A SWOT analysis chart is essential if you’re considering producing a new product line, entering a new industry, or working on a company analysis for a school assignment.
Business SWOT analysis effectively evaluate a person, campaign, framework, strategy or product — and if you want to create a SWOT table that impresses (your stakeholders or your college professor), you need a SWOT analysis template.
Read on to see different types of SWOT analysis templates you can create with Venngage, plus top tips and plenty of SWOT analysis examples.
Click to skip ahead:
- SWOT analysis templates and examples
- What is a SWOT analysis?
- What are the 4 components of SWOT analysis?
- How to write a SWOT analysis?
- How to perform a SWOT analysis?
SWOT Analysis templates and examples
Ready to dive into your SWOT analysis? I’ve got over 20+ SWOT analysis examples along with some templates lined up that you can use as a starting point:
- SWOT analysis templates for Word
- SWOT analysis templates for PowerPoint
- Personal SWOT analysis templates
- Company SWOT analysis templates
- Marketing SWOT analysis templates
- Nonprofit SWOT analysis templates
- Exec SWOT analysis templates
- Consultant SWOT analysis templates
SWOT analysis templates for Word
Edit our SWOT analysis templates and add them to your Word document as an image file. We provide PNG or PNG HD download options.
Here’s another example of a SWOT analysis template you can create for your Word or Google Docs file:
Note: download capability is only available in a paid Venngage plan.
SWOT analysis templates for PowerPoint
To create a SWOT analysis for PowerPoint or Google Slides, edit one of Venngage’s professionally designed templates and download it as a PNG. A Venngage Business user can also download the template as a PPTX file and upload it directly to your presentation as a slide.
Besides simple SWOT analysis templates, we also offer presentation templates containing SWOT charts:
Personal SWOT analysis templates
A Personal SWOT analysis template is a powerful tool for self-assessment and growth. Begin by identifying your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Prioritize and make action plans for personal and professional growth based on the analysis.
Directly comparing your strengths and weaknesses can clarify the areas for improvement like in this personal SWOT analysis example.
Rather than thinking about competitors or change SWOT analysis in the market, think more about things that may hold you back personally – i.e. a lack of business finances, or an upcoming relocation, as you can see in this SWOT analysis example.
Company SWOT analysis templates
When conducting a SWOT analysis for a company, including a programmatic ad agency, start by assessing internal capabilities like brand strength or workforce skills. This includes what the company excels at, such as a strong brand or skilled workforce. Be honest about areas where there’s room for improvement.
Next, consider external factors that can impact the company. This could involve exciting possibilities like new markets or technological advancements. Be mindful of potential challenges like increased competition or economic instability.
It aids in understanding the competitive landscape, customer preferences and market trends, allowing companies to make informed decisions about product development, marketing strategies and market expansion.
Simultaneously, honestly identify internal weaknesses such as inadequate resources, operational inefficiencies or gaps in skills.
To thoroughly assess the external environment, remain attentive to emerging market trends and potential growth areas as opportunities, while also considering potential threats such as evolving consumer preferences, regulatory changes or intensified market competition.
Maintaining objectivity is crucial. Involve key stakeholders and consider both short-term and long-term business strategies when conducting your analysis. That way, you can ensure the strategic insights gleaned from the SWOT analysis are effectively translated into actionable plans and initiatives.
Marketing SWOT analysis templates
Analyzing your marketing plan with a SWOT template is a strategic approach. Simply list your marketing strengths (brand recognition, creative content) and weaknesses (limited budget, outdated website).
Then, consider external factors like new social media trends or increased competition. By understanding these elements, you can craft a plan to leverage strengths for new opportunities, address weaknesses to not miss out, and adapt to external challenges.
Most importantly, don’t forget to regularly revisit this analysis to stay on top of the ever-changing marketing landscape.
Equally, by looking at opportunities you can identify potential new markets and underserved areas, such as niche segments that lack effective marketing strategies. Marketers, consultants and freelancers often include SWOT analyses in competitor analysis reports.
