Develop Campaign Strategies B2B marketers can use a wide range of media to communicate with the market. The first step is to look at your business goals. What do you need to accomplish?
# 1.
Business goals (check yours; link takes you to the media you can use) Generate new leads
Description/purpose of a marketing campaign used to reach this goal To generate new leads
2.
Qualify leads
To better qualify and rank leads so you can segment them and then follow up based on their timeframe and likelihood of buying
3.
Nurture existing leads
To communicate with leads that are in the pipeline but may not be ready to buy or take the next step; a nurturing campaign reminds them of your value and provides information that can help move them along
4.
Direct sales
Close deals within a short time period – a campaign to encourage people to “buy now”
5.
Branding
Increase awareness of your company, product and/or people in your market; communicate the value you provide and what you stand for
6.
Cross-sell to existing customers
Encourage current customers to buy related products or services
7.
Up-sell existing customers
Encourage current customers to upgrade their existing product or increase the quantity or frequency of their purchases
8.
Nurture existing customers
To communicate with existing customers and reinforce the value you provide
9.
Generate referrals
To encourage customers or prospects to supply you with qualified referrals
10.
Training
To train current customers, new customers, or even prospects to use your product; train distributors, channel partners, even your own employees
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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For each goal you checked, move to that section to learn about the different media options available and how you can use them.
1. OBJECTIVE: GENERATE NEW LEADS Here are the media that are most appropriate for lead generation campaigns – check those that you believe are appropriate for you. SALES FORCE
OVERVIEW
PROS
CONS
Reps find their own prospects or cold call from lists you purchase
Reps can really engage a prospect on the phone
Extremely timeconsuming; takes many hours away from other sales activities
OVERVIEW
PROS
CONS
Use a team of telemarketers to call targeted lists and identify leads
Lets sales team focus on selling, not cold calling; typically more cost-effective
Needs good management; needs space and equipment; typically high turnover
OVERVIEW
PROS
CONS
Online advertising
Run ads on targeted websites or email newsletters
Targeted; measurable; easy to test and improve
You’re driving them to your site and site has to convert; needs compelling message (space limitations)
Email campaigns
Buy or rent a subscriber list and send a short but compelling email
Targeted; measurable; easy to test and improve
You’re driving them to your site and site has to convert; should be implemented through an email service provider
Organic search
“Optimize” your website so it appears on the search engines when prospects look for info you can provide
Extremely timely; brings qualified prospects straight to you; can generate a lot of traffic to your site
Site needs to be carefully designed and updated regularly; need to use other internet marketing techniques to raise your profile; can be difficult to rank for anything but very targeted words
Paid search
Buy “paid” or
Extremely timely;
Competition for high-
Cold calling
TELEMARKETING Outbound calling
INTERNET
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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“sponsored” listings on search engines – they appear when users type in the keywords you’ve bid on
brings qualified prospects straight to you; can generate a lot of traffic to your site
traffic words has driven up prices so you have to focus on converting those visitors with good ads and a custom landing page
Webinars
Create an online seminar and market it as a great source of information for potential prospects
Can reach many prospects in a short timeframe; less expensive than travel/live events
Need to market the webinar itself – it’s an offer to get prospects in the door. Need compelling content and a technology provider to deliver it.
Viral campaigns
Create an email offer or story that’s meant to be forwarded; encourage recipients to click through to your website
Can reach a wide audience in a short period of time
Needs to be very creative; needs a good offer and good website; technique is more appropriate for consumer marketers than B2B
OVERVIEW Display in the convention hall at a trade show; potentially hold an invite-only or open event offsite
PROS Business buyers use shows to find vendors; many prospects and customers in one place; your competitors are there
CONS Need good strategy for maximizing your investment; need to differentiate from your competitors; lots of logistics; can be expensive
Create a live seminar, educational breakfast or luncheon, networking or fun event to educate and identify new prospects
Identify prospects who are in the “research” phase so you can engage them early; face-to-face is powerful
Lots of logistics; can be expensive depending on scope; need to market the event itself; need great material for the event
OVERVIEW
PROS
CONS
Create a compelling story about your new product/service rather than sending out a standard press release; pitch to journalists
Better chance of gaining actual coverage; can generate interest among your target audience and encourage them to
Need a good creative angle; need to call up reporters with a brief pitch and treat the publicity process as a sales process
TRADE SHOWS & EVENTS Trade show exhibits or events
Seminars or events you create
PUBLICITY Product- or solution-related stories
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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contact you Distribute press releases (and optimize for the web)
Write standard and web-oriented press releases to announce your news; put them on website and distribute; use in sales materials
Easy; search-optimized releases can generate very targeted search traffic and help in search rankings; may get some coverage in online or traditional publications
Need a good story to really gain coverage
Speaking engagements
Give speeches or participate in industryoriented panels during seminars, trade shows, etc.
