Christa Tuttle August 8, 2021 
Marketing campaigns require a large investment in terms of cost, effort and reputation. Before planning and executing a campaign, it is important to think strategically about what will be included. From activities to deadlines and key players involved, there are a lot of factors that go into created an integrated marketing plan. This process of developing an integrated marketing plan outlines the strategic goals your company has during a specific time period, the marketing activities that your company will conduct in order to reach these goals and a detailed budget. When building an integrated marketing plan, it is important to answer these questions to ensure that your marketing plan focuses on strategic goals rather than tactical implementation.
1. What are Your Goals?
When building an integrated marketing plan, it is important to first take a look at your short-term and long-term sales (revenue) goals. Next, you can determine the number of leads you need to generate. Based on previous conversion rates and average deal size, you can determine the number of leads you will need to reach these goals.
2. What are You Going to Spend?
Once you have determined how much revenue you want to generate and how many leads you want to obtain in a specific time period, it’s time to consider the budget. Budget is one of the most crucial factors in the formation of an integrated marketing plan. A specific budget can allow, or limit, you to planning and executing certain marketing activities. It is important to think strategically and keep your ultimate goals in mind while building out your budget. Doing this effectively will allow you to build a marketing plan that will generate leads, revenue and brand awareness.
3. How Can You Achieve Them?
Once you have determined your goals, as well as the number of leads that you need to generate in order to reach those goals, you will then need to determine what marketing activities will aid in the lead generation process. Certain marketing efforts are more effective, depending on the audience and goals. Determining what marketing activity will best reach the prospects you want to turn into leads is a must. Without this, an unclear and unaligned marketing strategy will be detrimental to achieving the goals that are set. Consider the different marketing channels you can use to reach those goals, as well as your audience’s likes and preferences. Your integrated marketing plan should scope these activities all while remaining within budget and the time constraints that were given.
4. How Can We Measure the Results?
After the completion of the time range the integrated marketing plan was scoped for, it is essential to measure your results to understand if you hit revenue and lead goals. Skipping this part of the process can lead to unanswered questions and data that is not analyzed. Having the ability to know if you hit your goals, or not, can help you in the next marketing plan or campaign you create. Plus, if you missed revenue or lead generation goals, you will have to evaluate what caused this to happen.
By taking the time to think strategically when developing your marketing plan, you help to ensure that your campaigns contribute to reaching your organization’s revenue goals while also aligning with your organization’s key messaging. Read more about developing a successful marketing plan in this article.
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