In this post, we will examine the key points that determine the success of any online marketing campaign. The ultimate question is: How can you distinguish between a successful campaign and an unsuccessful one? Failing to answer this question can lead to issues such as excessive spending and repeated mistakes. As a marketing expert you need to be clear on your goals, you need to understand the customer journey and you need to understand your data at hand. So let's begin...
Establish your goals and timeframe
What do you aim to accomplish with your marketing campaign? Your goals should be specific and measurable. For instance, if your objective is to increase website leads, a suitable goal might be:
- “I want to generate 50 new sign-ups for the free version of my product."
- "I want to generate 50 new sign-ups for the free version of my product within the next 30 days."
Now you have a well-defined goal. It is measurable and must be accomplished within a specified timeframe. If you surpass 50 sign-ups within 30 days, your campaign is successful; otherwise, it is deemed unsuccessful. It's as straightforward as that! Nevertheless, you may encounter challenges if your goal was too ambitious or not ambitious enough. Overcoming this hurdle requires experience and historical data. The more you have of both, the more accurate your estimation will be. But always strive to exceed your goal by at least 10%.
At Vidalico, we often encounter goals related to increasing brand awareness, and while it may sound impressive, let's be honest, such a goal is meaningless. It lacks measurability, and whether you're considered a winner or a loser depends on who you ask.
However, by shifting focus to a specific goal, such as achieving 50 sign-ups, you can still achieve brand awareness. Through website visits, newsletter readership, and ad exposure, people will naturally become acquainted with your brand. The key difference is that now we have a measurable goal in place.
Gain understanding of the funnel
Every potential sign-up will go through a specific funnel. They may come across your newsletter or an online advertisement and arrive at your website. They might leave initially, but after encountering your ad again, they might stay on your site and, ideally, sign up. Your task is to analyze the available metrics and comprehend the customer journey - the funnel.
For instance, if your landing page has a bounce rate close to 100% and visitors spend only a few seconds on the page, it is highly unlikely that anyone will sign up. Therefore, it becomes your responsibility to optimise your page, making it more engaging, storytelling, and incorporating visual aids. There is no purpose in driving more traffic to your website if that traffic fails to convert into sign- ups.
Alternatively, you might face a different scenario: your online ads receive no clicks, or the clicks are too expensive, or only a handful of people open your newsletter, and so on. The key here is to delve into your metrics, key performance indicators (KPIs), and figures to gain valuable insights and guidance. Only by closely examining the funnel and leveraging the available data, you can identify areas for improvement, refine your strategies, and ultimately enhance the conversion rate of your marketing campaign.
Fail fast, fail cheap
This crucial step is an integral part of marketing campaign planning. Imagine your campaign has been running for two days without generating any leads for your product. What should you do? It is evident at this point that you won't achieve the goal you initially defined. Waiting 30 days to determine the campaign's success is pointless.
Immediate action and optimization are necessary. It is possible that your marketing mix is not performing as expected, you're targeting the wrong audience, or your website's sign-up form is overly complex. Regardless of the issue, it is essential to monitor the campaign from the outset and continually improve it.
Even the most skilled marketing experts cannot predict the success of a campaign. However, they utilize every day within the defined timeframe to constantly enhance and optimize the campaign. Failure is not a problem as long as you can swiftly correct it, avoiding wasteful expenditure on unproductive endeavours.
In conclusion, achieving success in online marketing campaigns requires a strategic approach and a thorough understanding of key elements. By setting clear and measurable goals, defining specific timeframes, and continuously monitoring and optimizing campaigns, marketers can increase their chances of success.
Ultimately, by integrating these principles into online marketing campaigns, marketers can navigate the path to success, drive tangible results, and make informed decisions to propel their brands forward.
Do you want to know more? Book a meeting with our marketing experts.
