How to Build Your 2027 Marketing Plan in 8 Steps

On October 27, I led Start with Strategy at Good Company Workspace in Marlborough as part of The Inside Scoop. The room was full of local business owners, nonprofit leaders, and solo founders. All of them were ready to stop guessing about next year's marketing. Thank you to Good Company for hosting, and to everyone who came with questions and an open notebook.

The idea behind the workshop was simple: effective marketing starts before you decide what to post. Most of the stress I see around marketing doesn't come from making content. It comes from making decisions in a hurry. So we split the afternoon in two. Steps 1 to 4 are about deciding. Steps 5 to 8 are about planning.

If you missed it, here's the framework, so you can work through it on your own.

1. Reflect on 2026

Your best ideas for 2027 are probably hiding in 2026. This isn't about grading yourself. Look at two things side by side: where your time went, and where your results came from. Those lists rarely match. Write down one win to repeat and one thing you're ready to leave behind.

2. Set goals that come from your business

Marketing goals should come from business goals. "More followers" isn't a goal unless those followers turn into something you need. A better example: if January and February are always slow, the goal is to fill them. The marketing plan is a winter offer to past customers, sent in mid-December. Pick up to three goals. One is fine.

3. Identify your audiences

"Everyone" is not an audience. Most businesses have two or three. For each one, ask where they spend their time and what they need to believe before they act. A downtown event, for example, is marketing to shoppers, businesses, sponsors, and volunteers all at once, and each group needs a different message.

4. Choose your priorities

Sort your ideas into three buckets: must do (three at most), would be nice, and not in 2027. That last bucket matters. Several people in the room said moving something there felt like a relief.

5. Map the year

Most marketing stress comes from things we knew were coming. Map your dates in this order: your own dates (launches, anniversaries, busy seasons), then community dates (local events, holidays, school calendars), then your promotions. Mark a "start promoting" date 4 to 6 weeks before each one. Then look for the empty months. Each one is either a breather or an opportunity, and you get to decide which.

6. Choose your channels

One channel done consistently beats five done occasionally. Keep a channel only if your audience is there and you can realistically keep it up. For most local businesses, I'd start with two underused ones: your Google Business Profile and an email newsletter.

7. Pick your content pillars

Content pillars end the "what do I post today?" problem. Choose 3 to 5 themes, such as behind the scenes, tips, community and partners, customer stories, and offers and events. Write two post ideas under each. Then look back at step 1: one of your pillars may already be hiding in what worked this year.

8. Make it realistic

This is the step I never cut. Be honest about how many hours a week you have for marketing. Two is a valid answer! Decide what you'll do yourself, what your team will do, and what you'll hand off. Then pick a rhythm, like batching content one morning a month. Finish with three small things you can do before January 1, ideally this week. And if you use AI, treat it as the processor, not the starting point. Your ideas and your voice come first.

The short version

• Reflect before you plan.

• Three priorities, at most.

• Map the year, and start promoting 4 to 6 weeks early.

• Fewer channels, done well.

• Build a plan that fits your real week.

Keep going: Marketing Lab

If you want help turning your plan into actual posts, join me at the Marketing Lab at our Hudson office, 69-71 Main Street. We capture, edit, and schedule real content together, so you leave with posts ready to go. Upcoming sessions are Friday, November 13 and Friday, December 11, from 12:00 to 1:30 PM. Drop-ins are welcome.

Want help building your 2027 plan with my team and collaborators? Reach out at WorkWithLeia.com or email hello@leiamowen.com.

Would you like me to bring Start with Strategy to your group, chamber, or team? Learn more about my speaking, workshops, and training.