Reach a targeted audience; establish credibility; position your company as a leader during an event that draws potential prospects
Not measurable; need to establish your leadership before being invited to participate
Use blogs
You can use a company blog to discuss issues in your marketplace
Reach a targeted audience and establish credibility; position your company as a leader in the industry
Be CARFUL that you aren’t overtly promoting your company/product /service. Bloggers are savvy and won’t respond well to companies using blogs to sell themselves.
OVERVIEW
PROS
CONS
Simple sales letters or postcards
Briefly introduce your solution with a strong call-to-action. Or use the letter to say you’ll be calling or emailing shortly – you may lift response on the second “touch”
Easy to execute; less expensive than other mail options
May not reach the addressee; should be addressed to decisionmaker; must be followed up with another touch – doesn’t stand alone when you’re sending a cold mailing
Special mailpiece for a particular campaign
Develop a brochure or custom piece and mail to targeted prospects
Can be compelling
Postage, production and list costs can be prohibitive; should be followed up with another touch – rarely
DIRECT MAIL
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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stands alone when you’re sending a cold mailing TRADITIONAL MEDIA Print ads
OVERVIEW Run ads in targeted journals, newspapers and/or magazines
PROS Reach targeted audience; you have more space and a few more seconds to grab their attention than online media
CONS More difficult to measure; need to run regularly; must pay for media and the production cost of the ad(s)
Yellow pages
Run an ad in a yellow pages directory
Appear before prospects who are actively looking for you
Only appropriate for reaching a particular location; may not be a good way to reach your prospects
Radio
Run spots on a talk-radio or business program
Can be an intriguing way to get your message across in a particular location
Not as targeted as other media; must run regularly to create awareness; needs strong call-to-action
Outdoor
Run ads on billboards, buses, or other outdoor signage
Can reach out to a particular geography
Only targets by geography and the demographic group that sees that particular location
Ideas:
Which months (if any) are most important for these campaigns? For example, there’s typically a lot of marketing activity around big industry events, preparing for holidays, or end-of-quarter.
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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Return to list of goals.
2. OBJECTIVE: QUALIFY LEADS Here are good options for qualifying leads you’ve already identified – check those that you believe are appropriate for you. SALES FORCE Sales activities
OVERVIEW Reps making calls, delivering presentations, etc. to move a prospect forward
PROS Good reps can really engage and qualify a prospect; personal relationship may be critical in your sales process
CONS If you have a lot of general leads coming in, it could be very time-consuming for reps to follow up and qualify
TELEMARKETING Outbound calling
OVERVIEW Use a team of telemarketers to call leads that have come in; ask qualifying questions and determine next steps
PROS Lets sales team focus on prospects after they’re fully qualified; sales team is more productive
CONS Needs good management; need space and equipment; typically high turnover; need enough training to handle call effectively
Create an incentive to get prospects to call for info, or just use telemarketing team to handle blind inbound calls
Lets sales team focus on prospects after they’re fully qualified; sales team is more productive
Needs good management; need space and equipment; typically high turnover; need enough training to handle call effectively
INTERNET Email campaigns
OVERVIEW Send an individual email or a large campaign to educate current leads; encourage them to click through and respond to qualifying questions or take advantage of an offer
PROS Targeted; relatively low cost; measurable; easy to test and improve
CONS May have to be sent ondemand, so your system will need to do so; large campaigns should be sent through an email service provider
Webinars
Encourage prospects to attend or download a webinar to learn more
Can reach a lot of prospects in a short timeframe; less
Need compelling content and a technology provider to deliver it.
