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Before you can grow your business, you need to know where it stands. That’s where strategic planning in marketing really begins—by getting a clear picture of your current position. A SWOT analysis is one of the most powerful (and surprisingly simple) tools to help you do just that.
In this easy-to-follow guide, we’ll break down what a SWOT analysis is, explain its four key components, and walk you through how to conduct one effectively. You’ll also get access to a free SWOT analysis template you can download and start using right away.
To make things even clearer, we’ve included a real-life SWOT analysis example so you can see how everything fits together in action.
Plus, we’ll share some common mistakes to avoid—so you get the most out of this essential part of strategic marketing planning.
Let’s get into it.
Let’s break it down—SWOT analysis stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It's an influential but simple model that helps to analyze the internal and external factors that may impact a business, product, campaign, or even a brand reputation.
Originally developed in the 1960s by business consultants at the Stanford Research Institute, SWOT analysis has stood the test of time. Today, it’s still one of the most widely used tools in strategic business analysis—and for good reason. It gives teams a methodical process to explore, weigh pros and cons, and make wiser, facts-based decisions.
Where is SWOT analysis used in marketing? Practically everywhere:
Before you launch a new campaign or product, SWOT forces you to take a step back and question whether your idea is really market-ready—or whether there are gaps you need to fill first.
Thinking of moving into a new market or tapping a new set of customers? SWOT can reveal hidden opportunities, as well as problems you haven't yet considered.
Having a clear image of your strengths (and weaknesses of your competition) can help you find your advantage and streamline your value proposition.
By considering both internal feedback and external feedback or data, you can better see how your brand is perceived—and how to shift that perception if needed.
We use SWOT as a methodology when we need to analyze a business in a broad sense and make decisions, for example, about entering a new market, targeting a new price segment, or building a case for investors (in pitch presentations). We also apply it to analyze specific areas, such as the company’s customer service. It helps us identify points of growth and development.
Kateryna Husachenko
Marketing Strategist at Promodo
Using SWOT analysis as part of your marketing strategy template gives you several valuable benefits:
We don’t always use SWOT when building a strategy. It’s just one tool—and it’s great for providing a situational overview. But sometimes, a different approach is more effective. For example, we use Customer Journey Mapping to break down the steps a customer takes before purchase. The 4P framework (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) helps us identify weak spots in the business model from a marketing mix perspective.
Kateryna Husachenko
If you're drafting a complete strategic marketing plan or just trying to improve your next email campaign, a SWOT analysis can give you guidance and a sense of clarity. It's not just a brainstorming session—it's a strategic microscope for looking at what's working, what's not, and where to move next.
SWOT analysis template free download
Take a look at real-life cases we solved for our clients using SWOT analysis:
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We’ve had cases where SWOT analysis led to surprising but valuable insights. For instance, one client’s call center operated one hour less than their competitors. We discovered that 80% of purchases happened after a phone consultation. That one-hour gap was costing them a significant share of potential revenue. In another case, a major brand didn’t offer payment by invoice, and as a result, was losing wholesale orders in B2B and B2G sectors. These are details that often go unnoticed until you run a proper analysis.
Kateryna Husachenko
A complete SWOT analysis includes four quadrants. Without one, your analysis may miss critical insight.
These are the things your company is already doing well—your internal superpowers that help you stand out.
Think of strengths as your marketing advantages. For example:
These are assets you can build on and highlight in your campaigns.
These are areas where your business is falling short—things that are holding you back from reaching your goals.
Some common marketing-related weaknesses include:
Tip: Use tools like Google Analytics, CRM dashboards, or monthly PPC reporting to uncover real weaknesses.
Opportunities are external trends or changes in the market that you can take advantage of.
Look at what’s happening around you. Are there any shifts you can use to grow?
For example:
Threats are outside forces that could harm your marketing performance or slow growth.
These might include:
You can’t always stop these threats, but knowing they exist helps you prepare or pivot your strategy.
Follow these steps:
Use analytics tools, CRM insights, team feedback, social listening, and marketing reports.
The data we collect depends on the focus of the analysis.If it's an analysis for investors, we look at business metrics, the structure of the business model, the team, the product, and various factors that could support growth—or, on the contrary, risks that need to be considered from the outset.
If the focus is on service, we analyze a range of factors that shape the customer experience. This includes available payment options, delivery methods along with their timing and cost, and how easily customers can get in touch—whether through phone or chatbots—along with the speed and quality of the responses they receive. We also look at the presence and conditions of loyalty programs, which are particularly important for price-sensitive segments, as well as purchase incentives and the overall quality of packaging. All these elements play a crucial role in shaping perception and satisfaction.
Kateryna Husachenko
Marketing Strategist at Promodo
Involve cross-functional teams for a 360-degree view.
Categorize insights into strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats using our editable SWOT analysis format.
Focus on areas with the highest impact on your goals (e.g., conversion rate improvement, traffic quality, lead nurturing).
Explore more tools like our Marketing Funnel Template or BCG Matrix for strategic planning.
Let’s say you’re an eCommerce brand focused on skincare. Your SWOT matrix might look like this:
So, what can you do with this? Start by focusing on what’s already working. You have loyal customers and a strong Instagram presence—so keep engaging your audience and think about using influencers to promote your products.
To fix the weak spots, try improving your mobile website and working on SEO so more people can find you on Google. For growth, look at new ways to reach customers, like selling on Amazon or creating helpful blog content. And don’t ignore the threats—keep an eye on ad costs and make sure you’re managing your online reviews. That way, you’ll be ready to compete and grow without any surprises.
That’s just the surface level. To help clothing brands dig deeper, we’ve created a free, expert-designed SWOT analysis test tailored to the fashion industry. It’s built to guide you through a more detailed, insightful marketing evaluation—so you can uncover what’s really driving (or blocking) your performance:
✅ Here’s what to avoid when creating your SWOT:
We created a detailed SWOT Analysis template customized for marketing strategy. Unlike generic SWOT templates, it has a lot of perks that help remove the guesswork and use this tool in the most productive way possible.
Our interactive SWOT analysis template is designed to go beyond surface-level brainstorming by combining real performance data with strategic insight.
🎯 Download the Free SWOT Template Now
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SWOT analysis helps identify a company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. A common example is an SEO agency highlighting high authority backlinks as a strength.
The four elements are: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Each gives a different view on business positioning.
Yes! You can download our editable SWOT template for free and customize it for your marketing strategy.
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