As the winter quickly approaches and we’re heading to the end of Q4 - signs of the new year appear. And what marks the upcoming new year more than Yearly planning?
As 2024 is just a few weeks away, we’ve gathered our most kept secrets to a successful yearly plan.
Step 1 - Re-evaluating our strategy - 2023 was the year of changing plans and budget cuts - so this step is even more crucial this year. Looking at the targets for the year, and what we’re aiming to accomplish - to ensure our goals are still relevant.
Step 2 - Focus on milestones - Planning ahead could get tricky with the more unknown variables we have. Easy solve? Adding all known milestones to the plan - to minimize surprises. That means holidays, company product launches, culture moments, etc. Planning for what we know is coming will leave plenty of room to deal with the unexpected needs that will arise.
Step 3 - Holistic planning is key - What areas are we focusing on? Are we creating mainly online or offline experiences? Am I focusing on both internal and external talent? And where is it all happening? Aim to create seamless holistic experiences.
Step 4 - Let’s get Tactical - Once we know our strategy is still relevant and accounted for the big moments of the year - it’s time to get tactical. For each planned campaign and platform - what do we want to accomplish? What are the themes we want to cover? Do we have a specific audience? Whether it’s planning a career fair or a LinkedIn campaign - the framework will ensure our brand stays consistent.
Step 5 - Diving deeper - Once we’ve defined our plan based on tactics, it's time to take a deeper look into our “always on” campaigns - and build a detailed yearly plan for them. Getting into the more specific details of those campaigns - what audiences are we targeting, what messaging we’re hoping to convey, and what are the main objectives (Lead Generation? Brand Awareness?).
Step 6 - Budget - We can’t talk about yearly planning without mentioning budgets, can we? In case of budget cuts, build the plan, and try to include alternatives to the pricier campaigns and tactics. This will also help to prioritize what’s mandatory and what can be skipped or replaced.
Step 7 - Leave room for change - If we were dramatic, we’d offer you go over your plan again and cross off 10%. The truth of the matter is - that building room for change is key to success. Although each company is different, the one thing we know for sure is that you’ll have RTM moments you’d want to use, and get last-minute requests you’ll need to address, so adding in time blocks for TBD can help mitigate the stress.
Finalized your yearly plan? Now it's time to create your budget. 5 Myths of Budget Building - Streamline Your Process with a Free Budget Template.
