During the latter half of 2011 and the first month of 2012 we’ve met with a number of clients here in Tampa Florida, and across the country about their outlook an objectives for 2012.
The million dollar question has been…
What should you be doing in 2012 with your Marketing and Advertising?
That’s a loaded question…It Depends.
Here are 5 suggestions to help you build your marketing and advertising campaigns this year.
1.) Research and Reflect.
Take a look at your goals you set forth in 2011 and compare them to your results. This is also a good time to spy on the competition.
We find that the top reasons campaigns didn’t provide the desired impact was any combination of the message/creative, the medium used, and a poor call to action.
Sounds like the basics…
Make sure your Marketing and Advertising fundamentals are rock solid in 2012.
2.) Pay close attention to trends in technology and the behaviors of your target audience.
In 2011 it was all about Social, and we estimate that 2012 will be all about mobile marketing and advertising. It is estimated that one half of all local searches are done from a mobile device. With these new mediums you need to be cautious. Our tip is to slowly integrate the new mediums into the campaign and make sure they reflect your message and overall strategy. Above all it is necessary
The new emerging channels should be a complement to other mediums.
3.) Don’t fix what isn’t broken.
Your social platforms, your website and blogs can build your brand and be an outstanding inbound marketing tool; however Broadcast TV, Radio, and now Online packs the biggest bang for the buck. You may be asking well… which of the big three is best? Again that Depends. Many of our clients are extremely successful with Broadcast TV and wouldn’t see comparable ROI in other mediums. Each client isn’t one in the same, and each project demands a unique marketing mix.
However, this is interesting…
Online is projected to outdo Print this year. It’s about time. The forecast and results of Ad Spending for TV is still out performing all other mediums. According to this online study TV will still demand the most of Ad budgets through 2016.
Don’t leave the traditional mediums behind.
4.) Measure and Track - Accountability
Make sure your taking advantage of the metrics available on all mediums. If it’s a lead generation campaign then monitor the results with a trackable phone number or if it is an online campaign you can monitor performance with unique landing pages and analytics from your web host or Google. There are even ways to track the activities and engagement on your Facebook fan page. (not supported by Facebook; 3rd party support required) We even suggest offering unique phone numbers for your landing pages that are coordinated with a PPC campaigns. Not all users are going to fill out a form. This can easily become another blog topic, so I’ll save that for later.
Make sure you can get information and metrics from all levels and channels of your marketing campaign.
5.) Be alert and stay nimble
With the pace of the marketplace it’s important to consistently review your statistics and be prepared to make adjustments to your strategy and message. Be smart about budgeting and have flexibility to move on innovative advertising opportunities. You may find yourself needing to make a change to your strategy once you start monitoring the performance.
Wrap Up
Now that you have a plan we suggest to start early with scheduling your campaign goals, and mapping out milestones. If you haven’t already; it’s never too late to start. The common denominator with all of our advice is to make sure you have a clear message with consistency across all mediums, and the tools to measure your effectiveness. Know your ROI. Invest the time to learn and understand new technology to be able to manipulate them for maximum return.
Here at Ren Scott Creative we specialize in shaping the message and analyzing the metrics during a campaign to ensure your marketing and advertising is accountable and exceeds your projected goals.
If you’re interested in having your marketing and advertising mix analyzed or would like to discuss shaping and positioning a message, please contact us for a complementary consultation.
