10+ Sample Marketing Plan Spreadsheets

What Is a Marketing Plan Spreadsheet?

A marketing plan spreadsheet is an electronic tool or document which is used to present specific date based on an organization’s marketing plan. This specific type of spreadsheet is necessary so that businesses can arrange necessary information in columns and rows for purposes of better and more precise viewing. When looking into the grid present within a marketing plan spreadsheet, stakeholders can identify the alignment and connection of given information to one another. More so, this can enable them to manipulate and manage the usage of included data depending on the proceedings of the marketing plan’s development and/or implementation.

According to the 2018 Statista figures, 71 percent of marketing professionals worldwide believed that their companies marketing strategies are effective.

In the survey conducted by Statista in 2018, 66 percent of business-to-business companies in the United States responded to have a format marketing plan.

Based on Statista, 33 percent of marketing and advertising professionals said that social media would have the highest impact on their future marketing efforts.

Types of Specific Marketing Plan Spreadsheets

A marketing plan spreadsheet can be beneficial to the marketing team and to your business in many more ways than one. Hence, it is very important for entities who will develop this document to make sure that you have a purpose and a vision in mind. Know the objectives of the marketing plan spreadsheet’s development so you can create an output that can be an answer or a solution to your needs, problems, and/or concerns. Identify the type of marketing plan spreadsheet that you must use for a given marketing activity so you can focus on refining its necessary content and features. Here are a few types of specific marketing plan spreadsheets which you may utilize within your marketing operations:

1. Marketing Schedule and Timeline Plan Spreadsheet

A marketing schedule and timeline plan spreadsheet is the kind of spreadsheet which focuses on the time frames of each marketing activity planned by the organization. Hence, the grid in this particular type of document consists of specific dates and deadlines alongside the marketing efforts that should be delivered by the marketing team or any other involved entities in a timely manner.

2. Marketing Plan of Action Spreadsheet

A marketing plan of action spreadsheet is created to list down all of the marketing events, programs, and activities of the organization within a week, a month, a quarter, or a year. This specific kind of marketing plan spreadsheet is used to make sure that all marketing efforts are managed accordingly. More so, a marketing plan of action spreadsheet clearly designates work responsibilities, tasks, and obligations to the members of the marketing team as well as to the stakeholders of the business who would like to participate in its marketing operations.

3. Marketing Project Plan Spreadsheet

A marketing project plan spreadsheet prioritizes the call-to-actions which can result to the completion or realization of a marketing project. You can use a marketing plan spreadsheet as a project spreadsheet so you can specifically look into the details of a particular marketing project as well as into the ways on how you can effectively designate tasks to your manpower during this given circumstance.

Elements to Prioritize When Crafting the Best Marketing Plan Spreadsheet

Building a marketing plan spreadsheet from scratch can be tedious. If you want to make the specific job easier, you have to focus on all the details that you will highlight in the document as well as the supporting information and actual structure that can strengthen your overall presentation. Here are some of the main elements that you have to prioritize when crafting the best marketing plan spreadsheet for your business:

The utilization of the spreadsheet format or the grid where specific content will be placed: You have to know the variables that you will put in each row and column. It is imperative for you to make the most out of the grid so that your marketing plan spreadsheet can be comprehensive without looking too overwhelming and cluttered.The identification of the marketing plan spreadsheet’s actual purpose of usage: Know the reason/s why it is important for you to have a marketing plan spreadsheet. It is necessary for you to be purpose-driven as this is what will drive you to gather particular information which can contribute to the effective usage and other potential successes of your marketing plan spreadsheet. With this, brainstorm with your team so you can efficiently identify the scope and limitations of the specific document’s usage.The description of relevant information which can better the marketing operations of the organization: Be clear and transparent when describing the alignment of your key points with the purpose of the spreadsheet and the execution of your actual marketing plan. You need to know how to define and discuss all of the elements of a marketing plan spreadsheet as this can make it easier for your workforce to relate to and understand the content of the document. All of these can then make it more possible for you to promote dynamics in the business and within your marketing operations.

7 Steps for Creating an Outstanding Marketing Plan Spreadsheet

Marketers who actually document their marketing processes is said to have 466% higher chances of reporting marketing campaigns that are successful (source: convinceandconvert). With this, you should really consider to create a marketing plan spreadsheet which can help your business see all marketing planning-related information. If you want to make a marketing plan spreadsheet right now, we have prepared a step-by-step procedure that you can easily follow. To come up with an outstanding marketing plan spreadsheet, here is a seven-step process which you can use as a guide or a reference:

Step 1: Mindfully Download a Pre-Formatted Marketing Plan Spreadsheet Template

There are a lot of templates available out there and there are also different kinds of marketing plan spreadsheets used in their own specific reasons. Hence, it is important for you to be mindful when looking into your template options. Know how to select the best marketing plan spreadsheet template which you can maximize for your advantage.

