How do you build a media plan?
Start from the objective and the total budget. List each channel and placement with its audience, schedule when each one runs on a weekly calendar, give each flight a budget, and check the weekly and monthly totals add up. The builder above does the calendar and the arithmetic for you.
What goes into a good media plan
- Objective and KPI: what success is, such as leads at a target CPA.
- Channels and placements: where the ads run, grouped by funnel stage.
- Flights: when each channel runs, in whole weeks.
- Budgets: per channel, per week and per month, net and gross of commission.
Size the budget from a sales target with the marketing funnel calculator, convert gross and net with the commission calculator, and prefer a spreadsheet? Download the free Excel media plan template. Once it’s live, tag every channel with the UTM builder and keep it on plan with the pacing calculator. More in how to build a multi-channel media plan.
How to build a media plan
- Start or import. Start from a blank plan, or upload an existing Excel media plan to fill the grid.
- Add channels. Add a row per channel and placement, with its funnel stage and audience.
- Schedule flights. Drag across the weekly timeline to set when each channel runs, and set its budget.
- Check totals and export. Review the monthly totals, then export a branded PDF for the client.
Frequently asked questions
What is a media plan?
A media plan sets out where, when and how much an advertiser will spend to reach its audience: each channel and placement, the flight dates for each, and the budget per channel and per week or month, tied to the campaign’s objective.
Is the media plan builder really free?
Yes. You can build, edit and export a plan without an account. The plan is saved in your browser; a free PlanPulse account saves it across devices and clients.
Can I import my existing Excel media plan?
Yes. Upload the .xlsx and the builder reads the channels, flights and budgets from the cells, then checks them against the plan’s own totals so the grid matches your spreadsheet.
Can I export the plan for a client?
Yes. Export a clean, branded PDF with your logo and the client’s, ready to send.
How is the builder different from a spreadsheet template?
Flights are dragged on a weekly timeline instead of typed into cells, totals by month can’t be broken by a formula, and an AI assistant can draft or revise the plan from a brief. If you need a spreadsheet, there is a free Excel media plan template too.