The Problem: Your leadership demands a clear financial plan and proof of ROI before they'll approve your video budget. Without a tool to build that case, your video strategy remains underfunded and undervalued.
The Solution: This toolkit gives you the exact frameworks to plan your annual budget, connect it to business goals, and prove its financial return with undeniable data. Use it to build the data-driven case that gets your video strategy the investment it deserves.
This is your strategic foundation. Instead of reacting to one-off video requests, this planner helps you map out a full year of activity, ensuring your resources are allocated with purpose. A planned approach is more cost-effective and delivers far greater long-term results.
| Budget Category | Recommended Allocation (%) | Your Annual Budget ($) | Notes & Key Activities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content Production | 40% - 50% | e.g., $50,000 | Cost for strategy, scripting, design, animation, editing. (e.g., 1x Explainer, 2x Case Studies, 1x Demo). |
| Distribution & Promotion | 20% - 30% | e.g., $25,000 | The fuel for your content. Paid ads (LinkedIn, YouTube), social promotion, influencer outreach. |
| Software & Platforms | 10% - 15% | e.g., $10,000 | Video hosting (Wistia, Vimeo), analytics tools, project management software, editing software licenses. |
| Strategy & Management | 10% - 15% | e.g., $10,000 | Internal team time or agency partner fees for planning, project management, and performance analysis. |
| Contingency Fund | 5% - 10% | e.g., $5,000 | A crucial buffer for unexpected opportunities (e.g., a last-minute event video) or to double down on a winning campaign. |
| Total Annual Budget | 100% | e.g., $101,000 |
Pro Tip: Don't treat "Distribution" as an optional extra. A brilliant video that no one sees is a wasted investment. The most successful video strategies budget for promotion just as seriously as they budget for production.
A budget without a strategy is just a list of expenses. This connects the money you allocated in Part 1 to the specific business goals you need to achieve. Use it to ensure every dollar is spent on a video designed to move a potential customer from one stage of the buyer's journey to the next.
| Funnel Stage | Primary Goal | Key Video Types | Primary Conversion Metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top of Funnel (TOFU) | Establish authority & frame the problem. | Animated Explainers, Short Social Videos, Thought-Leadership Snippets. | Website Visitors, Video Views, Brand Recall. |
| Middle of Funnel (MOFU) | Build trust & demonstrate value. | In-Depth Product Demos, Webinar Recordings, How-To Videos. | Demo Requests, Gated Content Downloads, Lead Magnet Submissions. |
| Bottom of Funnel (BOFU) | De-risk the purchase & provide social proof. | Customer Testimonials, Video Case Studies, Implementation Walkthroughs. | Pipeline Influenced, Sales Cycle Velocity, Closed-Won Deals. |
| Post-Purchase (Retention) | Drive loyalty & ensure success. | Onboarding Tutorials, Feature Update Videos, Milestone Recap Videos. | Product Adoption Rate, Reduced Support Tickets, Customer Lifetime Value (CLV). |
Analyze this : Does your budget allocation match your company's #1 priority for the year? If your main goal is to improve lead quality (MOFU), but 60% of your budget is on brand awareness (TOFU), you have a strategic misalignment. Adjust accordingly.
This is your accountability hub. Use this dashboard to track the performance of your key video assets against the metrics that your team truly cares about. This is how you move the conversation from "We got 10,000 views" to "This video influenced $250,000 in our sales pipeline."
How to Calculate ROI: Financial Gain - Cost of Investment / Cost of Investment = ROI %
| Video / Campaign Title | Funnel Stage | Total Cost ($) | Leads / Demo Requests | Pipeline Influenced ($) | Calculated ROI (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 Explainer Video | TOFU/MOFU | $15,000 | 150 | $75,000 | 400% |
| Q2 Customer Story | BOFU | $12,000 | 25 (high-qual) | $250,000 | 1983% |
| Q3 Product Demo | MOFU | $10,000 | 90 | $120,000 | 1100% |