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Plan for the Future

Plan your strategy a year or more in advance - with grave thought going into who should be targeted, what should be said and how everything should be delivered.  Done well, the final result will be a comprehensive, concise plan that details the implementation of a targeted, actionable offer, communicated via an appropriate media mix to best reach and engage your target customer.

Develop a strategy to keep in touch with your prospects, customers, and internal staff.  Current customers are important, as are new prospects when it comes to generating a steady pipeline.  Ask your prospects about their immediate and long term needs, and make revisions to your campaign as necessary.  Record the concerns and goals of your existing customer base to maximize each account and improve the relevance of your current marketing campaign.  Keep your staff in the loop; make sure they have a handle on the goals, tactics, message and metrics of your campaigns.  Remember, the best marketing is word of mouth and the word can only be spread if the staff is educated!  

Monitor Your Progress

Just as industry experts use a number of measurements to determine the success of their marketing activities, so too should your company.  Results are what drive marketing.  When you make a sale or get a response, wouldn't you like to have a means to measure it by? Tracking business reply cards, online Web forms, or phone calls are an easy way to gauge the effectiveness of a campaign.  Using the "response rate" equation (below) makes it easier to measure success:

Response rate = # responded / # reached

Moreover, it may be helpful to assign a distinct code or metric to your media piece to correctly link responses.  Additionally, if prospects are phoning in, train your team to ask "How did you hear about us?"  As you start to collect findings, use the data to adjust your campaign accordingly.

Renovate with ROI

Return on investment, or ROI, is the expected return in sales or gross margin dollars for every marketing dollar you invest.  Over the years, this calculation has grown in popularity due to its versatility, simplicity, and ease with which it can be modified to suit different situations.  Calculate your ROI to indicate the value of each action taken within your marketing campaign.  Several factors influence your ROI, such as the size of your expected sale and the cost of your marketing campaign.  Essentially, this metric is a good barometer to judge whether or not your company should invest in a campaign.  If the final result does not produce a positive ROI, or if there are other opportunities with a higher ROI, the venture should be prioritized appropriately.

Here is an example of how a company could measure ROI usefully:

By identifying measurable goals, planning the correct mix of media and communication and revising tactis and targets to achieve a positive ROI, you can and will build campaign prowess!