Step 2: Present the Basic Details of the Organization to Incorporate Your Brand in the Spreadsheet

Use your business letterhead so you can let other entities know that the spreadsheet is an official business document. If you do not have a letterhead yet, you can just write the name of your business followed by its address and contact information. After this, you can specify the entities who are responsible for the management and updating of the marketing plan spreadsheet.

Step 3: List Down Several Disclaimers, Reminders, and Instructions Aligned With the Marketing Plan Spreadsheet’s Usage

Always provide an instruction or a direction for usage so responsible entities can update the document properly and accurately. Aside from this, it is also important for you to have a number of disclaimers and reminders especially those matters that are aligned with the range of the marketing plan spreadsheet’s content specifications and purpose of usage.

Step 4: Identify the Main Points of Your Presentation

Divide the grid based on how you would like to format it and how you would like to look into things. List down the main points of your marketing plan and put it either on the first row or column of the spreadsheet. This can then build categories where supporting information or sub-categories can be housed.

Step 5: Give Supporting Information Which Can Break Down your Main Points Into Manageable Pieces

List down all of the items that are needed to be discussed or included in a given category. As an example, if you have used your “marketing strategies” as a row or column heading, you can then list all of the specific marketing strategies that you will implement in specific time periods. This can include traditional marketing, relationship marketing, social media marketing, and all the other marketing strategies that your organization will optimize during its marketing operations.

Step 6: Finalize the Timeline of Your Marketing Plan Spreadsheet’s Usage

For your marketing plan spreadsheet to be time-bound, it is important for you to have a timeline or a schedule which can present the time frames and deadlines for each activities. Make sure that you will not let your workforce get overworked. Review the timeline that you will incorporate in the marketing plan spreadsheet, if there will be any, just so you can make sure that it is truly fitted with the duration of your marketing activities and the required outputs that must be delivered by the marketing team in a timely manner.

Step 7: Refine All the Details of the Marketing Plan Spreadsheet

Observe, assess, and try the marketing plan spreadsheet for a number of times. It is imperative for you to refine the document so you can make sure that it can be used with ease and efficiency. Look into all the parts and features of the marketing plan spreadsheet as this can help you to become more keen when looking into errors that must be eliminated or items that should be changed so you can better the quality of your final output.

Advantages of Making a Detailed Marketing Plan Spreadsheet

You can get a lot from having a marketing plan spreadsheet at hand any time you need it. We suggest you to try making this document and incorporating it in your marketing processes as this can truly impact your outputs positively. Aside from the management of the business, your workforce and other stakeholders can also benefit if you will come up with a marketing plan spreadsheet that is excellently crafted. The advantages of making a detailed marketing plan spreadsheet include the following:

A marketing plan spreadsheet can help you plan and manage your marketing tasks more effectively: 7% of marketers believe that their marketing teams are very disorganized in terms of planning tasks, marketing campaigns, and other related projects ahead of time (source: coschedule). If you are a part of this percentile and you want to be more proactive as a marketing entity, it is imperative for you to focus on implementing clear processes which are built around reliable and highly-usable organizational tools. This is where the usage of a marketing plan spreadsheet enters. If you have this particular document at hand, it will be much easier for you to look into the main points of your marketing strategies so you can not only plan but also maintain the effective implementation of your marketing call-to-actions.A marketing plan spreadsheet can serve as an outline or an overview of your actual marketing plan: It will not be all the time that your entire marketing plan will be reviewed by several stakeholders. It is important for you to have a more straightforward and visual discussion of your marketing plans of action so that you can always utilize it whenever you are required by the decision makers and/or other entities who can support your marketing endeavors to give them one. Your marketing plan spreadsheet is an effective tool which can layout the framework of your marketing activities. This can then set the impressions and expectations of your target audience accurately since you are giving them marketing strategies, schedules, and other specifications in a direct, concise, and structured manner.A marketing plan spreadsheet can give you an easier time to present specific information to your stakeholders: As an example, a marketing plan spreadsheet can serve as a tracking spreadsheet in which you can monitor, manage, and update your marketing resources. Hence, this tool can serve as a reference not only of the management but also of all the other entities who need to participate in your marketing activities. Your marketing plan spreadsheet can be used as a guide of involved entities so they can effectively deliver what you ask, expect, or require from them.

