# Marketing Plan Template

Use this template for a single release (single, EP, album) OR an artist quarter (a 90-day push not tied to one drop). Fill in every bracket. Delete prompts once answered. Keep it to 2–3 pages so the team can actually use it.

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## 0. Plan Header

- **Artist:** [ARTIST NAME]
- **Plan type:** [ ] Single release  [ ] EP / Album  [ ] Artist quarter (no single release)
- **Project / release title:** [TITLE]
- **Release date (or quarter):** [DATE or "Q_ 20__"]
- **Plan owner:** [WHO RUNS THIS — usually the manager]
- **Last updated:** [DATE]
- **Budget ceiling for this plan:** $[TOTAL]

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## 1. Goals & KPIs

Pick 2–4 goals max. A plan with ten goals has none. For each goal, set a number and a deadline.

**Prompt:** What does "this worked" look like 30 days after release day?

| Goal (what) | KPI (the number) | Baseline (today) | Target | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [e.g. Grow streaming] | [Monthly listeners] | [12,400] | [20,000] | [release +30d] |
| [e.g. Build email list] | [Laylo / email subs] | [800] | [1,500] | [release +30d] |
| [e.g. Editorial support] | [# editorial playlists] | [0] | [2] | [release week] |
| [e.g. Booking leverage] | [# inbound offers] | [1/mo] | [3/mo] | [end of quarter] |

**North-star metric for this plan (the one number that matters most):** [PICK ONE]

> Note for electronic/DJ acts: streaming matters, but so do DJ-support signals (other DJs playing the track), Shazam, and Beatport/Hype Machine charting. Track those too if relevant.

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## 2. Audience

**Prompt:** Who specifically are we trying to reach? "Everyone" is not an audience.

- **Core fan (who already loves the act):** [age range, where they live, what else they listen to, what scenes/clubs/festivals]
- **Growth fan (who we want next):** [adjacent artists they follow, platforms they live on]
- **Where they spend time online:** [IG / TikTok / YouTube / Reddit / Discord / specific creator communities]
- **Sister/comparable artists (the "for fans of" list):** [3–5 artists in the same lane]
- **What do they want from this artist?** [the feeling, the scene, the identity — be honest]

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## 3. Positioning & Story

**Prompt:** If a journalist or curator could only repeat ONE sentence about this release, what should it be?

- **One-line story (the hook):** [ONE SENTENCE]
- **Why now? (the timing peg):** [new sound, milestone, festival run, label signing, life event, scene moment]
- **What makes this different:** [the genuine differentiator — sound, story, visual world, collaborator]
- **Three proof points (facts that back the story):**
  1. [STAT OR FACT]
  2. [STAT OR FACT]
  3. [STAT OR FACT]
- **What we are NOT saying (off-message traps to avoid):** [keep the team disciplined]

---

## 4. Content Pillars

Pick 3–4 repeatable themes so content isn't invented from scratch every day. Every post should ladder up to one pillar.

| Pillar | What it is | Example formats | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
| [e.g. Studio / process] | [behind the track, sound design, gear] | [short clips, voiceover, screen-record of the session] | [2x/wk] |
| [e.g. Live / energy] | [crowd moments, sets, soundcheck] | [vertical clips, IG stories] | [after every show] |
| [e.g. Personality] | [humor, opinions, day-in-life] | [talking-to-camera, memes] | [1–2x/wk] |
| [e.g. The drop] | [release-specific assets] | [snippet loops, lyric cards, countdowns] | [release window only] |

**Content bank status:** [ ] Have 2+ weeks shot/ready  [ ] Need a shoot day — date: [DATE]

---

## 5. Channel Plan

For each channel, define the JOB it does. Not every channel needs to do everything.

### Instagram
- **Job:** [reach + identity / community]
- **Primary format:** [Reels / Stories / carousels]
- **Cadence:** [e.g. 4 Reels + daily Stories/wk]
- **Release-week actions:** [pinned snippet, link in bio to pre-save, collab post with feature/label]

### TikTok
- **Job:** [discovery / find the sound's "moment"]
- **Hook strategy:** [the 1–3 second opener that stops the scroll]
- **Sound:** [is the track uploaded as an official sound? link the CapCut template if any]
- **Cadence:** [3–5 posts/wk during push; test, don't polish]

### YouTube
- **Job:** [home for the official asset + long-form]
- **Assets:** [ ] Official audio/visualizer  [ ] Music video  [ ] Shorts cutdowns  [ ] Live set
- **Cadence:** [Shorts 2–3x/wk; long-form on release day]