Inbound call handling
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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Ongoing email newsletters
TRADE SHOWS & EVENTS Trade show exhibits or events
Seminars or events you create
about a subject if they’re ready; can help to further qualify their needs and prioritize them in your pipeline
expensive than live meetings; can educate prospects on their own terms
Get prospects to sign up for an ongoing newsletter; make sure there’s content to guide early-stage prospects; encourage them to take action and further qualify themselves
Targeted; relatively low cost; measurable; easy to test and improve
Drives users to your website – you’ll need special landing pages and a good content management system; newsletters must have strong content; you typically send one newsletter to everyone on your email list, so it isn’t focused on qualifying prospects
OVERVIEW Encourage prospects to visit you at your booth or set up an event for existing prospects – focus on further qualifying them
PROS Business buyers use shows to find vendors; many prospects and customers in one place; your competitors are there
CONS Need good strategy for maximizing your investment; need to differentiate from your competitors; lots of logistics; can be expensive
Create a live seminar, educational breakfast or luncheon, networking or fun event to educate and qualify existing prospects
Identify prospects who are in the “research” phase so you can engage them early; face-to-face is powerful
Lots of logistics; can be expensive depending on scope; need to market the event itself; need great material for the event
Ideas:
Which months (if any) are most important for these campaigns? For example, there’s typically a lot of marketing activity around big industry events, preparing for holidays, or end-of-quarter.
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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Return to list of goals.
3. OBJECTIVE: NURTURE EXISTING LEADS Here are good options for nurturing leads that are already in your pipeline – check those that you believe are appropriate for you. SALES FORCE Sales activities
OVERVIEW Reps making calls, delivering presentations, etc. to move a prospect forward
PROS In most B2B companies, a direct sales force needs to drive the sales process
Sometimes sales reps just need to focus on relationship-building with their prospects
Can be critical in establishing trust for a big deal
TELEMARKETING Outbound calling
OVERVIEW Use a team of telemarketers to call existing prospects using a script to try to move them along in the sales process
PROS Can be more costeffective than using high-powered outside sales reps; a trained telemarketer can usually sell better than a generic marketing campaign
CONS Needs good management; need space and equipment; typically high turnover; need enough training to handle call effectively
INTERNET Email campaigns
OVERVIEW Send an individual email or a large campaign to educate current leads; encourage them to click through and respond to qualifying questions or take advantage of an
PROS Targeted; relatively low cost; measurable; easy to test and improve
CONS Need to offer compelling content and a reason for them to read; campaigns should be sent through an email service provider
Relationship activities
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
CONS None, but using other marketing vehicles in addition to the sales team’s activity can shorten the sales cycle When they’re out having fun, reps can lose sight of the goal – to close the deal; using other marketing vehicles in addition to the sales team’s activity can shorten the sales cycle
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offer Webinars
Encourage prospects to attend or download a webinar to learn more about a subject if they’re ready; can help to further qualify their needs and prioritize them in your pipeline
Can reach a lot of prospects in a short timeframe; less expensive than live meetings; can educate prospects on their own terms
Need compelling content and a technology provider to deliver it
Ongoing email newsletters
Get prospects to sign up for an ongoing newsletter; make sure there’s content to guide early-stage prospects; encourage them to take action and further qualify themselves
Targeted; relatively low cost; measurable; easy to test and improve
Drives users to your website – you’ll need special landing pages and a good content management system; newsletters must have strong content; you typically send one newsletter to everyone on your email list, so it isn’t focused on qualifying prospects
OVERVIEW Create a compelling story about your new product/service rather than sending out a standard press release; pitch to journalists
PROS Better chance of gaining actual coverage; builds good credibility with existing prospects; may help them take the next step
CONS Difficult to measure the impact of these stories; need a good creative angle; need to call up reporters with a brief pitch and treat the publicity process as a sales process
Distribute press releases (and optimize for the web)
Write standard and web-oriented press releases to announce your news; put them on website and distribute; can send to existing prospects if it’s relevant
Easy; search-optimized releases can generate very targeted search traffic and help in search rankings; may get some coverage in online or traditional publications
Need a good story to really gain coverage
Speaking engagements
Give speeches or participate in industryoriented panels during
Position your company as a leader; builds credibility with existing
Not measurable; need to establish your leadership before being invited to
PUBLICITY Product- or solution-related stories
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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TRADE SHOWS & EVENTS Trade show exhibits or events
Seminars or events you create
DIRECT MAIL Special mailpiece
seminars, trade shows, etc
prospects
participate
OVERVIEW Encourage prospects to visit you at your booth or set up an event for existing prospects – focus on moving them forward
PROS Good way to keep in touch with existing prospects; can be compelling
CONS Need good strategy for maximizing your investment; need to differentiate from your competitors; lots of logistics; can be expensive
Create a live seminar, educational breakfast or luncheon, networking or fun event to educate and qualify existing prospects
Offer valuable information to prospects who need it; face-to-face is powerful
Lots of logistics; can be expensive depending on scope; need to market the event itself; need great material for the event
OVERVIEW Develop a brochure or custom piece and mail to targeted prospects to keep them engaged and provide info
PROS Can be compelling
CONS Postage, production and list costs can be prohibitive; should be followed up with another touch – rarely stands alone
Ideas:
Which months (if any) are most important for these campaigns? For example, there’s typically a lot of marketing activity around big industry events, preparing for holidays, or end-of-quarter.
