Most marketing campaigns don’t fail because of bad ideas. They fail because of misalignment, budget gaps, and poor execution.
You set ambitious goals at the start of the year. But when the time comes to act, you’re chasing disconnected teams, fighting for budget, or stuck justifying tactics that no longer work.
Sound familiar?
This guide shows you how to create a marketing plan that goes beyond fluff-filled templates or generic frameworks, so you’re able to keep your team focused all year long and hit those KPIs.
Key highlights:
- Building a marketing plan involves setting clear goals, identifying target audiences, and selecting effective channels.
- Follow a marketing plan procedure built on data-driven insights and aligned with your overall business objectives and budget.
- Integrate marketing KPIs at every stage of planning and execution to track progress and make necessary adjustments.
- Leverage a powerful AI-powered marketing tool like Keen to forecast ROI, optimize budgets in real-time, and adjust strategies as market conditions change.
What is the purpose of a marketing plan?
A step-by-step marketing plan makes sure you don’t wing your way through the execution year. It protects your spend, helps you meet targets, and explains underperformance (if any) to leadership.
Creating a marketing plan gives you the foundation to:
- Defend your budget: You can clearly present your marketing plan and show how each dollar supports business outcomes, making it easier to get stakeholder buy-in.
- Keep your team aligned: Everyone knows what needs to happen, when, and who’s responsible.
- Improve channel performance: Optimize marketing spend based on what works, not what’s always been done, using data like marginal ROI and saturation.
- Adapt to consumer behavior changes faster: Prepare for market shifts, leadership changes, or budget cuts with a scenario-based plan you can adjust mid-year.
How to write a marketing plan: The 7 essential steps
Annual marketing planning doesn’t require a 50-slide deck. These seven steps will help you create a focused, measurable marketing plan that drives results.
Step 1: Add your marketing goals as the foundation of the plan
Once you’ve set your annual marketing goals, bring them into your execution plan so every campaign and initiative ladder up to a clear outcome.
Start by listing the top 3–5 goals marketing is expected to hit this year, and make sure each one has:
- A defined owner or team
- A target timeline (quarter, half, or full year)
- Clear marketing KPIs to track progress
Here’s an example of marketing plan:
| Marketing goal | Team/owner | Timeline | Primary marketing KPI(s) |
| Drive $5M in sourced pipeline | Demand generation | Q1–Q3 | SQLs, iROAS |
| Create brand equity and awareness in new markets | Brand and content | Q1–Q2 | Branded search, video views |
| Improve retention by 10% | Lifecycle marketing | Q2–Q4 | NRR, churn rate |
Use this table to gut-check each campaign in the rest of the plan. If an initiative doesn’t support one of these goals, it probably doesn’t belong there.
Pro tip: If you’ve created goal tiers (stretch vs. baseline), include both. The goals will give stakeholders a range and help with scenario planning if budgets shift mid-year.
Step 2: Map marketing campaigns to target audiences and messaging
By this point, you should’ve already defined your ICPs, segments, and messaging (either during planning or via your brand strategy). Next, put that work into action and:
- List each marketing campaign or program in your plan
- Assign a specific audience or segment
- Note the core message or value prop for that segment
- Match the messaging to the buyer stage (awareness, consideration, decision), making sure you’re optimizing for the full funnel
Use this marketing plan example table to get an idea:
| Marketing campaign | Target segment | Funnel stage | Core message |
| ABM pilot Q2 | Mid-market CISOs | Consideration | Simplify compliance across vendors |
| Product launch Q1 | IT managers in enterprises | Awareness | Replace legacy systems faster |
| Retention Q3 | Existing SMB customers | Decision | Unlock more value with feature X |
Pro tip: If your messaging framework includes emotional drivers, such as risk aversion, speed, and credibility, tag those in the plan too. Having the framework will help content and creative teams move faster later.
Read more: The ultimate guide to building a unified marketing strategy
Step 3: Draft your working media channel plan for each campaign
At this stage, your team likely has a rough idea of what channels you’ll use. Now, you need to organize those decisions in one place and spot gaps or conflicts early. You can do this by:
- Drafting a marketing channel mix for each campaign or initiative
- Tagging each channel by funnel stage (TOFU, MOFU, BOFU)
- Noting any uncertainties, like creative needs, team capacity, or platform testing
You’ll refine the marketing channel strategy later, but this gets you moving now:
| Marketing campaign | Funnel stage | Working media channels | Notes |
| Brand relaunch (Q1) | TOFU | Video, display, paid social | Need updated brand creative |
| ABM pilot (Q2) | MOFU | LinkedIn, email, and content hubs | Awaiting SDR alignment |
| Winback (Q3) | BOFU | Email, paid search, retargeting | Might need a landing page revamp |
If you’re not sure which channel belongs where, tag them as “tentative” and include a note to revisit in your channel strategy planning.
