Guideline’s Post

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 : Every successful campaign owes its victory to a marketer pouring their heart and soul into it. (𝘖𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴) It's important for leaders to see beyond budgets and recognize the real value of investing in marketing. Because it's not just about money; it's about understanding how crucial marketing is for business growth. #marketing

The accuracy is alarming 😭

I'm a big Harry Potter fan, so naturally I had to share! Being a freelancer, I can tell you this metaphor also applies to the time investment you put into the work you're outsourcing. Let me explain. I've interacted with many businesses who want to hire me to just "handle" their social media presence, without further adieu. They don't want to take the time to tell me about who they are, or what they'd like to convey to their audience, and they certainly don't want to have meetings with me regularly. The result? I'm stuck working off the (often) measly information they have on their website. Granted, I'd like to toot my own horn for a second because I can often make a 3-course meal out of whatever's in the pantry, metaphorically speaking. But you know what would make my content not just good, but FAN-freaking-TASTIC?!? -Regular meetings with my client, if not monthly, then quarterly -Updates about what's happening with your business right this second. Maybe we can take some pics? Video? Swap anecdotes? Cool but less-known facts about your industry? -Knowledge about how you want your brand to come across. What's important to you? Do you like to get involved in community, public events, politics? Yes, you're outsourcing in order to get work off your plate. And that absolutely will happen if you've hired the right partner. But that's exactly what it should be - a partnership. From my experience, the marketing content I can produce can only be as good as our relationship. We can make magic on social media, but I need to get inside your brain and/or your business. TL;DR - don't be afraid to over-share with your marketing freelancers. Have them sign an NDA if you're worried about proprietary information. And THANK YOU to my clients who truly incorporate me into your team and into your business!

You need to allocate resources wisely based on: - Team's time → how many hours available per week? - Marketing Budget → how much can you spend? - Skills → what can your team do and can't do ? But it's not always easy to choose from all the tactics available. - Which one should you try or not? - Is it the right tactic for you? - What to prioritize? Here are some guidelines for your decision: 1. Choosing the right tactics should always start from your audience: - Study WHY they buy → Know what message to say - Research HOW they buy → Know where to say it Research → Strategy → Plan → Execute 2. But let's face it - it's also about practical resources: - Your Budget → How much can you spend on marketing? - Time to get Results → How long can you keep until ROI? I've designed a quadrant graph (enclosed) to help you for this. You should diversify your tactics for 2 types of results: → Fast results (quadrant 1 & 2 in the graph) → Long term results (quadrant 3 & 4 in the graph) *** Note on the graph: - It's a relative ranking, not an absolute ranking. - Fast results can also bring long-term results. - Items are positioned based on my analyses. - Investment includes marketing budget and team.

DEAR STAGE 2 📬: Can you point me to any templates or frameworks for setting and tracking a marketing budget for the rest of the year? A few months back, Liz (Cain) Christo teamed up with Stage 2 Capital LP Aileen Allen to discuss setting a founding marketer's budget. They emphasized the importance of: ✅ Discussions with stakeholders and analyzing historical data to understand business goals, growth targets, past marketing performance, and channel effectiveness ✅ Developing a budget for shorter periods (quarterly or semi-annually) based on historical data and utilizing this baseline to allocate resources, experiment with new initiatives, and adjust spending between categories ✅ Allocating a portion (15-20%) of the budget for experimentation, prioritizing agility, constant testing, and quick iteration While completing these steps, you can also leverage Aileen's Marketing Budget Template to propose a budget and (eventually) track actuals. Get the template, along with further tips on how to use it, in the newest Dear Stage 2: https://lnkd.in/gu84y_pp

