You followed every rule to ensure a successful marketing campaign. So, what happened?
After working on countless marketing campaigns, one thing Amy Osmond Cook, founder at Osmond Marketing and member of the Forbes Advisory Council, has learned is that to build a solid marketing plan, you must know your buyer, present a clear and differentiated message, and determine the right channel and timing for that message.
In this Forbes article, Amy shares three fundamental strategies that support a solid marketing campaign. If your marketing team draws a blank when you pose any of these three points as a question, it may explain why your last campaign bit the dust. Here are some of the article’s highlights.
1.Know your buyer
One of the first questions you need to answer is, “Who is your audience?” Building a buyer persona is essential for connecting with your target audience. By listing pain points, buying behavior, metrics, hobbies and other standard demographics, this simple, one-sheet format can help you identify your audience and what they care about. Don’t forget that in today’s B2B marketplace, there are usually multiple buyers for a single product.
2. Differentiate your message
Today’s customer is smarter than ever when it comes to finding a great deal or starting a buying relationship with a seller. Research shows that 88 percent of consumers pre-research their buys online before making a purchase either online or in-store.
Customers want more than just lip service—they want reliable information from a brand they can trust. To stay competitive, your message must be consistent with your company’s brand and goals. Remember, you’ve developed your buyer persona, so you know your target. Your next task is to highlight your market differentiator. And that means:
- Immersing yourself in the industry
- Researching competitors’ offerings and claims
- Talking with potential buyers about pain points
- Communicating with industry experts
3. Deliver your message at the right time
Buyers follow a typical path as they make a decision about whether to purchase your product or service. First, they have to decide whether they want to solve their problem or pain point. It’s your job to identify your message so you can determine the ideal time to share your message with your target audience. Remember, the buyer’s journey consists of three parts: buyer enablement, purchase, and buyer engagement.
Designing a marketing campaign with a clear message sounds simple. And, it is. But it does require understanding the three rules of buyer behavior. By delivering the right marketing message to the right audience at the right time, your next marketing campaign will be a homerun.
To read the full Forbes.com article, click here.