### Laylo (drops / RSVP / SMS+email capture)
- **Job:** [own the audience — convert social reach into a list we control]
- **Drop set up for:** [pre-save, release, ticket on-sale, merch]
- **Capture CTA placement:** [link in bio, Stories sticker, end-of-Reel card]
- **Target new subs this plan:** [NUMBER]

### Email (newsletter / fan list)
- **Job:** [deepen — superfans, presales, direct sales]
- **Sends planned:** [announce → release day → follow-up w/ tour/merch]
- **Segment(s):** [all, superfans, city-based for shows]

### Other / scene-specific
- [Beatport, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, Hype Machine, Reddit communities, Discord — list and assign a job]

---

## 6. Paid Plan & Budget

**Prompt:** Paid amplifies what's already working. Don't pay to boost a post fans ignored organically.

| Line item | Platform | Objective | Audience/targeting | Spend | Run dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Snippet promo] | [Meta IG/FB] | [video views / traffic to pre-save] | [lookalike of engagers + interest: comparable artists] | $[___] | [dates] |
| [TikTok Spark Ads] | [TikTok] | [boost top organic clip] | [interest + sound] | $[___] | [dates] |
| [Pre-save / playlist] | [YouTube/Meta] | [conversions] | [retargeting site visitors] | $[___] | [dates] |
| [Show / ticket push] | [Meta] | [link clicks] | [city radius + fans] | $[___] | [dates] |
| **Total** | | | | **$[___]** | |

**Budget split guideline (adjust to goals):** ~60% discovery (cold reach), ~30% retargeting/conversion, ~10% testing new creative.

**Rules of the road:**
- Always run 3+ creative variants; kill losers fast, scale winners.
- Don't start paid until organic shows a winning piece of creative.
- Track cost per result (CPV, CPC, cost per pre-save), not just impressions.

> Reminder: Avoid third-party "guaranteed streams" vendors and bot playlists — they risk takedowns, distributor flags, and skewed algorithm data. Pay for reach to real humans only.

---

## 7. Partnerships & Outreach

- **Editorial / playlist pitches:** [submit via distributor 4+ weeks before release — date: [DATE]]
- **DJ / artist support asks:** [who do we send the promo to early? list names]
- **Label / collaborator cross-promo:** [collab posts, asset swap, who posts what/when]
- **Brand / venue / event tie-ins:** [TechYes show, festival, brand]
- **Influencer / creator seeding:** [who gets the sound early to make content]
- **Press / blog targets:** [list outlets + contacts — see Playlist & Press Pitch template]

---

## 8. Timeline

Work backward from release day (Day 0). Adjust spans to fit the runway you actually have.

| When | Milestone / action | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| **D-42 (6 wk)** | Deliver final master + art to distributor; submit for editorial | [ ] | [ ] |
| **D-28** | Tease #1 (snippet/teaser); content bank locked; Laylo drop live | [ ] | [ ] |
| **D-21** | Pre-save live; email/Laylo announce; pitch press & DJ support | [ ] | [ ] |
| **D-14** | TikTok sound push; ad creative testing begins | [ ] | [ ] |
| **D-7** | Countdown content; confirm playlist adds; finalize release-day posts | [ ] | [ ] |
| **D-1** | Schedule all release-day posts; brief team; QA all links | [ ] | [ ] |
| **D-0 RELEASE** | Drop posts everywhere; email + Laylo blast; turn on conversion ads; thank supporters | [ ] | [ ] |
| **D+1 to D+7** | Daily content; engage every comment; UGC repost; chart watch | [ ] | [ ] |
| **D+14** | Mid-cycle: scale winning ads, second wave content, secondary press | [ ] | [ ] |
| **D+30** | Wrap report (Section 9); decide on extended push / next single | [ ] | [ ] |

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## 9. Measurement & Wrap

**Prompt:** Did we hit the KPIs from Section 1? What do we repeat, what do we cut?

| KPI | Target | Actual | Hit? |
|---|---|---|---|
| [North-star metric] | [___] | [___] | [Y/N] |
| [KPI 2] | [___] | [___] | [Y/N] |
| [KPI 3] | [___] | [___] | [Y/N] |

- **Best-performing content (and why):** [what to do more of]
- **Worst-performing (and why):** [what to stop]
- **Best paid creative + CPA:** [___]
- **Surprise insight:** [what we didn't expect]
- **Carry into next plan:** [3 bullet takeaways]

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*Greyscale Music Group — internal marketing template. Adapt freely per artist and release.*
