Marketing Optimization

Hey guys I am back after a realll long time and here is something that i would like to share about optimizing your marketing campaigns.

Most of us spend "A lot of MONEY" in terms of marketing whether it is digital or realtime, so while browsing through i came across a interesting write up and i thought everyone working on building a brand or marketing a product should be aware of these 5 pointers.


1. Target the Right Customers
For a campaign to have any chance of succeeding it has to reach the right customers. Clearly defining customer segments is a critical component of any campaign. You can use historical data from previous campaigns to determine which customers are more likely to respond to your campaign.For an in-house email list, you can use attributes that you have available in the database and create a segment of customers with those attributes that have responded in the past. For display advertising, you can use email attributes or on-site behavioral data and use a technology like BlueKai to target and reach segments that look like those who responded in the past. For search advertising, determine the key phrases (words) that clicked with those customers and then use them as your starting point to figure out which keywords/phrases to use.


2. Target the Right Channels
The question marketers often struggle with is where to spend their budget. Which channel (e.g. direct mail, email, display, search, social, affiliate, etc.) or combination of channels is likely to be most effective for that particular campaign? Use historical data to figure the channels that your target segment is more likely to respond to.Customers use various channels in their journey to becoming a customer. They use those channels differently. Use data (current and historical) to figure what a typical customer's (your desired segment) journey is and then determine where you should focus your efforts.

3. Develop Creative and Messages that Resonate with Your Customers
If your creative and messages do not work you will notice it immediately in the form of clicks. Use historical data and industry benchmarks to determine the expected outcome in terms of Click Through Rate. If your CTR is way lower, change the content, if CTR is higher, continue doing what you are doing.

4. Developing Engaging Landing Pages
Getting people to click on your ads or emails is a good start but is of no value unless those users take actions on your landing pages. Use the data to determine if users are engaging with the landing page or are they bouncing off without going any further. If the bounce rate is more than expected, take appropriate corrective actions. You should always conduct testing (A/B or Multivariate) to figure out what resonates with your customer and make them go to the next step.

5. Optimize the Conversion Path
The conversion path is the last step in converting a visitor into a customer. The job of the conversion path is to lead the visitor to final conversion. Every step of the path is there to convince the customer and drive her to take the end action, the action that defines the success of the campaign. Use the data collected on the conversion path to determine which steps are losing visitors. Conduct A/B testing and take appropriate actions to improve the steps of the conversion path.

Also about the 5 pointers that i have listed above was originally  published on CMSWire on Sept 20th