by David Meyer
It’s December, which means two things: everyone’s pretending they’ll actually stick to all of the personal resolutions they are developing, and some businesses are suddenly realizing they have no idea what they’re doing for marketing next year.
Here’s a confession: even marketing agencies can fall into the “we’ll figure it out as we go” trap. We’ve had our moments – times when, despite knowing better, we didn’t fully practice what we preach. There were stretches when our own marketing took a back seat to client work, and consistency slipped through the cracks.
But here’s what we learned: winging it feels productive, right up until February hits and you realize you’ve been running on adrenaline and Post-it notes. Through a lot of trial, error, and reflection, we’ve found our rhythm. Today, we’re more intentional than ever, strategically planning and executing not just for our clients, but for ourselves, too.
The “We Don’t Need a Plan” Delusion
Small businesses tell us all the time: “We’re too busy to plan.” Translation: “We’re too busy putting out fires to stop and install a sprinkler system.” I get it. Planning feels like eating your vegetables when there’s a bacon cheeseburger of urgent tasks right in front of you. (To be honest, I have never understood vegetarians.)
But here’s what happens without a plan: You’re reactive instead of proactive. Your competitor launches something, and you scramble. A social platform changes its algorithm, and you panic. An opportunity pops up, and you can’t capitalize because you’re already drowning in chaos.
Marketing without a plan isn’t marketing. It’s just expensive improvisation.
What Makes a Plan Actually Work
A good marketing plan isn’t a 47-page deck that lives in someone’s Google Drive graveyard. It’s a living document that answers three questions:
- Where are we trying to go? (And “more sales” doesn’t count. Get specific.)
- How are we getting there? (Tactics, channels, messages that actually connect to the goal.)
- How do we know if we’re on track? (Metrics that matter, not vanity numbers.)
At Spoke, we’ve learned that the best plans have guardrails, not handcuffs. They give you direction without killing spontaneity. Because yes, you need room to jump on that viral moment or pivot when the market shifts. But you can’t pivot if you don’t know where you were headed in the first place.
The Planning Paradox
Here’s the weird part: the act of planning is almost more valuable than the plan itself. When we sit down with clients (or force ourselves to do it internally), the magic happens in the conversations. You discover blind spots. You realize that you’ve been doing things that don’t actually move the needle. You find opportunities you were too busy to notice.
Planning makes you think. And in a world where everyone’s moving fast (and asking ChatGPT for all the answers), thinking is your competitive advantage.
Start Small, Start Now
If the idea of a full marketing plan sends you into a blind panic, start with one quarter. Block off a day (yes, a full work day) with your team. Ask yourselves:
- What worked this year that we should do more of?
- What flopped that we need to kill?
- What’s the one big thing we want to accomplish in Q1?
Then build backward from there. Tactics. Timeline. Budget. Done.
Bottom Line
You wouldn’t drive cross-country without GPS (or at least a vague sense of which direction is west). Your marketing deserves the same courtesy. Whether you’re a three-person startup or an agency that should know better, planning isn’t about predicting the future. It’s about being ready for it.
So before you celebrate on New Year’s Eve, give your 2026 marketing the gift it really needs: a plan that’s clear, actionable, and doesn’t require a crystal ball.
Because “winging it” isn’t a strategy; it’s just flying without a net.
Content Authenticity Statement: 95% of this content was written by a human. GPT-5 was used for idea shaping and final editing support.
David Meyer is the Chief Marketing Officer at Spoke Marketing. Spoke Marketing (www.spokemarketing.com) provides fully-integrated marketing and sales programs that define and activate the customer buyer journey.