Step 4: Phase your marketing and advertising campaigns across the year
Once you map out your goals, audiences, and working channel plans, the next step is to organize everything over time. A clear timeline keeps your team focused, avoids burnout, and prepares for resourcing and production. Here’s how to create the timeline:
- Break the year into quarters or sprints (if your team follows the agile marketing method)
- Plot campaigns and major initiatives across those blocks
- Align with key business dates like product launches, board meetings, or seasonal demand
| Quarter | Marketing campaign | Launch date | Goal | Dependencies |
| Q1 | Brand relaunch | Feb 5 | Boost awareness | Final brand creative due Jan 15 |
| Q2 | ABM push (100 accounts) | Apr 15 | Drive SQLs | SDR team aligned in Mar |
| Q3 | Retention re-engagement | Jul 8 | Reduce churn | Email list cleanup in June |
| Q4 | Expansion campaign | Oct 1 | Upsell to existing users | New product bundle live September |
In this step, make sure to include prep time, not just launch dates. If your ABM campaign goes live in April, the content, assets, and data work might need to start in February. You can also create a shared marketing campaign calendar using your project management tool or a simple spreadsheet to help stakeholders see what’s happening and when.
Step 5: Add marketing budget guidance to your channel plan
You don’t need to finalize every dollar at this stage, but you do need to start connecting budgets to the campaigns you’ve planned. You’ll get an idea of scoping, prioritization, and cross-team coordination. Next:
- Assign working budget ranges or rough percentages to each campaign
- Flag whether the budget is confirmed, pending, or scenario-based
- Include notes on constraints, such as limited media spend, new platform tests
You’ll finalize the full marketing budget allocation later, but this step will turn strategy into something your operations, media, and content teams can act on.
| Marketing campaign | Working budget | Budget status | Notes |
| Brand relaunch (Q1) | $50K | Confirmed | Paid social, video, and syndication |
| ABM pilot (Q2) | $75K | Pending | May scale down if Q1 underperforms |
| Winback campaign (Q3) | $30K | Scenario-based | Tiered media plan: $30K / $20K / $10K |
If you’re building low/medium/high forecast scenarios, include them here, helping the finance team see the tradeoffs and prepare you to pivot mid-year if needed.
Step 6: Assign owners and align with other teams
A marketing plan is only as strong as the people responsible for executing it. Make it clear who’s doing what across campaigns, content, ops, media, analytics, and beyond.
- Assign a lead owner for each campaign or program
- List supporting teams (internal or agency)
- Note key milestones for reviews, approvals, or cross-functional input
| Marketing campaign | Lead owner | Supporting teams | Key check-ins |
| Brand relaunch (Q1) | Brand director | Web, content, creative | Jan 15 (creative review), Feb 1 (pre-launch QA) |
| ABM pilot (Q2) | Demand generation manager | Sales, SDRs, data ops | Mar 15 (target list), Apr 5 (launch readiness) |
| Winback (Q3) | Lifecycle lead | CS, email ops, product | June 10 (segmentation), July 1 (QA + legal) |
Use this step to spot coordination gaps early, like when email ops is overcommitted or sales hasn’t been looped in yet.
Create a single “owner view” of the plan: a filtered version that shows only each team’s assigned campaigns and dates, making accountability clear without overwhelming every stakeholder with the full roadmap.
Step 7: Embed campaign KPIs directly into your marketing plan
Once you’ve defined your key marketing indicators, bring them into your plan so each campaign has a clear success metric tied to your broader goals.
- Assign 1–2 KPIs per campaign, aligned with the funnel stage and goal
- Include these KPIs directly in your planning docs or campaign tracker
- Flag which metrics will be reviewed monthly, quarterly, or in real-time
| Marketing campaign | Goal | Primary KPI(s) | Review cadence |
| Brand relaunch (Q1) | Increase awareness | Branded search volume, video views | Monthly |
| ABM pilot (Q2) | Drive SQLs from ICP accounts | SQLs, iROAS | Bi-weekly |
| Winback campaign (Q3) | Reduce churn | NRR, product reactivation | Quarterly |
If you’re working with predictive metrics (like iROAS or marginal ROI), note which campaigns are expected to produce modeled outcomes vs. directly observed results.
Build a marketing plan that’s execution-ready with Keen
A good marketing plan doesn’t sit in a slide deck. It guides how your team works, how you spend, and how you adapt when things change.
But the real value comes when your plan can flex in real time, becoming a system for ongoing decision-making, and not just an annual exercise.
With Keen’s AI-powered MMM platform, you connect your entire plan to a predictive performance model. Instead of reacting after results come in, you can leverage marketing mix modeling to:
- Forecast outcomes before launch
- See where your next dollar performs best (and where it won’t)
- Adjust spend by channel, campaign, or region based on marginal ROI
- Defend every decision with scenario-tested data, not static reports
Request a demo to see how you can use Keen to create a marketing plan, hit your goals faster, adapt smarter, and maximize impact across the year.
Frequently asked questions
What is a marketing plan?
