2: Choose your core channels
What’s the bet you’re on most channels: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, Email marketing, Google Ads, paid social. But the secret is that you don’t need to be everywhere. For most businesses, a solid mix for 2026 looks a bit like this:
- Website + SEO (your home base)
- Email (your owned audience)
- LinkedIn (for B2B) or Instagram/Facebook (for B2C or community)
Pick one primary channel and one or two support channels. That’s it. Commit to them for at least six months and avoid the temptation to do more on other channels, as you’ll spread yourself too thinly and not get your message across to the right people at the right time.
Step 3: Build a realistic rhythm
Stop setting yourself up to fail with ‘we’ll post every day’. Let’s be honest. You won’t. And, when you don’t, you’ll stop altogether and feel like a failure.
Instead, try something like this:
- 1 email per month
- 1–2 solid LinkedIn posts per week
- 1 ‘hero’ piece of content per quarter. You could publish this as a webinar, a guide, or even an event.
Batch your ideas once a month. Repurpose relentlessly. One blog post can become four LinkedIn posts: a short video and even an email. Remember, your ideal customers don’t digest your content all in the same place. By mixing up your content and repurposing it across different channels, you are more likely to be seen and heard.
Step 4: Make measuring standard practice
When you begin to measure the results from your various campaigns, you don’t need a 20‑page report. Instead, the most important things to track are as follows:
- Enquiries (and where they came from). Does your sales team ask where the new client heard about you? If they don’t yet, start doing it. The results could prove to be interesting and give you an idea of which channels perform best for you.
- Website traffic to key pages – this will tell you which pages are proving most popular with potential customers.
- Engagement and click‑throughs on your main channel – this will tell you which content resonates most with your potential customers.
Check your stats once a month, not every day and ask yourself these two questions: “What’s working?” and “What can we drop?”
The power is not in the dashboard; it’s in the decisions.
Step 5: Make sure your plan fits your working style and respects your busy times
This is the bit no one talks about. Your plan must work on your tired, busy days, not just when you’re feeling enthusiastic. That means:
- Having templates ready – so you can whip up new content in a flash if you notice something is resonating with your audience.
- Knowing your content pillars helps you stay consistent with your strengths and avoid confusing
