ChatGPT Prompts for a Marketing Plan: Build It Step by Step

Most small business marketing plans I see are either a single line ('do more social media') or a forty-page document nobody opens. ChatGPT is very good at getting you somewhere sensible in between, if you build the plan with it step by step rather than asking for 'a marketing plan' in one go. These prompts follow the order I'd use with a client, with real data at the research stage.

Start with research: what the SBA recommends

The US Small Business Administration's guidance on market research and competitive analysis is a solid backbone for the first stage of your plan:

What the SBA says	How to use it with ChatGPT
Market research helps you find customers; competitive analysis helps you make your business unique; combine them for a competitive advantage	Do both stages before you ask for channels or tactics
Existing sources save time but may not be specific to your audience; use them for general questions like trends and demographics	Use data for the big picture, and your own customers for the detail
Free federal data includes NAICS classifications, the Census Business Builder, data.census.gov and BLS demographics	Paste real numbers into ChatGPT rather than letting it guess
Your competitive analysis should identify competitors by product line or service and market segment	Ask ChatGPT to structure what you find, not to invent competitors

The catch: ChatGPT will confidently describe your market and name 'typical competitors' if you let it, and OpenAI says it can be wrong. Bring the facts; let it organise them.

Prompts to define your customer and goals

Everything else depends on this stage.

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Ask me twelve questions, one at a time, about my business, customers, offer and goals, so you can help me build a marketing plan. Wait for each answer.

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Based on my answers, write a one-paragraph description of my ideal customer: who they are, what they're struggling with and what they want.

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Help me turn my goal of [goal] into three specific, measurable marketing objectives for the next six months.

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Here's what my best customers say about us: [paste reviews or quotes]. What themes stand out, and what does that tell me about my message?

Prompts for market research and competitors

Paste the data and notes you've gathered.

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Here's the market data I found: [paste]. Summarise what it tells me about demand and the customers I could reach, and what it doesn't tell me.

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Here are notes on my main competitors: [paste]. Build a table comparing their offer, audience, message and channels, and point out gaps I could fill.

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Write a SWOT analysis for my business based on these facts: [paste]. Keep each point specific to my situation.

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Draft ten questions I could ask customers in short interviews to understand why they chose us.

Prompts for positioning and message

What you say matters more than where you say it.

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Help me write a positioning statement: who I serve, what I offer, how I'm different and why customers should believe it.

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Write three versions of my core message for [audience], one practical, one emotional and one bold.

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List the objections my customers have before they buy, and suggest a message that answers each one.

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Turn my positioning into a short brand voice guide: tone, words to use, words to avoid and an example sentence.

Prompts for channels and tactics

Choose a few channels you can keep up, not all of them.

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Based on my customer and goals, recommend the three marketing channels most likely to work for my business, and explain why each fits.

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For each channel, suggest the type of content, how often to post or send, and one simple measure of success.

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What could I do in each channel with only a few hours a week? Prioritise the actions with the biggest likely impact.

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Suggest one experiment I could run over the coming four weeks to test a new channel without risking much time.

Prompts to turn it into a plan you'll follow

The plan only works if it fits your week.

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Turn everything we've agreed into a one-page marketing plan: customer, objectives, message, channels, actions and measures.

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Create a twelve-week marketing calendar with one main action a week, based on my plan.

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Write a simple monthly review template so I can check what's working and adjust the plan.

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Which parts of this plan could I hand to an assistant or tool, and which need me personally?

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Write a short summary of this plan I could share with my team or a freelancer so everyone knows the priorities.

Prompts to measure and adjust

A plan without measures is just a wish list.

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For each objective in my plan, suggest one simple measure I can check monthly and where I'd find the number.

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Here are my results after the first month: [paste]. What's working, what isn't, and what should I change for the coming month?

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Suggest three warning signs that a channel in my plan isn't working, so I know when to stop and try something else.

How to get better marketing plans from ChatGPT

• Build the plan in stages: customer, research, positioning, channels, calendar.
• Paste real data and real customer words; don't let ChatGPT invent your market.
• Ask it to explain why it recommends each channel, then decide yourself.
• Keep the plan to one page and a weekly action list you'll follow.
• Review monthly and update the plan with what you've learned.

For the research stage, my competitor teardown prompt pack and customer interview prompt pack go deeper. When you're deciding where to focus effort across channels, my marketing mix cheat sheet helps you think it through.

My advice on ChatGPT prompts for a marketing plan

Don't ask ChatGPT for a marketing plan in one prompt. Build it with it, stage by stage, and feed it real information at every step: your customers' words, your competitors' actual offers and data from sources like the SBA recommends. It's excellent at structure, options and turning a messy brainstorm into a clear one-page plan. Your job is to bring the truth and choose. That's a plan you'll stick to.

Frequently asked questions

Can ChatGPT write a marketing plan?

Yes, if you build it in stages and give it real information about your customers, competitors and goals. Check any market facts it suggests.

What should a small business marketing plan include?

Your ideal customer, measurable objectives, research on the market and competitors, your positioning and message, chosen channels, a calendar and how you'll measure results.

Where can I find free market research data?

The SBA lists free federal sources including NAICS classifications, the U.S. Census Business Builder, data.census.gov and Bureau of Labor Statistics demographics.

How do I do a competitor analysis with ChatGPT?

Gather notes on competitors yourself, then ask ChatGPT to compare their offer, audience, message and channels in a table and point out gaps.

Can I trust ChatGPT's market research?

Not on its own. OpenAI says it can produce incorrect information, so use real data and your own customer research for facts.