Review your team proposals

How to include the marketing team in the budget planning process? Help your marketing team understand the approval process for your budget.

The line item review requires a structured approval approach. Your team must use clear statuses as line item property to track progress and enable efficient collaboration. Use this status flow to manage all budget line items:

StatusDescription
DraftItem still needs work or adjustments
Pending ApprovalReady for marketing leader's review
ApprovedItem accepted into budget plan
RejectedItem needs major revision or removal

Focus on evaluating each category owner's submissions thoroughly. Pay special attention to items that seem disconnected from team or company targets. For example, if your paid media specialist proposes a 200% budget increase while projecting only 50% conversion growth, that needs discussion.

When rejecting or significantly modifying budget items, provide clear feedback through comments. This helps team members understand expectations and adjust their proposals effectively without requiring meetings for every change.

Use marketing budget software like Etropo for team collaboration. The platform enables async feedback and budget adjustments, minimizing the need for meetings. Team members can see your comments, make revisions, and request re-review - all without scheduling calls.
Consider reviewing shared costs or overlapping initiatives in bulk. For example, if both your content and paid teams need video production budget, evaluate these requests together to find efficiencies.

After completing all reviews, do a final check of the aggregate numbers. Verify that the total approved budget aligns with your target metrics and company growth goals. This becomes your baseline for stakeholder discussions.

Run the budget analysis charts before reviewing submissions. Seeing the budget quarter over quarter ready helps evaluate proposals quickly and provide specific feedback.