Behind Every Successful Marketing Budget, There's a Story of Analysis and AdaptationCrafting a marketing budget that aligns with both aspirations and realities is an art - one that requires a blend of creativity, analysis, and foresight. Through my experiences with creating and adjusting marketing budgets, here are key takeaways I'd like to share: Data-driven decisions lead the way. Analysis of past spending and returns can illuminate the path forward. Flexibility is your friend. Market trends are as unpredictable as the weather. Being prepared to pivot is non-negotiable. Collaboration across departments ensures that everyone is moving toward the same goal, with finances and creativity in sync.What strategies have you found effective in balancing ambition and pragmatism in your marketing budgets? #MarketingBudgets #DataDriven #FlexibilityIsKey #CollaborativeSuccess

Asking the management in your company for a bigger marketing budget can be a daunting task 🫣 This process isn't so scary when you have the relevant skills and knowledge to present a strong budget pitch! 🔥 Don't worry, we're here to help you SMASH your next pitch... 👀 Download our full budget pitch toolkit to use in your next budget pitch here 🤩 https://lnkd.in/eDfstnsx #marketingbudget #marketingmeme #budgetpitch

Elevate your marketing game with strategic budgeting. Check out our latest blog, "Navigating the Marketing Budget: A Roadmap to Success." 📈 Step 1: Reflect on the Past Year. Analyze where your budget went, leads generated, and ROI. Data-driven decisions pave the way for success. 🎯 Step 2: Set the Course for the Future. Define growth goals considering past performance and seasonal variations. Clear, measurable objectives ensure success. 📊 Step 3: Chart Your Strategy. Align your budget with a data-driven go-to-market plan. Allocate wisely based on past strategies and audience preferences. Ready to dive deeper? Read the full blog for actionable steps you can take at your business. https://hubs.ly/Q02bNXyw0 #MarketingStrategy #BudgetSuccess #BusinessGrowth

Marketers, don’t spend your time updating spreadsheets. It’s not your thing. Imagine this: every time a shoot date changes, or deliverables have to be delayed because of feedback, or you simply book a creative for a certain date, it goes straight into your calendar. It’s 2024, we shouldn’t be wasting our time on spreadhsheets as creative marketers. Time to upgrade to the new system. Join the waitlist 🔗 www.creativesapp.com #contentmarketing #socialmediamanagers #influencermarketing #contentinsights #creativejobs

Your marketing budget should be the RESULT of a well-thought-out plan, and not a shot in the dark ... convince me otherwise. We're approaching that time of year again. When executives will start asking marketing teams for their budget numbers, headcounts, etc. for 2025. As a marketer, I love this time of year! It's a lot of fun to dig into: 🎯 Company, sales, and marketing goals/objectives for the coming year 📊 What's worked (and hasn't) in the past year 💲 The priorities and financial targets being set 🌄 New opportunities on the horizon The OUTCOME of this discussion is well-though-out marketing plan that shares: 🛠️ The strategies and tactics it will take to reach the abovementioned goals (aka the marketing plan) 💸 The amount of money it will take to execute the strategies and tactics recommended by marketing to reach your goals (aka the marketing budget) 👏👏The analysis ➡ leads to the strategy, ➡ which results in a budget. 👏👏 In organizations where marketing works closely with the leadership team to work through this process, it can be so powerful! 💪 This is the recipe for meaningful growth. In organizations where marketing is not included in this process ... it's often counterproductive. 👎 There are unfortunately organizations where goals, objectives, priorities, and plans aren't: 1) clearly set at all for the company ❌ 2) properly communicated with marketing ❌ It's a rudderless ship. 🛳 Yet, the expectation is for marketing to hand over a marketing plan and/or budget to help reach company goals ... that haven't been set or properly communicated. 😕 Doesn't make sense, does it? Sure, marketing can give you a number, but it's likely going to be as accurate as predicting the weather in a year. ⛅ If you don't include marketing in your strategic planning efforts, any budget number provided is just a guess—and guessing isn’t what drives growth. What advice do you have for marketers who find themselves in positions or organizations like this? I'll put mine in the comments below. #MarketingStrategy #GrowthMindset #BusinessPlanning #SmartBudgeting #MarketingPlanning #YearEndPlanning #MarketingBudget #Marketing