Campaign Planner

# Campaign Planner

Generate a comprehensive marketing campaign brief with objectives, audience, messaging, channel strategy, content calendar, and success metrics.

## Inputs

Gather the following from the user. If not provided, ask before proceeding:

1. **Campaign goal** -- the primary objective (e.g., drive signups, increase awareness, launch a product, generate leads, re-engage churned users)
2. **Target audience** -- who the campaign is aimed at (demographics, roles, industries, pain points, buying stage)
3. **Timeline** -- campaign duration and any fixed dates (launch date, event date, seasonal deadline)
4. **Budget range** -- approximate budget or budget tier (optional; if not provided, generate a channel-agnostic plan)
5. **Additional context** (optional): product being promoted, key differentiators, previous campaign performance, brand guidelines, geographic focus

## Campaign Brief Structure

### 1. Campaign Overview
- Campaign name suggestion
- One-sentence campaign summary
- Primary objective with a specific, measurable goal
- Secondary objectives (if applicable)

### 2. Target Audience
- Primary audience segment with description
- Secondary audience segment (if applicable)
- Audience pain points and motivations
- Where they spend time (channels, communities, publications)
- Buying stage alignment (awareness, consideration, decision)

### 3. Key Messages
- Core campaign message (one sentence)
- 3-4 supporting messages tailored to audience pain points
- Message variations by channel (if different tones are needed)
- Proof points or evidence to support each message

### 4. Channel Strategy
Recommend channels based on audience and goal. For each channel, include:
- Why this channel fits the audience and objective
- Content format recommendations
- Estimated effort level (low, medium, high)
- Budget allocation suggestion (if budget was provided)

Consider channels from:
- Owned: blog, email, website, social media profiles
- Earned: PR, influencer partnerships, guest posts, community engagement
- Paid: search ads, social ads, display, sponsored content, events

### 5. Content Calendar
Create a week-by-week content calendar:

| Week | Content Piece | Channel | Owner/Notes | Status |
|------|--------------|---------|-------------|--------|

### 6. Content Pieces Needed
List every content asset required:
- Asset name and type
- Brief description
- Priority (must-have vs. nice-to-have)
- Suggested timeline for creation

### 7. Success Metrics
Define KPIs aligned to the campaign objective:
- Primary KPI with target number
- Secondary KPIs (3-5)
- How each metric will be tracked
- Reporting cadence recommendation

### 8. Budget Allocation (if budget provided)
- Breakdown by channel or activity
- Production costs vs. distribution costs
- Contingency recommendation (typically 10-15%)

### 9. Risks and Mitigations
- 2-3 potential risks (timeline, audience mismatch, channel underperformance)
- Mitigation strategy for each

### 10. Next Steps
- Immediate action items to kick off the campaign
- Stakeholder approvals needed
- Key decision points

## Planning Reference

### Campaign Framework: Objective, Audience, Message, Channel, Measure

#### Objective
- **Awareness**: increase brand or product visibility (reach, impressions, share of voice)
- **Consideration**: drive engagement and education (content engagement, email signups)
- **Conversion**: generate leads or sales (signups, demos, purchases, pipeline)
- **Retention**: re-engage existing customers (churn reduction, upsell, NPS)
- **Advocacy**: turn customers into promoters (referrals, reviews, UGC)

Good objectives are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.

#### Audience Profile
> "[Role] at [company type] who is struggling with [pain point] and looking for [desired outcome]. They typically discover solutions through [channels] and care most about [priorities]."

#### Message Hierarchy
1. Why should I care? (addresses the pain point or opportunity)
2. What is the solution? (positions your offering)
3. Why you? (differentiates from alternatives)
4. What should I do? (call to action)

### Channel Selection Guide

#### Owned Channels

| Channel | Best For | Typical Metrics | Effort |
|---------|----------|----------------|--------|
| Blog/Website | SEO, thought leadership, education | Traffic, time on page, conversions | Medium |
| Email | Nurture, retention, announcements | Open rate, CTR, conversions | Low-Medium |
| Social (organic) | Awareness, community, brand building | Engagement, reach, follower growth | Medium |
| Webinars | Education, lead gen, product demos | Registrations, attendance, pipeline | High |

#### Earned Channels

| Channel | Best For | Typical Metrics | Effort |
|---------|----------|----------------|--------|
| PR/Media | Awareness, credibility, launches | Coverage, share of voice, referral traffic | High |
| Guest content | Audience expansion, SEO, credibility | Referral traffic, backlinks | Medium |
| Influencer/Partner | Audience expansion, trust | Reach, engagement, referral conversions | Medium-High |
| Community | Awareness, trust, feedback | Mentions, engagement, referral traffic | Medium |

#### Paid Channels

| Channel | Best For | Typical Metrics | Effort |
|---------|----------|----------------|--------|
| Search ads (SEM) | High-intent lead capture | CPC, CTR, conversion rate, CPA | Medium |
| Social ads | Awareness, retargeting, lead gen | CPM, CPC, CTR, CPA, ROAS | Medium |
| Display/Programmatic | Awareness, retargeting | Impressions, CPM, view-through conversions | Low-Medium |
| Sponsored content | Thought leadership, lead gen | Engagement, leads, cost per lead | Medium |

### Content Calendar Creation

1. **Start with milestones**: campaign launch, event dates, product releases
2. **Work backward**: what needs to be live and when?
3. **Map content to funnel stages**: ensure coverage across awareness, consideration, and conversion
4. **Batch by theme**: group related content into weekly themes
5. **Balance channels**: do not over-index on one channel
6. **Build in flexibility**: leave 20% of calendar slots open for reactive content

### Production Timeline Benchmarks
- Blog post: 3-5 business days
- Email campaign: 2-3 business days
- Social media posts: 1-2 business days
- Landing page: 5-7 business days
- Video content: 2-4 weeks
- Ebook/whitepaper: 2-4 weeks

### Budget Allocation Framework

| Category | Percentage of Budget | Examples |
|----------|---------------------|----------|
| Paid acquisition | 30-40% | Search ads, social ads, display |
| Content production | 20-30% | Blog, video, design, ebooks |
| Events and sponsorships | 10-20% | Conferences, webinars, meetups |
| Tools and technology | 10-15% | Analytics, automation, CRM |
| Testing and experimentation | 5-10% | New channels, A/B tests, pilots |

### Success Metrics by Campaign Type

#### Awareness Campaign
| Metric | What It Measures |
|--------|-----------------|
| Reach/Impressions | How many people saw the campaign |
| Brand mention volume | Increase in brand conversations |
| Share of voice | Your mentions vs. competitors |
| Direct traffic | People coming to your site unprompted |

#### Lead Generation Campaign
| Metric | What It Measures |
|--------|-----------------|
| Total leads | Volume of new contacts |
| Marketing qualified leads (MQLs) | Leads meeting quality threshold |
| Cost per lead (CPL) | Efficiency of spend |
| Pipeline influenced | Revenue opportunity created |

#### Product Launch Campaign
| Metric | What It Measures |
|--------|-----------------|
| Signups or trials | Adoption of new product |
| Activation rate | Users who complete key first action |
| Media coverage | Earned media hits |
| Feature adoption | Usage of specific launched features |