Return to list of goals.
4. OBJECTIVE: DIRECT SALES
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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Here are the media that are most appropriate for a direct sales campaign – check those that are appropriate for you. SALES FORCE Phone call or meeting to ask for the order
OVERVIEW Reps call on prospects with a very specific offer
PROS Skilled reps may be needed to close deals; measurable, tractable, good market feedback
CONS Labor-intensive; limited by the size of your sales force
TELEMARKETING Outbound calling
OVERVIEW Use a team of telemarketers to call a list with a special offer; list can be the house list, purchased or rented
PROS Using telemarketers rather than sales reps can be more costeffective, particularly if there’s already a relationship with the prospect
CONS Hard sales technique may not be appropriate for your offer; needs good management; need space and equipment; typically high turnover
Create a direct-response offer in another media; prospects call to place order and reps can upsell or cross-sell
Live reps can do the best job of cross-selling, up-selling and answering questions NOW
OVERVIEW Run ads on targeted websites or email newsletters
PROS Targeted; measurable; easy to test and improve
It’s critical to project your call volume and staff appropriately so you won’t drop calls and lose sales; need space, equipment and people CONS Need compelling message in your campaign; need a special landing page for the promotion
Email campaigns (if your site offers e-commerce)
Buy or rent a subscriber list or send the campaign to your house list; compel them to click to your website to learn and buy
Targeted; measurable; easy to test and improve
You’re driving them to your site and site has to convert; should be implemented through an email service provider
Organic search (if your site offers ecommerce)
“Optimize” your website so it appears on the search engines when prospects are searching for products/services you sell
Extremely timely; brings qualified prospects straight to you; can generate a lot of traffic to your site
Can’t depend on ranking for specific keywords; can’t specifically focus on particular offers or timeframes
Inbound call handling
INTERNET Online advertising (if your site offers e-commerce)
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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Paid search (if your site offers ecommerce)
Buy “paid” or “sponsored” listings on search engines – they appear when users type in the keywords you’ve bid on
Extremely timely; brings qualified prospects straight to you; can generate a lot of traffic to your site
Competition for hightraffic words has driven up prices so you have to focus on converting those visitors with good ads and a custom landing page
Viral campaigns (if your site offers e-commerce)
Create an email offer that’s meant to be forwarded; encourage recipients to click through to your website
Can reach a wide audience in short period of time
Technique is more appropriate for consumer marketers than B2B; need a good offer
OVERVIEW Write standard and web-oriented press releases to announce your sale (but make them newsworthy and interesting); put them on website and distribute
PROS If you get coverage, it could drive a lot of traffic; searchoptimized releases can generate very targeted search traffic and help in search rankings;
CONS Need a good newsworthy story to gain coverage
Use a blog to discuss issues in the marketplace
Reach a targeted audience quickly
Be careful that you aren’t overtly promoting your product
OVERVIEW Use mail to grab prospects and encourage them to buy via your website or phone call
PROS Easy to execute; less expensive than other mail options
CONS May not reach the addressee; should be addressed to decisionmaker; may need tracking
Develop a brochure or custom piece to drive sales on your site, an inbound call or a follow up call
Can be compelling
Postage, production and list costs can be prohibitive; should be followed up with another touch
OVERVIEW Run ads in targeted journals, newspapers and/or magazines
PROS Reach targeted audience; you have more space and a few more seconds to grab
CONS If your offer is timesensitive, some print publications aren’t a good fit; must pay for media
PUBLICITY Create a story specifically designed to help sell; distribute a press release (and optimize for the web)
Use blogs
DIRECT MAIL Simple sales letters or postcards
Special mailpiece for a particular campaign
TRADITIONAL MEDIA Print ads
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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Radio
Run spots on a talk-radio or business program
their attention than online media
and the production cost of the ad(s); should track response with unique phone numbers and URLs
Can be an intriguing way to get your message across in a particular location
Not as targeted as other media; must run regularly to create awareness; needs strong call-to-action
Ideas:
Which months (if any) are most important for these campaigns? For example, there’s typically a lot of marketing activity around big industry events, preparing for holidays, or end-of-quarter.
