When you think of marketing, where does your mind go? Big budget ads for the big game? Eye-catching billboards lining the highway? Or perhaps the endless stream of ads you’re served online in all shapes and forms? When it comes to these marketing campaigns, there’s more than meets the eye. Behind the scenes, possibly months before the public sees the final product, a lot of work goes on to ensure the campaign’s success. The groundwork is laid out carefully and is mapped out in great detail so that if there are any bumps in the road, they can be overcome with ease.
So how does an organization create a successful marketing campaign? It starts with determining your goals, understanding exactly what you want to get out of the campaign and setting a clear roadmap to achieve those objectives.
Determine Your Goals
Before you launch a campaign, ask yourself, “What is the purpose of running a campaign?” Are you looking to gain members, increase participation in classes and programs or drive awareness and donations for a specific cause close to your organization? Be as specific and targeted as you possibly can with your organization’s goals as to determine the best course of action and the kind of messaging needed going forward.
Establish a Budget
When you determine what your budget is for your organization’s campaign, it will either open up or narrow what platforms you can advertise on. It will also determine how to move forward and make a profit.
Each platform, whether it is physical or digital marketing, has a specific cost tied to it (or can be pretty flexible depending on which one you choose), and once you decide what the budget will be, you can then choose what direction you want go with the campaign. However, you do need to be aware of the constraints and advantages that each platform presents. If you choose to take the digital route, the budget can be tighter, but the messaging and audience targeting will need to be on point so you can get your money’s worth.
Define Your Target Audience
Once your goals and budget are set, define your audience. Who exactly do you want to target for this campaign? Think demographically: age, average income, marital status, gender, familial information, like children and their ages or if the target audience is parents, and location. When it comes to digital marketing, these qualifiers can be directly targeted depending on the platform on which you choose to advertise.
Craft Great Messaging
With your target audience in mind, you can then create the messaging for your campaign. Make sure it is enticing, informative and has a call to action. If the goal is to get them to register or convert in anyway, call that out in your copy. Your goal is to get your audience to convert, so give them a reason to with your messaging. Craft your copy to focus on your target audience and what you can do for them or the problem you can solve. Think of it like this: How can your organization enrich or simplify their lives? Once you have that figured out, convey it in your copy with a clear call to action.
Choose Eye-Catching Imagery
If you are running a digital campaign, you have the opportunity (depending on your budget) to run both static imagery and video. It’s up to you to decide which media you want to use, but it needs to reflect the messaging while also being eye-catching, as you will have a lot of other ads to compete with. Video tends to do better when it comes to conversions and building a bigger retargeting audience. However, the video needs to be of a good quality and not too long. Keep it informative, to the point and engaging. If you are using a still image, make sure it is relevant to the messaging and call to action you are conveying.
A good rule of thumb when it comes to messaging and imagery is to look at what your competitors are doing and see how you can do it better.
Measure and Analyze the Results
The great thing about running digital campaigns, and sometimes even physical ones, is that you can literally measure and analyze the results in real-time. No need to wait until the campaign is over to make necessary tweaks. If your campaign isn’t converting as quickly as you want, or if the results aren’t where you want them to be, consider how you can change the campaign to make it better while still keeping your audience in mind.
It might be that you need to tighten or loosen your target audience parameters, or perhaps the imagery and copy you’re using isn’t compelling enough. Regardless, always think about everything you do in a campaign from your audience’s point of view. In fact, it’s imperative that what choose to do in a campaign is done with your target audience in mind, as they are the ones who determine if your campaign is a success.
ACTIVE Network Makes Running a Successful Marketing Campaign Easy
ACTIVE’s digital marketing agency has 20 years of experience and runs digital marketing campaigns that produce results. Contact us today to learn how you can save time and worry with ACTIVE’s digital marketing services.
Need an all-in-one software solution for your organization? ACTIVENet is here to help your organization perform at its best. Schedule a demo today to learn how ACTIVENet can benefit your organization.
If you’re looking for camp and class management software that provides tools to engage your customers, streamline operations and maximize participation to support your revenue goals, ACTIVEWorks Camp & Class Manager has everything you need. Connect with us today for more information.
.png)
