10 tips from successful promotional marketing campaigns
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By: Mary Walters
You win some, you lose some! This rule applies to most things in life, including your businesses’ marketing campaigns. Whether you achieve success with your promotional campaign or your efforts go unnoticed, the knowledge you gain from your experience is priceless. As you are developing your marketing strategy, it’s also a good idea to take a look at what others have done to make their campaigns successful. Here are a few suggestions on how to make your next promotional campaign a success.
10. Understand your customer avatar
Knowing who you are marketing to is the most important part of any promotional campaign. Understanding basic demographics about your customers is helpful, but it’s also a good idea to double click so you can gain a deeper understanding of what drives them to actually make a purchase. If you aren’t sure of who your customers are, you could probably benefit from some market research. A deep understanding of your customers is going to give you a leg up on the competition!
9. Identify your major goal
Many marketing campaigns fail because they lose their focus over time. If you want to craft a successful campaign, start out with a very specific goal in mind then set a timeline that includes certain benchmarks. You can shift your priorities if something isn’t working, but make sure you keep your original goals in mind.
8. Create a firm budget
Many businesses fail because they simply spend too much money on their marketing efforts. This is especially true for smaller companies or solopreneurs that have a limited bank account. Make sure you allocate a feasible amount to your marketing budget, and then stick to it for the life of your campaign.
7. Timing is everything
If you want your marketing efforts to be successful, pay attention to your timing. For example, summer is often a bad time for new product launches simply because many people are out of the office on vacation. This is important to think about during the holiday season as well. If you want your campaign to be a success, you’ve got to time it right!
6. Know where your customers spend time
Use the data from your market research campaign to determine where your customers are spending their time. If you run a brick and mortar business, maybe they frequent the coffee shop across the road. If your business is web-based, there may be a blog or group on social media where they spend time. Having this information on hand before you start will help ensure your campaign’s success.
5. Provide a special incentive
When one of your favorite brands offers a special deal, you probably take advantage of it! Similarly, if you create a campaign with a deal designed to appeal to your target audience, chances are they are going to make a purchase. It could be something as simple as a percentage off coupon, or something more complex such as an hour of free consulting.
4. Be direct
As the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression. So make sure your marketing materials are free of overused buzzwords and technical jargon. Your copy should be compelling and direct, so that customers know exactly how your product creates value for them and how they can make a purchase. Make sure the language in your marketing materials resonates with your target audience.
3. Keep it simple
Don’t try to do too many things with your marketing campaign. If you do, you’ll risk losing focus and your efforts simply won’t be as effective as they could have been. Keeping it simple is a good rule of thumb, whether you own a brick and mortar business or a web-based company.
2. Pay attention to results
If you have experienced considerable success with your marketing efforts, you may be inclined to ignore the data. But if you don’t have any clue which channel your customers used to find out about your business or why they decided to purchase your product, what are you going to do for your next campaign? Make sure you track and study your campaign data through every stage so that you understand which strategies were the most effective.
1. Learn from your successes and failures
Chances are some of your marketing efforts are going to attract more customers than others. Try to view both your successes and failures as opportunities to learn and improve upon your next campaign. The data from every campaign you run is valuable.
There are several things that you can do to get off on the right foot with your next marketing campaign. These ten tips can provide a baseline for developing your strategy for future marketing efforts.
