The daunting task of launching new products or campaigns in a volatile and crowded marketplace makes it difficult to ignore the inherent risk associated with standing out while trying to achieve business goals. The speed of current events and changing markets present companies with challenges of innovating without throwing caution, or money, to the wind. Marketing campaigns are no different, seeking to rise above the chatter, making waves but not drowning while delivering the message.
New tools and technology drive massive quantities of content, so the quality and reliability of messaging become even more important. While generative content can produce a quantity of content quickly, it cannot make the leap from content creation to marketing implementation without the human touch. AI can generate, but it cannot innovate.
The key to developing any marketing plan is sustainability. And while it’s tempting to rely on templates and established cadences of a marketing campaign, it’s also risky to become stagnant. Many companies need to take that one step further, standing out without sticking out, to amp up campaigns with better results. This requires more risk, and with the guidance of a framework and agile pivots, the returns are worth the leap.
So what’s the plan? The first step in mitigating marketing plan risk is research. Know the path before you take it. This next creative campaign will get better traction with intention. Without this knowledge, new formats, changes in audience, and trying new platforms can compromise not only the investment in effort, but also brand trust.
Campaign success hinges on the basics: do you know your target audience and related needs and pain points? Which channels are effective in reaching this audience, and will certain tactics land better than others? Marketing campaigns should address the core of these topics, and any miscalculation here misaligns business communications and consumer expectations. If these questions remain unanswered before launching a campaign, the risk is far greater, lacking goals with measurable outcomes.
With absolute clarity on the audience and needs assessments, there’s a little more research left to complete. How will the content strategy serve this campaign? What kind of time is needed to create content and monitor social channels? Ultimately, what result is expected from this campaign, and how exactly will ROI be measured? These focused questions help to maintain the balance of spending that touches on these goals without blowing through the budget. Research will allow teams to effortlessly tie campaigns to audience personas, building a foundation of data that informs choices and confirms accurate positioning.
Measure and track data as the campaign rolls out, understanding that metrics will guide changes in content messaging. Keep an eye out for warning signs like high bounce rates or low email open rates, indicating a need to change up strategy and try to pivot the campaign. With a certain amount of flexibility and a strong infrastructure to support data, what may once have felt like a guessing game is more of an informed choice.
There will be change. Can the campaign withstand the pivot to find the right cadence? Monitoring and optimization will make it easier to handle changes in algorithms or audience engagement. It may feel like a risk to try different tactics in the middle of a campaign, but with metrics as your north star, these adjustments are measurable and clear.
Some easy ways to shake up a faltering campaign may include trying new formats or platforms, A/B testing, and engaging the community on a new platform. Informed and incremental changes to a dynamic marketing campaign make for more risk-tolerant results. The good news is that these choices provide a wealth of information for the next campaign, as the cycle starts again.
To learn more about how Junction Creative Solutions’ (Junction) results-driven approach to growing a business can build a dynamic marketing strategy for you, call 678-686-1125 today.