The Three Stages of A Multi-Platform Marketing Campaign
As A 360 Agency, TIV Branding specializes in creating campaigns that generate new customers for our clients. As anyone with an active email account, telephone, or snail mail box can tell you, the world is full of emails, display ads, social media posts, direct mail pieces and phone solicitations from all manner of businesses offering a multitude of services. How do you get your branded message in front of potential customers for the goods and services that you offer? As much as we love social media, email marketing, SEO, paid ads, and direct mail as advertising platforms, it requires use of these mediums together, as well as the efforts of a sales team or outreach by your staff to make an impact on your target market and create new customer relationships. But, what platforms should you use, how should you consider using them, and how do you formulate an actual marketing plan using different platforms? We have found that there are 3 stages of multi-platform marketing campaigns: Awareness, Consideration, and Decision.
Awareness
It is not enough anymore to have a great branding message, a good website that clearly conveys that message, valuable content, a clear call to action, and great search engine placement. These factors are definitely elements of a successful marketing campaign, but they require a potential customer to go to a search engine to look for the goods and services that you offer. Social Media, email marketing and paid ad platforms allow you to reach targeted audiences to familiarize them with your brand and make them aware of the unique selling proposition of your business. Social Media has been the shiny new toy for online marketers for some time. With new targeting and ad options on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, it is possible to target your message to large and very specific audiences. With robust targeting options on Facebook and Instagram, we can curate our message to the type of customers we’re looking for and for a low cost. CPM (Cost Per 1,000 Impressions) can be as low as $2-$3 and CPC (Cost Per Click) can be anywhere from $.25-$1. Social sharing has become a huge marketing tool and the use of social media influencers can generate interest from a specific audience. Email marketing has been considered to be an outdated technique by some marketers. The fact that it has been de-emphasized by some has actually made this platform more desirable, especially for small to medium-sized companies. Opt-in email lists are very powerful, but these potential targets are already aware of your brand. If you can profile a target that has a specific income level, location, drives a certain type of car, etc. you can use that targeting to reach new customers and increase awareness of your brand. You may expect to lose 10-20% of a purchased list in the first few emails that you send, but most stick and become aware of your brand. Paid advertising has come a long way since the days of banner ads. Google Display offers affinity advertising and keyword targets that allow a target group to be reached efficiently and at a very low cost. Our current campaigns have CPC (cost per click) that range from 40 to 90 cents per click. Programmatic display advertising, once a tool to be used only by those having very large advertising budgets, is now affordable for small to medium-sized businesses. CPC may range from $2-$4 but can target attendees at a conference, convention, or grand opening or going out of business sale of a competitor within 6 months of the campaign. Another popular technique is to target those who are buying or selling homes or receiving a domain-based email from a competitor.
Consideration
With proper targeting, you should have an audience of potential customers who are now aware of your brand. Continuing to reinforce that awareness with remarketing ads on social media and google ads creates follow up to the initial contact, especially with ads that feature a call to action. Email messages that shift from an introduction to a call to action are vital. Considering reaching your audience through direct mail, if the cost can be justified by a high enough ROI (return on investment) for an acquisition of a new customer will provide branding in a different medium. For longer sales funnels you can break up three-stage approach by adding intent which can help you be more pointed with your marketing tactics.
Decision
You are now working with an audience that Is aware of your brand and has been served a specific call to action. Your targeted marketing campaign has most likely already delivered some new customers, but there are others that may need more information. Focus on the customers that have shown an interest first. Requests for information, responses to emails, and phone inquiries should be followed up via phone or a personal message from your team. Some businesses do this very successfully by using a targeted message from the CEO of the firm. Others (like TIV Branding) use follow up from the actual partners or managers that would be in charge of handing the new customer’s account. If you have purchased an email list, you have telephone contact information. Reach out, as a real person, and introduce yourself and your product. You should be working from a starting point of at least having a familiar brand. The success of these campaigns, like all ad campaigns, requires an effective and compelling message with design assets and copy that compel a potential customer to take action. You also need to have your creative, digital, social and customer service and sales teams on the same page. If you have these elements in place, the marketing methodology outlined here can be a powerful tool to grow your business.