Marketing plans vary so wildly from team to team, it’s amazing we can share marketing metrics at all. Yet how we codify our roles and our contribution to an organization are very similar””whether we’re B2B, B2C, or in entirely dissimilar industries.
What’s one thing we all have in common? The very real need to change quickly when we have to.
Marketing goals are tied to the goals of the business: if leads are lagging or not converting, you need to spot the problem and make changes. Access to real-time metrics is key to data-driven, agile marketing.
When planning for the year ahead, any marketing team should consider flexibility. Let’s say you plan to roll out two big campaigns in the first half of the year with multi-channel programs rolling up under those campaigns.
What if your campaigns are on track, but you’re not hitting the number of leads you planned? Your goals and themes won’t change, but your channels and strategies might have to””and that’s what agile marketing is about.
Apply the 80/20 rule to your marketing plan: plan 80% of campaigns in advance, leaving 20% flexible to test, learn, and iterate.
For example, if social underperforms, adjust your strategy or replace it with a tactic that drives results. Strong alignment with sales and monitoring real-time metrics let you react quickly and protect pipeline.
Your marketing plan should estimate how many leads each campaign will generate per channel.
But what if the leads you bring in from content syndication don’t convert? And what if you hit a snag in your email marketing due to list exhaustion or a blocklist? Take it from experience, it can happen, and when it does, it’s ugly. You’ll need to find a way to close the lead gap as quickly as possible.
Looking back at the end of a quarter with a shrug, “Welp, that didn’t work. Should’ve done something else,”Âť helps no one. But using the 80/20 rule, staying on top of your metrics, and planning for agility can. It’s your best bet at staying on track””no matter what comes your way.
What key metrics should you measure? Why should your marketing plan start with company revenue goals? Here you go:Â The Modern Marketer’s Guide to Annual Planning.
