Promotional Consultant Today continues our homage to small-business owners with tips for competing against the big guys. Today we are going to look at an old relic-the marketing plan—and breathe life into this thing that typically collects dust on the shelf.

What are your marketing plans for 2016? What? You haven't had time to put a plan together yet? Well, as we enter the end of the first quarter, embrace these key steps from Entrepreneur contributing writer Sujan Patel.

1. Relationship Marketing. Make 2016 the year to exploit relationships. In other words, move beyond just being helpful to customers. Instead, stay in touch by offering exemplary service. This is especially important as customers can easily turn to their smartphones to read and post reviews.

Patel uses Starbucks as a great example for relationship marketing. As he points out, stores frequently offer afternoon discounts or free cups when you bring in your same-day morning receipt and change up their seasonal drinks and treats based on customer feedback. Using this example, how can you go above and beyond in the relationships you've built with your clientele?

2. Mobile-bound. Can your customers access your business through mobile devices? Are you fully adaptable to mobile? There are officially more searches on mobile than desktops or other devices, Patel says, and Google has responded accordingly. The search engine now penalizes sites that aren't optimized for mobile by giving more weight and relevance to those that are.

It may sound harsh, but in reality, Google is simply responding to what consumers actually want. Google knows that mobile now serves as a primary touchpoint for customers on the path to purchasing. That type of direct feedback and clarity works to the advantage of small businesses. Start thinking like an on-the-go and mobile consumer instead of relying on the same tactics that have been working online for years.

3. Content Marketing. What do we mean by the term content marketing? This approach incorporates the concepts of relationship marketing and mobile in order to succeed. It also requires the distribution and sharing of what we call "content," including videos, images, free white papers, infographics and more. Get creative. Showcase your knowledge. Intrigue potential customers by thinking of topics and questions that would not cross their minds.

4. Geo-precise Marketing. This is a fairly new concept that is now leading the pack in consumer marketing. Businesses can use their analytics and purchasing data to identify ZIP codes that are highly active when it comes to purchasing.

Tools like Google Adwords, Facebook ads and just about any other serious advertising platform offer robust geo-targeting services that help businesses find the perfect consumer—either around the corner or across the globe—based on exactly where your buying power is coming from. By fine tuning their targets, small businesses can increase their conversions.

5. Testing. It's important to continue testing different concepts to see what works best and what adjustments need to be made for your business. Tweaking your marketing campaign and testing the results are a major part of your evolving marketing plan. The huge time commitment involved in testing may feel out of balance in comparison to actually executing your marketing plan. But failing to test and adjust your plan accordingly is the same as fumbling around in the dark and expecting to find success.

What else can you do for your small business in 2016? Read PCT tomorrow.

Source: Sujan Patel is an entrepreneur and vice president of marketing at When I Work and a contributor to Entrepreneur magazine. He has helped hundreds of companies boost online traffic and sales, and strengthen their brand reputation online.