Return to list of goals.
5. OBJECTIVE: BRANDING Here are the media that are most appropriate for a B2B branding campaign – check those that are appropriate for you. INTERNET Online advertising
Organic search
OVERVIEW Run ads on targeted websites or email newsletters
PROS You can create ads with high impact and good targeting
CONS Even though it’s a brandoriented campaign, you should still create landing pages to convert visitors into prospects
“Optimize” your website so it appears on the search engines when prospects look for info you can provide
Appearing high in search results helps keep your name in front of your market
Need to use other internet marketing techniques to raise your profile; can be difficult to rank for anything but very targeted words
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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Viral campaigns
Create a story or material that’s meant to be forwarded; encourage recipients to click through to your website
Can reach a wide audience in short period of time
Needs to be very creative; need a good campaign theme and good website
Ongoing email newsletters
Send useful information to your market
Useful content will help support your brand
Good content is necessary to add value and not always easy to obtain.
OVERVIEW Display in the convention hall at a trade show; potentially hold an invite-only or open event offsite
PROS Business buyers use shows to find vendors; many prospects and customers in one place; your competitors are there
CONS Need good strategy for maximizing your investment; need to differentiate from your competitors; lots of logistics; can be expensive
Create a live seminar, educational breakfast or luncheon, networking or fun event to educate and identify new prospects
Identify prospects who are in the “research” phase so you can engage them early; face-to-face is powerful
Lots of logistics; can be expensive depending on scope; need to market the event itself; need great material for the event
OVERVIEW Create a compelling story about your new product/service rather than sending out a standard press release; pitch to journalists
PROS Better chance of gaining actual coverage; can generate interest among your target audience and encourage them to contact you
CONS Need a good creative angle; need to call up reporters with a brief pitch and treat the publicity process as a sales process
Write standard and web-oriented press releases to announce your news; put them on website and distribute; use in sales materials
Easy; search-optimized releases can generate very targeted search traffic and help in search rankings; may get some coverage in online or traditional
Need a good story to really gain coverage
TRADE SHOWS & EVENTS Trade show exhibits or events
Seminars or events you create
Events you sponsor PUBLICITY Product- or solution-related stories
Distribute press releases (and optimize for the web)
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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publications Speaking engagements
Give speeches or participate in industryoriented panels during seminars, trade shows, etc.
Reach a targeted audience; establish credibility; position your company as a leader during an event that draws potential prospects
Not measurable; need to establish your leadership before being invited to participate
DIRECT MAIL Special mailpiece for a particular campaign
OVERVIEW Develop a brochure or custom piece and mail to targeted prospects
PROS Can be compelling
TRADITIONAL MEDIA Print ads
OVERVIEW Run ads in targeted journals, newspapers and/or magazines
PROS Reach targeted audience; you have more space and a few more seconds to grab their attention than online media Can be an intriguing way to get your message across in a particular location
CONS Postage, production and list costs can be prohibitive; should be followed up with another touch – rarely stands alone when you’re sending a cold mailing CONS More difficult to measure; need to run regularly; must pay for media and the production cost of the ad(s)
Radio
Run spots on a talk-radio or business program
Outdoor
Run ads on billboards, buses, or other outdoor signage
Can reach out to a particular geography
Not very targeted; must run regularly to create awareness; needs strong call-to-action Only targets by geography and the demographic group that sees that particular location
Ideas:
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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Which months (if any) are most important for these campaigns? For example, there’s typically a lot of marketing activity around big industry events, preparing for holidays, or end-of-quarter.
