Creating a marketing plan: the 7 steps for a concrete approach

Read more

Many marketing plans don’t deliver the expected results, stemming from two fundamental shortcomings. First, the strategy is often based on assumptions rather than critically analysed performance data. Second, commitment and focus on the plan fade over the year due to operational hecticness.  

Without a measurable foundation and the discipline to stay the course, your budget won’t be used optimally. In this blog, we explain the 7 essential steps to create a concrete plan that works structurally and holds up in practice. 

Step 1: analyse your current performance

Before you plan the future, you must scrutinise current performance. This process is about gathering hard data, not confirming existing assumptions. 

Look critically at the past year: 

• Results per channel: Which channels achieved the highest conversion of MQLs? And which delivered a disproportionately low ROI? 
• Conversion paths: Where does prospect progress stall in the funnel? Identify the critical bottlenecks in your lead generation. 
• Content performance: Which thought leadership content most strengthened your authority and led to the most qualified leads? 

Insight: Improvement starts with measurement. Analysing your Return on Investment (ROI) per campaign forms the indispensable basis for any concrete plan. 

Step 2: define measurable business and marketing goals 

Without quantifiable goals, your plan lacks focus. Ensure your marketing objectives are SMART, but see them primarily as the strategic bridge to overarching business objectives. It’s not just about hard numbers but the intent behind the goals. Marketing success is much broader than a handful of metrics.  

Your goals must make a direct, demonstrable contribution to higher-level business objectives (e.g. revenue growth or market share expansion). 

Focus on the essential output: 

• The exact number of qualified MQLs your marketing team will deliver to sales. 
• A focus on increasing brand awareness in strategic new market segments. 
• The required increase in conversion rates on critical landing pages, demonstrably improving lead quality. 

These goals must be unconditionally aligned with the sales team. Aligning marketing and sales is a prerequisite before allocating budgets; without shared focus and collaboration, results will disappoint.  

Step 3: know your ideal customer and strategic pain points 

A generic plan yields generic results. Focus solely on the Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) that offer the highest Lifetime Value (LTV). 

A solid marketing plan is built on: 

• Strategic pain points: Which challenges do your ICPs face for which your solution is a necessity, not an option? 
• Decision architecture: What specific information does the audience seek at each stage of their buying journey (from awareness to purchase)? 

This knowledge enables you to deliver the right content at the most relevant moment with precision. 

Step 4: determine strategy and channel mix 

Now that the goals (step 2) and ideal customer (step 3) are clear, define the tactics. This is where you make strategic choices, because not every channel serves your goal. Each channel must play a strategic role and be justified by the data from step 1. 

The success of your marketing plan depends on a targeted channel mix, deploying resources only where your audience is and where your competitive advantage is greatest: 

• Content strategy: How will you establish thought leadership? Will you prioritise lead-generating whitepapers or authority-building yet optimised blogs? 
• Digital channels: Is LinkedIn the primary B2B platform, or do your data reveal opportunities in advanced email segmentation or on specific paid channels? 

Allocate your budgets based on the demonstrated historical ROI from Step 1. Invest proportionally in proven success, and minimise resources for experimental or unproven channels. 

Step 5: develop your content calendar and production schedule 

The content calendar is a key component of your annual plan. It’s the indispensable link between the defined strategy and your marketing team’s output. Without it, your team falls into reactive work and loses focus on strategic goals. The calendar enforces consistency and cadence. It should include the following elements: 

• Topics and formats: The full scope, from data-driven blogs and case studies to webinars and social media content assets. 
• Publication dates: A non-negotiable schedule to guarantee consistency and market presence. 
• Owners: Assign end responsibility for each asset from concept to go-live. 

Step 6: set your budget and measurement tools 

Every action in your marketing plan is a direct investment. Define in advance how many resources you’ll deploy and, more importantly, how you’ll accurately measure the return on that investment. 

• Budget allocation: Distribute the total budget across channels and projects that promise the highest ROI. Reserve a small strategic buffer. 
• KPIs and dashboards: Define the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) per quarter. Ensure a real-time dashboard that provides direct insight into progress against the goals from Step 2. 

Step 7: schedule quarterly reviews and adjustments

When done right, a marketing plan isn’t a static document but a dynamic plan that requires adjustments throughout the year. You respond to the numbers and new trends and developments. The most common reason plans fail is a lack of commitment during the year. Therefore, schedule a review at the end of each quarter. 

These sessions must answer the following questions: 

• Are we on track to achieve the pre-defined MQL and revenue goals? 
• Which content is showing exceptional (or disappointing) performance and warrants a reallocation of resources? 
• Is a change in budget allocation necessary based on the recently measured ROI? 

Only through these adjustments—and the discipline to keep following the plan—can you ensure your plan remains relevant and effective in a rapidly changing B2B market. 

Ready for a yearly marketing plan with structural impact? 

The planning process is a direct investment in focus and growth. By following these 7 data-driven steps, you gain a strategic and measurable edge. You create focus, maximise budget effectiveness and enforce collaboration across your entire organisation. 

Do you want to elevate your annual plan or need strategic guidance in translating business goals into a marketing strategy? Then quickly schedule a strategy session with us! 

Discover how technology can accelerate your growth.

Have questions about marketing automation, CRM, or integrations? Together, we’ll find the best solution for your organization.

Schedule a meeting