Looking for more marketing resources?
- How to conduct a SWOT analysis in marketing (+examples)
- The complete guide to marketing infographics
- How to use SEO in your visual marketing
- How to make a marketing plan
Nonprofit SWOT analysis templates
Nonprofit organizations can greatly enhance their strategic planning by utilizing SWOT analyses.
SWOT analysis helps your nonprofit understand its market fit and maximize impact through targeted campaigns and fundraising initiatives. This SWOT analysis example highlights three key areas where a nonprofit can improve, including understanding strengths, addressing weaknesses, and overcoming specific threats.
Especially in nonprofits, you often don’t have the luxury of testing out multiple ideas or strategies due to time and budget constraints. Conducting a SWOT analysis early on in your strategy execution development can help you make the most informed decisions. This SWOT analysis example highlights the threats that a nonprofit should be looking to overcome soon.
Looking for more nonprofit guides?
- The complete nonprofit marketing guide
- Nonprofit communication resources
- Nonprofit storytelling examples
Exec SWOT analysis templates
Executives often juggle multiple responsibilities within their organizations.. Business development is a crucial part of company success, and being fully aware of your organizational strengths and weaknesses is invaluable. For example, there are numerous opportunities in this SWOT analysis example.
When going through a period of rapid growth within your business, you should take some time to conduct a SWOT analysis. This will help to ensure that you are able to reach your growth goals. Doing a SWOT also helps you identify any possible weaknesses that may become issues for your growth further down the line.
Identify and address weaknesses in this free SWOT analysis template quickly to prevent them from becoming threats.
A SWOT diagram can also be used to help evaluate employees’ work. You can assess your employees’ performances and provide detailed feedback, like in this SWOT analysis example.
Interested in more resources?
- Business letterhead templates
- Mind map templates
- Business pitch deck templates
- How to write a project plan
Consultant SWOT analysis templates
Consultants are in a unique position because they are looking to market themselves. Starting out as a consultant can be difficult, but conducting a SWOT analysis of yourself as a consultant can help you discover any unique selling points for your services.
You might also want to conduct a SWOT analysis when delivering work for clients. A SWOT can help inform any project or growth plans that you are recommending. The SWOT analysis example below makes a strong case for the business.
Take a look at page 4 of this consulting proposal template for an example of how to use SWOT analyses in a consulting proposal:
Looking for more consulting templates?
What is a SWOT analysis?
SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This strategic tool identifies and analyzes these four elements, helping businesses assess their internal and external environments to inform decision-making and strategy development.
What are the 4 components of SWOT analysis?
SWOT is an acronym that stands for: Strengths — Weaknesses — Opportunities — Threats.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these quadrants:
Strengths
Strengths are the areas you excel at. What do you do better than anybody else? What do people praise you for?
To identify your Strengths, spend some time thinking about what you’ve done well, what tasks were well within your comfort zone, and any times that you’ve exceeded expectations, or achieved fantastic results.
A SWOT matrix could be conducted during recruitment to help identify the strengths of candidates, and directly compare them effectively. Or use a SWOT analysis template to understand how internal and external factors impact your brand.
This SWOT analysis template, for example, examines the strengths of a training program offered to employees of a call center:
Pro tip: With a paid Venngage subscription, you can download this SWOT template as a PNG and add it to your Word document or PowerPoint presentation. You can also download it as a PPTX file and add it directly to your presentation as a slide.
Weaknesses
Next you identify the areas that need improvement. Think about things you find difficult to achieve, times you’ve struggled to meet expectations, and areas that you don’t feel confident in. Look back at your Strengths list and think about the inverse when filling out your SWOT template.
Weaknesses should always be things you have control over, and things that you can put steps in place to improve upon. You could use a SWOT to help analyze your brand, and understand why your customers chose your competitors over you, or if there are any services you are not currently providing. Use this SWOT analysis example for inspiration.
