FREE MARKETING PLANNING TEMPLATE INCLUDED

© BOB HEBEISEN WWW.B2BHEBEISEN.COM

How To Build Your Annual Marketing Plan

www.b2bhebeisen.com October 25th, 2016

Step 1: Use a Great Marketing Plan Template

Download this Annual Marketing Plan template (free download, no form) https://b2bhebeisen.com/2016/10/04/free-template-for

-building-your-annual-marketing-plan/

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Step 1: Use a Great Marketing Plan Template

What makes this Marketing Plan Template so great? It allows you to…1. Build a plan fast2. Prioritize your budget by campaign and by tactic3. Delegate planning projects to your staff4. Load-balance the calendar5. Present the plan to your stakeholders and staff

Download this Annual Marketing Plan template (free download, no form) https://b2bhebeisen.com/2016/10/04/free-template-for

-building-your-annual-marketing-plan/ www.b2bhebeisen.com

Step 2: Prep & Research

Analyze past results to learn what worked and what did not What tactics were successful? What media properties and events worked best? What is your definition of success (lead gen/closed

sales/brand exposure)?

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Step 2: Prep & Research

Synch with stakeholders, make sure your priorities are aligned What are your most important

marketing objectives? Least important?

What are your most important personas? Least important?

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Step 2: Prep & Research

Establish your annual budget Ask your manager what your

budget is! Or, in the absence of that, set a

“planning budget” for yourself: Use last year’s budget/spend

(+/- 10% depending on the company outlook), or…

7% - 8% of gross revenue, or… Check the financial statements

of your key public competitors and match their spend

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The U.S. Small Business Administration

recommends setting your marketing

budget at 7% - 8% of gross revenue

Step 3: Plan Your Baseline Costs

Sunk costs, regular recurring costs: Foundational costs like Marketing

Automation fees, CRM fees, Website hosting fees

Predictable, regular recurring costs like agencies and contractors

Other stuff (analysts, association memberships, holiday gifts for customers, give-away items for trade shows, etc.)

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Step 4: Plan Your Events

Big-ticket activities with firm dates established well in advance

Use the planning calendar of the Marketing Plan template to build pre- and post-event marketing programs around each event

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Step 5: Allocate Budget to Each Campaign

The majority of your budget should be divided up among your major campaigns Campaigns are typically

created based on vertical market or persona

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Step 6: Reserve “Unplanned/Opportunistic” Budget

Reserve a small amount (10% per quarter?) for discretionary spending. Use it to… Experiment with new opportunities (“let’s sponsor that

new analyst report”) Double-down on campaigns that are working well

(“congratulations on that great webinar, here’s $5K to promote the recording!”)

Invest in small programs that reward sales people who “get it” (“we’re going to host a seminar in your territory!”)

If you are asked to reduce budget in a down quarter, the discretionary budget is an easy first cut

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Step 7: Refine Continually

Update your plan with real invoiced costs (and claw back any savings and re-plan it!)

Track results throughout the year

If tactics or markets are underperforming, reallocate budget to activities more likely to succeed

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More Info & Resources

Marketo Marketing Plan MS PowerPoint slides (free download, must fill out form) Good for collecting statistics about past performance and packaging them up as

a foundation for your strategy http://

pages2.marketo.com/ProgramPlanningTemplate-SocialMediopolis-Oct2016.html

SiriusDecisions “Anatomy of a B-to-B Marketing Plan” webinar (free, must fill out form) Good for high-level strategy setting and presentation http://go.siriusdecisions.com/2106_Summit_Track_Sessions

B2BHebeisen.com Annual Marketing Plan MS Excel template (free download, no form) This is where the rubber meets the road. List all your marketing activities and

costs, categorize them by campaign & tactic, plot them on a calendar, and make sure your activities align with your strategy

https://b2bhebeisen.com/2016/10/04/free-template-for-building-your-annual-marketing-plan/

www.b2bhebeisen.com