Return to list of goals.
6. & 7. CROSS-SELL OR UP-SELL TO YOUR EXISTING CUSTOMERS Here are the media that are most appropriate for a direct sales campaign – check those that are appropriate for you. SALES FORCE Phone call or meeting(s)
OVERVIEW Reps call on their customers to personally cross- or up-sell
PROS Skilled reps may be needed to close deals; measurable, trackable, good market feedback
CONS Limited by the size of your sales force
TELEMARKETING Outbound calling
OVERVIEW Use a team of telemarketers to call your customers with a special offer
PROS Using telemarketers rather than sales reps can be more costeffective
CONS Not appropriate unless you don’t have a personal relationship via a sales rep or account manager; needs good management; need space and equipment; typically high turnover
Create a direct-response offer in another media (email, mail) and encourage your customers to call
Live reps can do the best job of cross-selling, up-selling and answering questions
It’s critical to project your call volume and staff appropriately so you won’t drop calls and lose sales; need space, equipment and people
OVERVIEW Email your customers with a special incentive to place an order; OR use an existing email newsletter
PROS Measurable; easy to test and improve
CONS You’re driving them to your site and site has to convert; should be implemented through an email service provider
Put your offer on your
Measurable; easy to
Site just needs to convert
Inbound call handling
INTERNET Email campaigns
Website
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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DIRECT MAIL Simple sales letters or postcards
Special mailpiece for a particular campaign
website if customers visit regularly
test and improve
OVERVIEW Let your customers know the benefits and offer via a personalized letter or a quick postcard; you can encourage them to buy via your website or phone call
PROS Easy to execute; less expensive than other mail options
CONS Make sure it sends the right message to your customers
Develop a brochure or custom piece to drive sales on your site, an inbound call or a follow up call
Can be compelling
Postage, production and list costs can be prohibitive
Ideas:
Which months (if any) are most important for these campaigns? For example, there’s typically a lot of marketing activity around big industry events, preparing for holidays, or end-of-quarter.
Return to list of goals.
8. OBJECTIVE: NURTURE CUSTOMERS Here are good options for nurturing your current customers – check those that you believe are appropriate for you. SALES FORCE Relationship activities
OVERVIEW Sometimes sales reps just need to focus on
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
PROS Very important in a lot of industries; sales reps
CONS Can take a lot of time
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relationship-building with customers
can glean a lot of important information about the account
TELEMARKETING Outbound calling
OVERVIEW Use a team of telemarketers to call customers, touch base, ask questions, and provide some valuable info that they think will help the customer’s business
PROS Good if you don’t have a personal relationship with a large customer base; a trained telemarketer can usually sell better than a generic marketing campaign
CONS Needs good management; need space and equipment; typically high turnover; need enough training to handle call effectively
INTERNET Email campaigns
OVERVIEW Develop an email campaign to announce something relevant that’s happening in your industry – just to keep your customers up on the latest and greatest, as long as it’s completely relevant to their own business
PROS Targeted; relatively low cost; good way to touch current customers; measurable; easy to test and improve
CONS Make sure the content is truly relevant; campaigns should be sent through an email service provider
Webinars
Create a webinar just for current customers – it could focus on training or education that will help them in their business
Can reach a large group of customers in a short timeframe; provides great value if welldone; less expensive than live meetings; can improve their use of your product and help you up-sell and crosssell in the future
Need compelling content and a technology provider to deliver it.
Ongoing email newsletters
Develop a regular newsletter for your current customers; make sure there’s intriguing content that will encourage them to read OVERVIEW
Great way to keep in front of your customers regularly; good way to keep your database updated (if email changes, call them)
Needs to be integrated with your website – you’ll need a good content management system.
