Marketing is a Marathon
Phew! Do you feel exhausted sometimes? It’s as if all of your efforts are going nowhere, no one is listening, or no one even cares? Trust me, you’re not alone. Marketing, much like life, is a marathon that can drag on for miles. It’s when you finally reach that finish line (sales and ROI) that it is oh so worth it.
Did you know it can take anywhere from 6-12 months to start seeing results from a marketing campaign? The best campaigns are not born overnight and they do not yield results overnight. In fact, on average, a consumer must see or interact with your brand at least seven times before they feel compelled to take action (LinkedIn). A multi-month marketing campaign might sound daunting to a small business owner, but I’ll let you in on an insider secret: every marketing campaign has the same core foundations. That’s right! It doesn’t matter if you’re promoting a wine club event for a few weeks, or if you need to improve your overall DTC sales—your marketing and digital marketing efforts should have the same foundations.
The best campaigns are not born overnight and they do not yield results overnight.
Before I spill the beans on what these marketing foundations are, I need to tell you about my new motto. I recently came up with the motto, “ABC: Always Be Changing.” If you follow me on social media (which if you don’t, WHY NOT???) then you often see me preach: listen to the data! This is because 1) data doesn’t lie, and 2) the data is your audience's way of talking to you. What does this mean? Well, when you're in the thick of your campaign, the numbers will trend positively in your favor if your audience is in tune with the content that you are putting out there, and vice versa. (Note: content is NOT just a social media post. “Content” is any piece of work you produce, publish and link back to your overall campaign. All content should be intentional.) If you don’t like where the numbers are: evaluate and adjust! Hence: always - be - changing.
Now let me explain further… When I say “Always Be Changing” I don’t mean panic and abandon your plan the moment you begin to feel your audience is not resonating with your content. What I mean is: listen to your environment, be willing to adapt to the current situation, and make an educated plan of attack based on all the facts.
Every marketer must be willing to adapt to their current environment while staying true to their end goal.
Follow these core marketing foundations in your next campaign and you’ll be ready to see sky-high ROI!
Know your goals before you start and be intentional with every step. Ask yourself these questions before launching a campaign:
Why do I want to achieve this specific goal?
How will this goal benefit my business?
Does my content calendar align with my end goal and have intention?
Have a solid strategy for achieving your campaign goals. Ask yourself:
How do I plan to achieve this goal? (If it feels overwhelming, break it down by weeks and days. What tools will assist me to get where I need to be?)
How will I measure my goal and know if I am successful? (Pro Tip: List out the metrics that you will use to capture the data! i.e. Google Analytics, Later analytics, Mailchimp, etc.)
When do I want to achieve this goal? (Be specific and reasonable, while keeping in mind that most marketing campaigns can take up to 6-12 months to see results.)
Don’t give up!
This is where the ABC motto comes in, and I’m officially giving you permission to print it out, hang it on the wall, share it with co-workers—whatever you need to do to keep you motivated.
Remember to evaluate your current environment, make adjustments with your end goal in mind, and KEEP GOING.
Still not sure where to start or how to structure your next marketing campaign?
Send me a note and we’ll work together to meet your goals!