Do’s and Don’ts for Developing an Excellent Marketing Plan Spreadsheet

Your marketing plan spreadsheet can promote dynamics within the marketing team and alignment with the needs of the organization. Since it is most likely that you will get a lot of advantages from having a marketing plan spreadsheet, it is necessary for you to understand that not all spreadsheets used in marketing planning work in the same level of performance. You have to exert your efforts and take the time to review and polish the specific document so you can have an outstanding marketing plan spreadsheet which you can maximize for a long period of time. Listed below are several guidelines which can be very useful during the development of an excellent marketing plan spreadsheet.

Do’s

1. Do Become Specific When Listing Down the Content of the Marketing Plan Spreadsheet 

We suggest you to first have a checklist of the items that you want to include in the marketing plan spreadsheet. It is important for you to be very specific when listing down the information which you need to relay to your target audience. Having organizational tools that can showcase the necessary details of the marketing plan spreadsheet can make it more efficient for you to deal with formatting the document and placing its content to their designated allocations.

2. Do Know How to Limit the Functions of the Marketing Plan Spreadsheet 

Different marketing plan spreadsheets have different functions. Some are used to aid or support the general marketing operations of the business while there are also some that are focused on specific marketing projects and/or programs. You have to know the limitations of your own marketing plan spreadsheet’s usage as this can also help you to scope the content of the document accordingly.

3. Do Identify the Relevance of All the Items Within the Marketing Plan Spreadsheet to the Needs and Requirements of the Marketing Department and the Organization 

Always look into your marketing roadmap when making a marketing plan spreadsheet. Doing this can enable you to focus on the main points of your marketing operations which can then make the specific spreadsheet’s content more aligned with your needs and expectations. You have to make your marketing plan spreadsheet relevant, highly-usable, necessary, and essential so that you can truly use it based on the purpose of the document’s development and its intended usage.

Don’ts

1. Don’t Develop an Intimidating Marketing Plan Spreadsheet 

Your marketing plan spreadsheet should not overwhelm your target audience. Make the marketing plan spreadsheet as simple as possible. Do not use jargon, technical terms, and other information which can potentially intimidate the people who will look into the document. Focus on the ability of any reasonable person to understand what the marketing plan spreadsheet is saying rather than prioritizing the development of a highly-technical tool which only a few or even no one can utilize.

2. Don’t Be Idealistic When Crafting a Marketing Plan Spreadsheet

Never be idealistic when listing down all the details of the marketing plan spreadsheet. You should be as realistic as possible so to not set the expectations of your stakeholders wrongly. A lot of times, being idealistic can result to the creation of unattainable standards and immeasurable workloads which can only negate the purpose of the marketing plan spreadsheet’s usage. Always rely on facts, actual discussions, analysis results, observations, and researches when making your marketing plan spreadsheet as all of these can strengthen the document’s ability to get your desired successes.

3. Don’t Include Any Information Which Cannot Be Seen in Your Marketing Plan 

All the items which will be seen in the marketing plan spreadsheet should also be observed in the content of your sample marketing plan. Do not veer away from the content specifications of your own marketing plan as this should always be the basis of the development of all the other marketing tools and materials that you will use. If you can align the content of your spreadsheet with the information in your actual marketing plan, then it will be easier for you to use these documents hand-in-hand within your marketing operations or in any areas of it.

FAQs

What should a formal marketing plan include?

A formal marketing plan should fit the promotional needs of a company. That is why it should include essential items such as executive summary, situation analysis, sales forecast, expense budget, marketing strategies, and specific action plans.

Is a marketing plan necessary?

If you aim for a successful business, then having a comprehensive and accurate marketing plan is necessary. With this, you will be able to decide how you sell and promote your products and services to ideal customers.

What are the consequences of not having a marketing plan?

A marketing plan is essential for business since it outlines marketing strategies for your business. However, failure to have one will bring problems such as budget problems, uncoordinated promotional strategies, ineffective tracking of useful marketing approaches, low customer traffic, and the worst one is business closure.

What are the five concepts of marketing?

Marketing is what drives sales to a business. That is why it is essential to come up with effective marketing strategies in your marketing plan. The five useful marketing concepts to design marketing strategies are product, production, selling, marketing, and social marketing concepts.

Creating a marketing plan spreadsheet is highly-recommended for your business especially if you want to ensure that you can look into even the most minute details of your marketing plan or a segment of it. You have to make sure that the spreadsheet that you will come up is of the greatest quality content- and format-wise which is why we suggest you to make the most out of the availability of references. Browse through the selection of marketing plan spreadsheet templates and samples available above so you can effectively choose the best reference that you can optimize.