[Part Two] 10 Ways to Strategize and Implement a Winning Marketing Campaign

In this series about campaign planning, we discuss 10 tips you can implement in order to create the optimal communication strategy for your new marketing campaign.  In part-one, we went over 5 tips discussing the actual creation of a campaign, and what you should think about before you launch.  In part two, we’ll review what you can do from an operational perspective to ensure stronger ROI and reporting.

1)      Use URL tracking and conversion tracking.  By setting up URL tracking in your HTML you can see which areas of the creative or which links are getting more attention from consumers.  It can help by seeing the click report from each mailing, then you can better plan creative for future campaigns.  Conversion tracking is also a good idea when you are comparing a couple campaign factors such as two creatives or two different target markets.  In general, it is smart to have tracking in place so you know what is working and what isn’t and you can re-adjust for next time.

2)      Develop an online marketing strategy.  Banner ads and search optimization are an excellent way to keep your product and company in front of potential buyers.   Include keywords in your offers so your product lands at the top of search results.  While display ads can be costly, adding relevant keywords on your website, in your campaign emails, or in social media is free and one of the smartest steps to follow when setting up a marketing plan.

3)      Identify goals and benchmarks.   A campaign plan wouldn’t be anything without having set end-goals.  Which KPIs are you looking to change with this campaign?  Maybe you are hoping to get more traction on your site than you did when a similar campaign went live in Q1, or maybe you want to beat the number of clicks benchmark from the last time you promoted a brand new product.  Whichever the case, your campaign goals and benchmarks should work cohesively together and are key when deciding how results will be measured.   

4)      Put together a retention method.  After your new product has been promoted and consumers are buying it left and right, it is crucial that marketers put a large effort into customer retention by continuing to send future discount offers, loyalty newsletters, etc.  Keeping customers loyal to your product is a difficult task if consumers have plenty of other options, but communicating with them on a regular basis and providing incentives for future sales will keep them interested in your company and product.

5)      Organize finances.  It goes without saying that finances play a key role in your marketing plan.  Once you have a budget planned you can start to figure out which elements of the campaign plan are obtainable and if you’ll have to put any on the back burner for now due to costs.  Try to have room in your budget for all aspects of the campaign vision.  Like I touched on earlier, retention is a big piece of the marketing puzzle so don’t cut corners once your product is promoted.  Keep up with current customers and let them know they’re important.

With this checklist in mind when setting up your campaign plan, you will have a good foundation for solid campaign performance and increased product sales.  

About the Author

Erica Lievens, Erica has worked in Account Management for seven years, most recently joining the Infogroup/Yesmail team in 2013 in Client Services. Erica has a passion for digital marketing and the ever-changing day to day projects it entails. She loves to express her creative side by providing creative consulting to clients. What excites her most about marketing is that the industry is always evolving, forming new products and trends to learn about. Originally from Southeastern Michigan, she now resides in downtown Chicago. Erica holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Michigan State University.