8 Ways to Prove Your Marketing Is Working
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
by Steve Cantrell
Marketing
8 Ways to Prove Your Marketing Is Working
You’re ready to show the beautiful ad campaign to your boss or your board, but there’s extra pressure because you know that next year’s budget – and maybe even your job – is in question, and these people aren’t as interested in the wit and design of the ads as they are in the bottom line.
So how do you prove that what you’re doing is making a difference?
It all comes down to figuring out what you want to measure – some stat that indicates customers are being moved toward a purchase, also known as a “conversion.” A conversion can be as extensive as actually making a purchase, or it can be earlier in the process – like visiting a location finder on your website.
Digital marketing is obviously much easier to track than traditional marketing. You can find out exactly how many people saw your ad, how many clicked on it; how many watched your video, how long they watched it; and so on. But how do you track the effectiveness of a print ad or a television commercial?
Here are some other ways we help our clients measure the success of their campaigns.
Traffic & Calls
Sometimes a simple head count helps.
- Track attendance or RSVPs at specific events.
- Include a coupon or offer on your ad (e.g., “Show this to get a free mug!”) and count the number of ads that get redeemed.
- Track website visits during the run of the campaign and compare them to the same time period during previous years. You might see a boost in web traffic after a TV spot runs, for instance.
- Use dedicated phone numbers or landing pages for specific campaigns, then count the number of people who called each unique number, or visited each page. This way you can tie customer interactions directly to your marketing.
Sales
Products moved, hours billed, donations collected – whatever it means for your organization, this’ll get the attention of your leadership.
- Chart year-over-year increases in sales numbers, and on the same chart, mark the time your campaign ran so you can see any correlation.
- If you offer co-op marketing for several different dealers or retailers, measure the difference in sales numbers between those who bought in and those who opted out.
Research
Perform research before a campaign to establish a benchmark, and after a campaign to measure “brand lift” – things like awareness, perception and intent to purchase.
- Already running a focus group? Include questions about your ads.
- Put out a survey. This type of service is sometimes offered alongside media buys, so you may be able to save some money if you negotiate it as part of your deal.
Your measurement of success will vary according to your industry and your campaign. If you need a hand figuring out what yours should be, give us a call.