2027 Strategic Planning Checklist for MarComm Leaders

Q3 has just begun, which means that it's time to start planning big for next year – and aligning those dreams, goals, and ideas with bandwidth and budgets.

Strategic planning only works if you consider every phase from ideation to implementation. But it doesn't have to be painful if you come to the table prepared with the right questions to ask.

Here's our 2027 strategic planning checklist for MarComm leaders. Review it with your team to help them develop a budget that supports impactful and engaging stories – stuff that looks great, sounds smart, and performs well in 2027:

1 - And we allocating enough dollars for our team to create truly meaningful stories? Think about stock imagery licensing and original footage fees, production costs and spends for paid campaigns. Also, if budget is REALLY constrained, consider ditching some of the higher priced pro tools in favor of visual suites like Canva, which can do a lot more than they used to – just sayin'.

2 - Do we have the infrastructure and organization to produce content in a frictionless way? A digital asset manager like CleanPix can help you keep your photos and videos organized and ensure that you don't run into costly usage issues like expired creative licenses or copyright challenges.

3 - Have we thought about emerging platforms? Consider whether they're right for you and how you'll prioritize them in 2027. And, if you're going to use them, how will they impact your bandwidth and budget? Experimentation still requires time and money.

4 - Do we have the right level of support for our community management? This is an area that can make or break your customer retention.

5 - Are we using the right tools to plan, schedule and publish our content? Choose one that's right for your team size, platform usage, social goals and performance measurement requirements.