How to Use the Marketing Plugin for Campaign Planning in Claude

Use the /campaign-plan slash command from the marketing plugin to generate structured campaign briefs by providing inputs like goals, audience, timeline, and budget.

The anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins repository provides a comprehensive marketing plugin that enables Claude to guide users through professional campaign planning workflows. By leveraging skill-based Markdown definitions and tool-agnostic connector placeholders, the plugin transforms conversational inputs into actionable, data-driven marketing strategies. This guide explores how to install, configure, and execute the campaign planning functionality using the plugin's architecture.

Installing the Marketing Plugin

Before invoking any commands, you must register the plugin with your Claude environment. The plugin manifest is located at marketing/.claude-plugin/plugin.json (lines 1-8), which Claude reads during installation to expose available capabilities.

Install the plugin using the Claude CLI:

claude plugins add knowledge-work-plugins/marketing

Once installed, the /campaign-plan command becomes available across all supported Claude interfaces (Claude Code, Cowork, etc.). The system loads the skill definition from marketing/skills/campaign-plan/SKILL.md and prepares the conversational workflow.

Understanding the Campaign Planning Architecture

The marketing plugin operates on a skill-based architecture where each capability is defined as a Markdown file with YAML front-matter. This design ensures that campaign planning logic is declarative, version-controlled, and extensible.

Skill Definition

The campaign planning capability is defined in [marketing/skills/campaign-plan/SKILL.md](https://github.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins/blob/main/marketing/skills/campaign-plan/SKILL.md). The header metadata (line 15) registers the command name (campaign-plan), description, and optional argument-hint for UI display.

The skill file structures the entire workflow:

• Input collection (lines 19-34): Defines required parameters including campaign goal, target audience, timeline, and budget range
• Output structure (lines 36-110): Specifies the campaign brief sections including messaging frameworks, channel strategies, and content calendars
• Follow-up actions (lines 100-108): Configures post-generation options for iterative refinement

Connector Placeholders

The skill maintains tool-agnostic flexibility through connector placeholders defined in [marketing/CONNECTORS.md](https://github.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins/blob/main/marketing/CONNECTORS.md) (lines 5-20). These placeholders—such as ~~marketing automation—allow the skill to reference external tools without hardcoding specific vendors.

When executing the campaign plan, Claude maps these placeholders to concrete MCP servers (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo) based on your workspace configuration. This abstraction ensures the skill works regardless of your specific marketing technology stack.

Plugin Manifest

The top-level metadata in [marketing/.claude-plugin/plugin.json](https://github.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins/blob/main/marketing/.claude-plugin/plugin.json) provides Claude with plugin identification, versioning, and entry points. You can optionally pre-configure default MCP server URLs in marketing/.mcp.json to streamline connector resolution for the placeholders referenced in CONNECTORS.md.

Running the Campaign Planning Workflow

Invoke the skill by typing the slash command in any Claude interface. The system initiates a structured conversational flow that gathers required inputs before generating the brief.

Example invocation:

/campaign-plan
Goal: Drive 500 sign-ups for our new SaaS product
Audience: Technical decision-makers at enterprise firms
Timeline: 6 weeks
Budget range: $20,000-$30,000

Claude processes these parameters against the Inputs section defined in lines 19-34 of the skill file. If you omit required fields, the system prompts you for missing values before proceeding to generation.

What the Campaign Brief Includes

Once inputs are validated, Claude generates a comprehensive campaign document following the Campaign Brief Structure defined in lines 36-110 of SKILL.md. The output includes:

• Campaign Overview – Automated name suggestions, one-sentence summary, and SMART objectives that align with your stated goals
• Target Audience – Detailed segment descriptions identifying pain points, decision-making criteria, and preferred communication channels
• Key Messages – Core messaging hierarchy with supporting proof-points and value propositions tailored to the technical decision-maker persona
• Channel Strategy – Owned, earned, and paid media recommendations formatted in structured tables (lines 65-94) that map tactics to audience touchpoints
• Content Calendar – A Markdown table (lines 78-82) mapping weeks to specific assets, publication dates, and owner assignments
• Success Metrics – Quantified KPIs including MQL count, cost-per-lead (CPL), and conversion rate benchmarks (lines 90-95)
• Budget Allocation – Detailed breakdown across channels and phases within your specified $20,000-$30,000 range
• Risk Assessment – Identification of potential blockers and mitigation strategies
• Next Steps – Actionable immediate tasks to launch the campaign

Extending the Workflow with Follow-Up Actions

After generating the initial brief, Claude presents follow-up options defined in the Output block (lines 100-108). These conversational branches allow you to:

• Dive deeper into specific sections (audience segmentation, channel optimization)
• Draft specific content pieces referenced in the calendar
• Create competitive analysis to refine messaging
• Adjust the plan for alternate budgets or timelines

These actions reuse the previously gathered context, maintaining continuity across the planning session. You can iterate through multiple follow-ups without re-entering the base campaign parameters.

Summary

• Install the marketing plugin using claude plugins add knowledge-work-plugins/marketing to register the /campaign-plan command
• The campaign planning logic resides in marketing/skills/campaign-plan/SKILL.md, which defines inputs, brief structure, and follow-up actions
• Connector placeholders in CONNECTORS.md enable integration with external marketing automation tools without vendor lock-in
• Provide goal, audience, timeline, and budget inputs to generate a comprehensive brief with messaging, calendars, and KPIs
• Use the follow-up action prompts to iterate on specific sections or create derivative assets

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I connect the marketing plugin to my HubSpot or Marketo instance?

Map your external tools using the connector placeholders defined in marketing/CONNECTORS.md. The skill references categories like ~~marketing automation which you bind to specific MCP servers in your workspace configuration. Claude routes data through these connectors when executing campaign-related workflows, keeping the skill definition tool-agnostic.

Can I customize the campaign brief sections or add new fields?

Yes. The campaign brief structure is defined in the Markdown body of marketing/skills/campaign-plan/SKILL.md (lines 36-110). Modify the headers, tables, or lists in this file to add custom sections (such as compliance requirements or regional considerations) and Claude will include them in future brief generations.

What happens if I don't provide all the required inputs initially?

Claude follows the Inputs specification (lines 19-34) and prompts you conversationally for any missing required parameters (goal, audience, timeline, or budget) before generating the brief. The skill enforces data completeness to ensure the output contains viable strategic recommendations.

Is the campaign plan generated by Claude shareable with my team?

Yes. The output is pure Markdown formatted with clear headers, tables, and structured lists. You can export the generated brief directly to Confluence, Notion, GitHub, or email without formatting loss. The content calendar tables (lines 78-82) render properly in any Markdown-compatible platform.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}