| When small businesses execute online marketing | | | | writes down your phone number and calls for more |
| campaigns such as banner ad campaigns, search | | | | information about an open house at your sports |
| engine marketing campaigns, or email campaigns, | | | | training camp 2 weeks later may be the right person |
| success is often measured without a proper digital | | | | taking the wrong action at the wrong time. |
| strategy to judge upon. Many times, marketers | | | | A mom who clicks on an ad, fills out a form to sign up |
| execute a campaign without, first, understanding who | | | | for an open house at your sports training camp that |
| they are targeting and why. Of course, there are | | | | very moment is the right person taking the right action |
| always several necessary elements that contribute to | | | | at the right time. |
| the success of any online marketing campaign-such as | | | | This is critical for any marketing campaign, but |
| a good offer and a compelling call to action. Yet, even | | | | particularly one seeking a direct response. Even with |
| with these components, when a campaign has run its | | | | television or radio, this holds true. If the right people |
| course and a business or organization looks at the | | | | hear your ad for sizzling dinner specials at your new |
| results of their efforts, what truly defines success? | | | | restaurant and those potential customers all just |
| Is success measured in numbers? Does a 100% | | | | finished eating dinner, your campaign will not be as |
| click-through rate equal success? | | | | effective had the spot aired during the drive home |
| Perhaps 1,000,000 people request more information on | | | | when everyone was still hungry. Likewise, if you run a |
| your product or service. Would that be a strong | | | | high-end restaurant and the only people that see your |
| indicator of a successful campaign? | | | | magazine ad are deal-seeking consumers with shallow |
| With any marketing campaign-whether online, mobile, | | | | pockets, your campaign will not be as effective. |
| print, radio, or television-there is a desired response, | | | | This is nothing new and something every marketer |
| change in perception, or behavior. Often times the | | | | should know. A huge response to a campaign by the |
| response may not be immediate, but rather the | | | | wrong people or by the right people at the wrong time |
| culmination of several impressions over the course of | | | | is a giant waste of money. An effective campaign |
| time. If the desired response to your campaign is clicks | | | | gets you the right people at the right time doing what |
| generating visits to your website, a 100% click-through | | | | you want. This is why online marketing campaigns |
| rate sounds unbelievable, but what if the people clicking | | | | perform so well for any size business. With online |
| on your ad, opening your email, or visiting your website | | | | marketing, we can get closer than ever to knowing |
| were not your desired customer? What if all of those | | | | "who" we're talking to, where the conversation is |
| visits are the wrong people? | | | | happening, and when the conversation is happening |
| This leads us to our requirements.... An effective online | | | | (real-time)-making it much easier to get the right people |
| campaign is one that motivates the right people to | | | | to take the right action at the right time. |
| take right action at the right time. | | | | So, while the Internet makes it easier to meet these |
| An elderly woman with no children clicking on an ad for | | | | requirements, it's up to marketers to appropriately |
| a sports training camp and requesting information is the | | | | target their audience and deliver messaging that |
| wrong person taking the right action at the right time. | | | | motivates desired behavior. Without meeting these |
| A mom who clicks on your ad, reviews your website, | | | | requirements, your success is left to chance. |