As we enter the fourth quarter of 2021, it’s time to plan how to invest any remaining marketing dollars to maximize your year-end effort. Recommendations are typically based on budget levels, but first you need to identify what you want to achieve.
For example, two of the most popular objectives to consider when allocating your remaining Q4 budget are:
- Meet and exceed your 2021 goals
- Accelerate or get a jump start on 2022 projects and programs
Once you have defined your goals, you can set an appropriate budget and allocate it to specific projects.
Recognizing that Q4 budgets often need to be awarded and delivered upon before the end of the year, here are some projects to consider based on a variety of budget sizes:
With a budget up to $10K:
• Template design: concept, design and build new master template coded to a modular system for faster time to market with a fresh new look and feel.
• New campaign launch: carve out an audience to test a new promotional, awareness or education campaign before rolling it out to the larger ecosystem.
With a budget up to $50K:
• Data assessment and next year opportunity analyses: develop deeper analyses of your data to identify opportunities, trends, and customer behaviors purchase patterns. Implement with a comprehensive strategic program plan that aligns with your long-term channel and business goals
• Test & Learn Plan: invigorate your marketing calendar by establishing baselines KPIs and growth objectives – then implement a series of defined campaign tests to plot a path to success
• Tech evaluation: explore a new tech tool or expand your existing tech stack. (Most tech providers are willing to offer short-term trials in an effort to secure end-of-year contracts).
With a budget up to $100K:
• People and Process Alignment: up-skill your resources and support them in their operation remit with well-defined business processes, RACIs and decision-based models. Explore a more agile operational marketing framework like Kanban.
• Channel Program 3-year Roadmap: Future-proof your marketing operational organization with a foundational alignment of operational growth to business goals through resource canvasing, gaps analyses and projects ideation. Uncover your “big rocks” to scale over the next three years.
