Media plan and flying

A media plan is a document in which performance ceases to be “turn on Direct” and becomes a managed system with forecasts, flights and responsibilities. Without media plan, the team works in the “do something every day” mode - without it it is impossible to compare plan/actual, nor to protect the budget, nor to understand what occurs on the horizon longer than two weeks. This chapter is about the media plan template and flight logic.

what is required in the media plan

A minimal media plan fits into one Google Sheet with 5–7 tabs:

1. Summary (Overview). Quarterly goals, key metrics, general budget, responsible.
2. Channels. Budget breakdown by channel with target CPA, forecast leads and conversions.
3. Campaigns. List of specific campaigns within each channel with budgets and deadlines.
4. Flights. Schedule: when we start what, when we turn it off, where are the seasonal peaks?
5. Creatives. List of creatives for each channel, generation date, date rotations.
6. Analytics. Plan-fact by week. CPA, CR, leads, revenue.
7. Risks. What can break, what do we do if.

I post the media plan template in the public domain on the website - you can download and adapt.

planning horizon: quarter vs year

An annual media plan is an illusion of control. In RF-performance 2026 the situation changes every 3-4 months: channels appear and close, regulation updated, competitors change prices. Really work:

• Quarterly plan — detailed, with budgets by week, specific campaigns, KPI.
• Semi-annual — in broad strokes: total budget, main channels, key goals.
• Annual - only the financial part: total budget, target revenue, breakdown by season.

Every quarter we update the plan based on the facts of the past. We didn’t write a plan in January for a year - and we’ll stick to it until December, no matter what happens.”

flights: when to change the budget

Flying is the division of the year into “flight periods” with different intensities placement. Flying logic:

• Peak flights. Seasonal surges in demand (BlackFriday, beginning seasons, marketing reasons). Budget +50–100% to average.
• Basic flights. Standard placement, maintaining flow leads The budget is average.
• Supporting flights. Off-season, low demand. Budget −30–50% of average. Activity only in the most effective channels.
• Test flights. Months of experimentation with new channels/formats. Usually combined with supporting ones.

An example of an annual flyt for e-com clothing:

The amount should converge to 100% of the annual budget. If it doesn’t match, recalculate rates or total budget.

forecast: how to calculate “how many leads we will get”

Forecasting leads in a media plan is not a matter of “guessing”. This is the specific formula for historical data:

lead_forecast = budget / avg_CPL * seasonal_index

budget — budget per channel per month
avg_CPL - average CPL for the last 90 days
seasonal_index - seasonal index (1.0 - normal, 1.4 - peak, 0.7 - decline)

Example: Direct campaign, budget 300,000 ₽/month, average CPL 450 ₽, seasonal peak April (×1.3). Forecast: 300,000 ÷ 450 × 1.3 = ~865 leads. This is basic point for plan/actual comparison.

If the fact after two weeks deviates from the forecast by more than 25%, we dig: something has changed in the campaign, in the office, in the market, or in the funnel. No forecast deviations are not visible.

How is the weekly cycle organized?

A media plan is not “written in January, opened in December.” This is the document that runs every week:

1. Monday. We update the “Plan-fact” for last week. We count channel deviations.
2. Wednesday. If there is a campaign with a deviation of more than 25%, we analyze it reason, we make a decision.
3. Friday. Plan for the next week: budgets, creatives, tests.
4. Last Friday of the month. Monthly review. Channel scoring, redistribution.
5. Last Friday of the quarter. Complete revision of the media plan for next quarter.

How does a performance media plan differ from a brand?

The brand media plan is planned in impressions, coverage, OTS (Opportunity To See). The performance media plan is planned in terms of conversions, leads, and revenue. Various units measurements and various KPIs.

• Brand: “coverage 5M, GRP 250, frequency 4+”
• Performance: “1,200 leads, CAC 1,500 ₽, ROAS 380%”

Don't mix. If brand and performance KPIs are mixed in one media plan, this is bad a readable document that does not help make decisions in any area.

media plan checklist

1. The budget is tied to a business goal through reverse calculation.
2. Channels are scheduled with CPA and lead forecast.
3. Flying takes into account the seasonality of the niche.
4. There is a plan-fact-table updated weekly.
5. There is a “risks and plan B” section for each key channel.
6. The document is stored in Google Sheets with access for the team and CEO.
7. Once a quarter - a complete revision of the plan.

Bonus: use CPA calculator and ROAS calculator to quickly recalculate the forecast when input data changes.

in the next chapter

Chapter 14 - working with contractors. Agency vs freelancer, selection checklist, red flags, typical traps in the contract.