Pre and post activation marketing checklists you shouldn’t ignore

Changes in the way we work as a result of the pandemic mean that more companies today can, or want to, only contact their customers online. This has made digital marketing a more powerful tool than ever before.

Digital marketing may sound terrifying to the uninitiated, but have no fear! Take the time to learn about its benefits and you’ll be sure to get a return on your investment in time, and money. Just follow these basic steps in foundation stage thinking.

 Pre-activation checklist:

1. Step one is to clarify your objectives. What exactly do you want your marketing to achieve?

This may include:

• profile raising
• customer acquisition
• generating orders
• engagement
• renewal
• loyalty, or
• any combination of the above

2. Step two is to identify your target audience. What type of customer are you trying to attract? The more research you do about your ideal customer, the more likely it is you’ll be able to create content that will be relevant and engaging. Start by researching your target audience demographics, cultural reference points and purchasing behaviours.
3. Step three involves matching your customers to your product portfolio, determining which of your products are most relevant to specific customer groups. Try to find a product that will provide a natural entry point for your largest target audience, one with upselling opportunities after they’ve made a first purchase. You should also subdivide your product suitability between new and existing customers.
4. Step four is to articulate the unique value proposition of each product. Make sure you spotlight the real outcomes of using your products (not just the features of the product).
5. Finally, step five, analyse any previous marketing activity to understand what’s worked and what hasn’t.

These initial steps all contribute to your pre-activation strategy. After you’ve completed them, you’ll be ready to go live with our next four steps.

Activation checklist:

1. Firstly, you’ll need to identify which channels (email, social media, website) or combination of channels are the best place to target the ideal customer. For a new campaign, try free content publishing (often called organic reach) first, reserving a small test budget for paid campaigns. You can alter the balance of your spending once you’ve assessed the results of both the paid and free channels.
2. Second, define how you’ll achieve conversions from views and engagement. Treat it like direct response marketing, directing everything towards a meaningful Call to Action in every piece of content you write. Try different variations until you identify which CTA gets the best results.
3. Third, ensure you have frequent and broad contact with your prospective customers. You can establish a friendly relationship through permission-based email or social media blogs. Assess your customer feedback to identify what seems to be working most successfully, and then repeat it.
4. Next, make use of marketing metrics to quantify your success, aiming always to increase your audience size and engagement (clicks/opens/shares/likes/orders). Measure how much your customers spend and how often, and evaluate each customer’s worth to your business. Then determine how much you’re prepared to invest to attract and keep each one. This is called cost of acquisition and should be the main metric you track to determine the success of your marketing.

Want to do more marketing for your SME but not sure where to start? Or want to dial up what you have already started but not sure how? Get in touch with us today.