Opportunities
Moving onto the “O” in our SWOT – Opportunities are areas that your business could take advantage of. When conducting a SWOT for internal company analysis, is there an unserved or underserved market that you could grow into? Are you maximizing your media coverage? Could you change or develop products to better serve a wider audience? What external factors work to your benefit in filling market gaps?
If you look at SWOT Opportunities examples, you will find the importance of also looking back at your Strengths and Weaknesses lists. You should include any weaknesses that could be turned into a strength as an opportunity in your SWOT analysis template.
Threats
Finally, threats are potential or upcoming obstacles that you should be wary of. In this case, by threat, we mean emerging competitors, changes in the market, things that would negatively affect your business. Most commonly, you will not have any control over your threats but it’s still important to be aware of them so that you can develop contingency plans. Remember to keep this section of the SWOT matrix objective so you don’t miss out on opportunities.
How to write a SWOT analysis?
The first two letters of our SWOT, Strengths and Weaknesses, are internal factors that you have control over, and you should look within your company or business to complete these sections. Opportunities and Threats are external factors that you do not have control over, and you should look outside of your organization to complete them, like in the simple SWOT analysis example below:
When developing any marketing campaign you can use a SWOT analysis, like the one above, to outline any potential threats as well as opportunities for your business. You can include a SWOT diagram as part of your marketing plan or business plan, like in this SWOT analysis template.
Tips for creating a SWOT analysis
When doing a SWOT analysis, it can be difficult to find jumping-off points for your evaluation. Often, you either go too big and list “impossible to fix” problems, or think small and spend your time and energy focusing on things that are overall insignificant.
You also need to consider internal factors like team size that may be changing. Deciding on your SWOT analysis questions can take as much time as conducting the SWOT analysis itself!
That’s why it’s important to decide on an overall goal or objective that you want your SWOT template to help you achieve. This could be more sales, bigger growth, better brand recognition, improved team collaboration, a prestigious award or more.
If you’re creating a personal SWOT analysis template, you can pick a goal you’re working towards such as a promotion, or an award, and identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in relation to that goal. In personal SWOT analysis examples like this, you can give yourself a time period, such as the last year, to review.
Once you have decided on a goal, you can start to think about SWOT analysis questions that are related to:
- Your customers
- Your competitors
- Your market share
- Business growth
- Availability
- Price point
- Online following
- Customer retention
- Budget restrictions
- Suppliers
- Company culture
- Reputation
This is by no means a complete list of topics to evaluate, and you should add your own ideas, but it’s a good starting point for effective evaluation. Here’s a simple SWOT analysis template that shows you the result of asking the right questions.
How to perform a SWOT analysis?
Conducting a SWOT analysis is essential for understanding your business’s current market position and developing strategies to leverage strengths, mitigate weaknesses, capitalize on opportunities and counter threats.
Follow these 4 steps to perform a comprehensive SWOT analysis:
- Identify strengths: Recognize internal positive attributes that are within your control, such as unique selling points, skilled workforce or strong brand recognition.
- Assess weaknesses: Assess internal areas that need improvement, such as lack of resources, inefficient processes or poor brand reputation.
- Recognize opportunities: Analyze external factors that could benefit your business, such as emerging markets, technological advancements or changes in consumer behavior.
- Acknowledge threats: Consider external factors that could potentially harm your business, such as new competitors, changing regulations or economic downturns.
Are you ready to create your SWOT analysis?
A SWOT analysis is an invaluable evaluation tool, particularly for small businesses or during times of change. Make sure you follow these SWOT analysis best practice tips to maximize your evaluation opportunities and further your evaluation by conducting a thorough Competitor Analysis.
All of the SWOT analysis examples featured in this blog post are fully customizable SWOT analysis templates available for use on Venngage. You can also use our Smart Templates to create documents easily.
Once you’ve created your business or personal SWOT analysis, make sure to keep a copy safe for the next time you conduct an evaluation. With Venngage you can keep your work online or download a SWOT analysis PDF if you’re a Business user.