A marketing plan is a document that explains what your marketing team is going to do to help the business reach its goals. It outlines what campaigns you’ll run, when they’ll happen, how much they’ll cost, and what results you expect.
The marketing plan gives your team a direction and aligns everyone on priorities, timelines, and outcomes.
What is included in a marketing plan?
A marketing plan includes all the elements that your team needs to execute campaigns, manage resources, and track performance. Common components of the marketing plan include:
- Marketing goals: Define what the team is expected to achieve, such as generating pipeline, increasing brand awareness, or improving retention.
- Target audience: Identify who you’re trying to reach, based on your ICP, personas, or customer segments.
- Campaign and channel mix: Map out the programs you’ll run and the channels you’ll use, like paid search, email, social media, or events.
- Timeline: Show when each campaign or initiative will launch and how work is phased across quarters.
- Budget allocation: Break down how much spend is assigned to each campaign, channel, or program.
- KPIs and success metrics: Specify how performance will be measured, using metrics like SQLs, iROAS, or conversion rates.
- Team ownership: Assign responsibility for planning, execution, and reporting across marketing and supporting teams.
How long does it take to create a marketing plan?
Most teams take three to six weeks to build a complete marketing plan. The exact timeline depends on the:
- Complexity of your business
- Number of stakeholders involved
- Stage you’re starting from (whether you’re building a new plan or refining last year’s)
How many types of marketing plans are there?
There’s no single format for a marketing plan, but most teams create a few core types depending on the goal and timeframe. Common types of marketing plans include:
- Annual marketing plan: A high-level roadmap that outlines goals, campaigns, budgets, and KPIs for the year
- Campaign plan: A focused plan for a specific initiative, like a product launch, ABM program, or event promotion, including objectives, timelines, assets, and channels
- Content marketing plan: A calendar-driven plan for publishing and distributing content across blogs, email, social, and other owned channels
- Channel-specific plan: A tactical plan for a single channel, like paid media, SEO, or lifecycle email
Marketing plan vs. marketing strategy: What’s the difference?
Your marketing strategy defines the goals you’re trying to achieve. Your marketing plan, on the other hand, focuses on the execution of the plan.
| Area of focus | Marketing plan | Marketing strategy |
| Purpose | Breaks the strategy into short- and mid-term actions | Sets the long-term direction |
| Scope | Tactical execution: campaigns, channels, budget | Big-picture thinking: goals, positioning, audience |
| Timing | Short to mid-term (quarterly or annual) | Long-term (often multi-year) |
| Guides | Day-to-day activities and priorities | High-level decision-making |
| Ownership | Owned by marketing managers and cross-functional teams | Often led by senior leadership or the CMO |
| Deliverables | Campaign calendar, media plan, KPI tracker | Strategy document, audience framework, value proposition |
Is a marketing plan the same as a business plan?
No, a marketing plan and a business plan are not the same.
- A business plan is a high-level document that outlines how the entire company will operate and grow. It typically includes sections on product or service offerings, sales forecasts, market analysis, operations, hiring plans, and go-to-market strategy.
- A marketing plan is just one part of that. It focuses specifically on how the marketing team will support business goals through campaigns, messaging, channels, budget, and KPIs.
How often should I update my marketing plan?
You should update your marketing plan at least once per quarter. Regular reviews will give you the chance to evaluate your performance and adjust campaigns accordingly.
If you’re using a platform like Keen, you don’t have to wait for quarterly reviews. You can continuously update your plan based on real-time performance, marginal ROI, and new budget scenarios, so your team can respond faster when the market shifts.
What are some marketing planning tools I can use?
There are two types of tools you’ll need for marketing planning: manual tools for coordination and documentation, and AI-powered tools for modeling, forecasting, and decision-making. The following list includes a mix of both:
- Keen: An AI marketing planning tool that models ROI, simulates scenarios, and forecasts outcomes using real and modeled performance data
- Asana, Monday.com, or ClickUp: Organize timelines, tasks, and team responsibilities for campaign execution
- Google Sheets or Excel: Useful for building basic calendars, budgets, or working drafts, though harder to scale or update dynamically
- Google Analytics and Tableau: Pull performance data into reports that inform budget and channel decisions
- AdRoll and Klaviyo: Generate insights or automate execution, which can feed into your broader planning model
What are the biggest challenges in creating a marketing plan?
The biggest challenges you might face when creating a marketing plan usually come down to time, alignment, and uncertainty. Examples include:
- Reliance on marketing instincts: Many teams rely on last year’s plan or gut feel, rather than modeled ROI or updated performance data.
- Siloed inputs: Sales, product, and finance often work on different timelines and priorities, making it hard to align on goals and resources.
- Static planning cycles: Annual plans are often locked in early, with little room to adapt as the market shifts or performance trends change.
- Manual workflows: Pulling data from different tools, building forecasts, and modeling scenarios manually is time-consuming.
Proving impact: It’s hard to defend the budget without clear, measurable links between marketing activity and business results.
