10 tips to follow when preparing a Marketing Campaign this Holiday Season
By Niraj Adhiya
As with all business one strives to get the best possible turnover at the least expense possible while maximizing the profit. These ideals are not pipe dreams and many succeed but sadly thousands fail along the way. Luck may play some part in it but mostly success comes from hard work.
But hard work on its own is not enough; many struggling businesses have their owners and staff work incredibly hard but just do not get over the hump. Working hard is insufficient if one is not working smart. Smart work is essential. Smart work ensures that you are putting in the maximum effort where it matters, where it achieves the best results.
So, you may ask, how do I apply these truism’s? Well, each situation is unique on its own but you can be assured that there are many underlying principles that apply to success in the business field. Having a product or service that is in demand, at an appropriate price which is marketed in such a way that many customers know about you, can find you easily and ensuring your after sales service (such as delivery and back up) is top notch is all it takes to succeed. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?
Well yes, it does and it is common sense, but it is amazing how un-common common sense is.
The mechanics of the acquisition and supply of the product or service is not the focus of this article. That is up to you and each business has its own products and means of delivery. How they acquire these and deliver them can make or break them but what is most likely to break them is the inadequate marketing. I no one knows about the products and services or cannot find them when looking they will not become purchasing customers and the products will stay on the shelves.
So let us look at some items that will help promote YOUR products or services. If you are preparing a marketing campaign this upcoming holiday season or indeed any marketing campaign being planned the following applies.
1. Firstly check your target market. If you are an Ice Seller your target most certainly isn’t resident in the North Polar region and speaking Inuit. Make sure that the product or products you wish to promote in your campaign are desirable to those to whom you wish to sell and the campaign is timed for them to be in demand at the time of promotion. It is pointless trying to sell exercise books and colored pencils at the end of the school term, those should be promoted in the days leading up to the start of term. Sun Tan Lotions and swim wear are best promoted before the spring and summer breaks when vast crowds head off to the beach. Be sure of this and you are off to a good start.
2. Make sure you are competitive. Twist the arms of you suppliers to be sure that they have stocks to deliver and will assist you by giving you added discounts for quantity. Everyone sees the broadsheets that are available in the supermarkets and similar stores detailing the items on promotion at keen prices. Those items have all been extracted from the suppliers who probably also pay to have their products promoted in this fashion and pay premiums to get their items on Page 1.
Both of the above are preparation. Now we get to the promotion part of the campaign.
3. Prepare professional looking advertising media. Do not hide your light under a bushel is the parable from Mathew and this is pertinent to any marketing campaign. One can have the most wonderful product but if no one knows about it it isn’t going to sell. But furthermore it must look the part. Successful advertising looks and feels professional. The broadsheets mentioned above will all look as if they were properly composed rather than slapped together on the kitchen table by school children.
4. Images should not have backgrounds or shadows. Customers look at an item and need to see the detail. Any distractions such as scenery in the background or a shadow obscuring part of the item are just that; they detract from the attention you want the product to receive.
5. Mount your campaign to achieve the best possible coverage of your target market. Although this sounds like common sense it is vital. If you are selling an item nationally you want your advertising to be flighted nationally so as many people as possible all over the country get to hear or see about you and your promotion. Conversely it is pointless paying the vast sums for a national or even county wide campaign if you are a corner store servicing a few blocks in your neighborhood.
6. Use appropriate media. Images speak volumes. . TV advertising is hugely expensive whereas advertising in a local weekly paper may get the results you want. Pamphlets are good for promoting one off events but be aware most pamphlets get binned after barely a glance.
7. Radio works. Catchy jingles are also effective; Many people traveling or working constantly listen to the radio as TV is inappropriate.
8. Make use of the internet. This vast and dynamic market is a constant supplier of customers but do not regard it as a sleeping salesman. A successful and effective website is a dynamic and living thing which requires constant attention and updating
9. Use Social media. Facebook and Twitter to name but 2 are big product drivers and if one can become an acknowledged expert in something one might find thousands of followers and potential customers in this manner
10. Deliver on the campaign promises. You reputation and success in all future campaigns depends on your customers being satisfied and happy with the service, delivery and backup they receive from this particular promotion. If one looks at EBay sellers, for example, one sees their reputation from the feedback they receive. And 1 negative negates many positives.
These are just a few items to consider when planning and carrying out a holiday marketing campaign.
