We see numerous marketing messages every day. Those messages that break through the clutter and move us to action, are not a coincidence. Effective messages take planning and strategy. At B&C, we know that the parameters have to be clearly defined, in order to understand the messaging and ultimately measure the campaign. Here are the steps we take:
Define the Audience
Before you can develop a targeted message, you have to have a clear understanding of who you are trying to reach. At B&C, we develop audience segment profiles to help us understand the feelings and motivations of those in the targeted segment, as well as the best medium with which to reach them. Read more about how audience profiles help target in our article, Audience Segment Profiles: Taking Aim at the Right Target.
Define the Action
Now that you know who you’re talking to, clarify how you want them to think, feel and act. This may be as simple as, “I want them to buy product x,” but, if you need them to ask a retailer to order it first, your messaging needs to reflect that. In fact, clearly defining all the steps your audience needs to take, allows you to identify and remove barriers to action. And, be sure to present this “call to action,” in no uncertain terms.
Define Success
This step seems pretty straight forward, but it can be easy to gloss over it in a way that dilutes success. If you asked people to buy Product X and they did… that’s success, right?? Maybe. It is important to remember that details can make these goals more meaningful. After all, selling 2 units is technically reaching that vague goal. Try to be as clear as you can about what success means and how you will measure it. The S.M.A.R.T. goal (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) is a great framework for outlining success.
Identify the Single Most Important Message
Generally, people are busy and are focused on their own business. This means you have to make it easy for them. If you only had time to say one thing—give them one message—that is the message you need to focus on delivering. Don’t ask them to do the work to figure out why they should care—they won’t. You have to understand them and what messages are relevant to them, because irrelevant messages are ignored and so are relevant messages that get buried.
Evaluate and Adjust
Evaluating success will look different for each campaign depending on how you defined success and the media you chose to deliver your messaging. Today, we use a lot of digital media that offers the flexibility to make quick changes if a message is not performing. Even if there is not time/budget to adjust the messaging for the current campaign, this data can inform future campaigns/materials.
These steps will put your materials on track for crafting a message that moves consumers to think, feel and act. We love a beautiful campaign, but we get really excited about a beautiful strategy and clear results. Contact us to get started on your next successful campaign.