3 Tips for Writing a Good Executive Summary for Your Marketing Plan

As a marketer, you likely already know the importance of developing a marketing plan. A detailed marketing plan allows you to outline a game plan that can achieve key goals for the success and growth of a client’s brand (or yours). Most marketing plans provide marketers with a good sense of direction. For instance, you’ll be able to understand and follow through with each of your marketing activities, such as growing brand awareness, learning your target segments, and generating new leads.

Most marketing plans start with an executive summary—and for good reason! An executive summary isn’t merely a brief introduction to a business’s overall marketing goals. It also introduces and explores its respective industry, key objectives and tactics, and the overall time frame for all marketing efforts. Writing an executive summary can be hard but with the right mindset, you can capture any reader’s attention and provide clear guidelines as to how your marketing efforts will help a business.

1. Don’t start with the executive summary.

In order to write a concise executive summary, you’ll need to have an overview of your marketing plan in mind. This will help you choose the best details to include in the executive summary. Work on the rest of your marketing plan first. Research the industry, find areas of opportunities, and set your goals, objectives, and KPIs. Once you uncover a brand’s story, it’ll be easier to explain the certain choices you made in your executive summary. By writing the executive summary last, you’ll ensure that anyone who reads it understands your company, its goals, and how it plans to move forward.

2. Keep your research handy.

An executive summary also introduces key industry findings, revenue projections, and other important data that your marketing plan will explore in detail. During your research for your marketing plan, it’s important to take notes on any data that stands out to include it in your executive summary. This can help readers become engaged with your marketing plan, pushing them to continue reading it.

3. Don’t forget about marketing.

An executive summary introduces a business’s story and marketing efforts to an intended audience. Of course, it can be easy to become sidetracked by using an inappropriate, casual tone or cliches. Remember that there’s a marketing purpose behind an executive summary. Think about what your audience’s style is, and how they may perceive the language and style you utilize in your executive summary. Are there any writing mistakes, errors, and techniques that can come off as dishonest? Once you consider these factors, you can focus on writing an executive summary that encourages readers to continue.

Your executive summary is an important part of your marketing plan. It provides your audience with a clear overview of your marketing efforts and how they will help a business achieve its goals. As companies grow and evolve over time, your marketing plan will also undergo various changes. Be flexible with updating your executive summary to include any updates on products, industry trends, and changes to the market. With these tips, you can create a clear, detailed executive summary that introduces your plan and how it can help a business grow.