PROS
CONS
PUBLICITY
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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Speaking engagements
Give speeches or participate in industryoriented panels during seminars, trade shows, etc. – particularly those that are well-attended by your customers
Reinforces your message to your current customers; lets them see your company as an industry leader and innovator; good opportunity to mingle afterward
Not measurable; need to establish your leadership before being invited to participate
TRADE SHOWS & EVENTS Trade show exhibits or events
OVERVIEW Create special events during trade shows, or sponsor arts/sporting events and enjoy the events with your customers
PROS Good way to bond with customers; can be compelling
CONS Need good strategy for maximizing your investment; need to differentiate from your competitors; lots of logistics; can be expensive
Create a live seminar, educational breakfast or luncheon, networking or fun event to bring customers together
Offers valuable information to customers who need it; face-to-face is powerful
Lots of logistics; can be expensive depending on scope; need to market the event itself; need great material for the event
Seminars or events you create
Ideas:
Which months (if any) are most important for these campaigns? For example, there’s typically a lot of marketing activity around big industry events, preparing for holidays, or end-of-quarter.
Return to list of goals.
9. OBJECTIVE: GENERATE REFERRALS Here are good options for nurturing your current customers – check those that you believe are appropriate for you.
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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SALES FORCE Relationship activities
OVERVIEW Have reps only ask for referrals; create a plan to make sure they do it on a regular basis (perhaps once per quarter)
PROS Easy and effective
CONS None
INTERNET Email campaigns
OVERVIEW Create an email campaign asking for referrals; provide an incentive for doing so
PROS Relatively low cost; measurable; easy
CONS Less personal than asking in person; need to set up the fulfillment procedure on your website; send email campaigns through an email service provider
Use your ongoing newsletter to promote a referral campaign
Relatively low cost; measurable; easy
Less effective than a specific email or asking in person; need to set up the fulfillment procedure on your website
TRADE SHOWS & EVENTS Trade show exhibits or events
OVERVIEW Create a VIP event at a trade show, a sporting or arts event, then invite current customers and their guests – use the event to gather names and develop relationships with new prospects
PROS Nurture customers and gain new prospects at the same time
CONS You’ll need to figure out how to get new prospects to come, not just friends and family; lots of logistics; can be expensive
Seminars or events you create
Create a live seminar, educational breakfast/ luncheon or networking event. Let your current customers refer their colleagues or other companies to participate at no cost
Creative way to generate new prospects if you have valuable content for the seminar
Lots of logistics; can be expensive depending on scope; need to market the event; need great material for the event
Ongoing email newsletters
Ideas:
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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Which months (if any) are most important for these campaigns? For example, there’s typically a lot of marketing activity around big industry events, preparing for holidays, or end-of-quarter.
Return to list of goals.
10. OBJECTIVE: TRAINING Here are good options for training current customers, distribution channel partners, employees or prospects – check those that you believe are appropriate for you. INTERNET Webinars
OVERVIEW Create an online seminar to train your group; deliver it live and put an archive on your website so people can access it on-demand
PROS Can reach many people in a short timeframe; audience can participate; less expensive than travel/ live events
CONS Can’t do one-on-one coaching; need a technology provider to deliver it and create the archive file.
Ongoing email newsletters
Use your ongoing newsletter to provide educational and training tips
Relatively low cost; measurable; easy
Not effective if people have different training needs at different times
Use blogs
If you have a company blog, use it to post training tips and have your audience comment and participate
Good for providing ongoing tips and building a community; can help you rank more highly in search engines; can reach beyond your current customers
Not appropriate if you need serious training and coaching in one sitting
OVERVIEW Deliver your training live
PROS Face-to-face is powerful; two-way
CONS Lots of logistics; can be expensive depending on
TRADE SHOWS & EVENTS Seminars or events you create
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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OTHER Traditional training guide
OVERVIEW Develop a printed manual, online tutorial or other static piece
feedback; easier to build relationships
scope
PROS Easily to reference; doesn’t require an event
CONS Impersonal; needs to be engaging to be effective; production costs; must be updated
Ideas:
Which months (if any) are most important for these campaigns? For example, there’s typically a lot of marketing activity around big industry events, preparing for holidays, or end-of-quarter.
Return to list of goals. Campaign list & calendar Now that you’ve identified your business goals and reviewed media options and potential timing, start creating a master list. BUSINESS GOAL (lead generation, direct sales, etc.)
CAMPAIGN CONCEPT: Media to use and any ideas for the campaign
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
START DATE
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Now that you have a list of ideas, your next step is to think about your message and offer for each campaign.
Marketing Campaigns Develop Campaign Strategies
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