Marketing Campaigns vs. Marketing Programs
Caid Christiansen•Business executives want results, yesterday.
For people who want results as soon as possible, marketing campaigns are tempting. They’re short and sweet. They have a beginning and and end. They’re usually limited in scope. And you only pay for them once.
Marketing programs are just the opposite. They’re ongoing–indefinite, even. They’re large in scope. And you pay for them month in and month out, or until they stop working.
Marketing campaigns have their appeal. You know exactly what to expect. You can move on to other things when they’re done. If the strategy you executed on your campaign wasn’t exactly right, you’ll stop the campaign on your given date and try again later. (Or not.) Your campaign is limited and easy to commit to.
Marketing programs are harder for folks to commit to. You have an end goal in sight but you might not be sure how long it will take to get there, or if your path will change along the way. Changes to strategy seem to be harder to execute when your program is ongoing. Because they’re larger in scope and spread across a larger distance, it’s easy to put off developing and executing a marketing program. Who wants more expenses, either?
It’s important for business owners and decision-makers to get over their fear of the marketing program.
Marketing campaigns aren’t bad in and of themselves. We’ve done plenty one-off campaigns for companies that have led to great things down the road. These campaigns have achieved–and often exceeded–expectations we set.
Marketing programs are often the better option because, quite frankly, marketing isn’t an expense–it’s an investment, when done right. Marketing campaigns reinforce the mindset that marketing is something to be checked off a list; something to pay for once, get out of your sight, and not worry about again.
Marketing programs aren’t an expense. They’re an investment.They’re broad in scope, so you can reach your audience where they live and work. They’re constantly under revision. If it isn’t working, tweak it until it is. They’re sources of valuable data. And most importantly, they’re ongoing. Unlike that pretty marketing campaign, a marketing program continues to bring recurring value, like new leads and site traffic. Marketing programs, in the right hands, can do that indefinitely. Sound good? We thought so.
Could a marketing campaign be for you? Probably. And we can help with that, too. But if you could find a new way to add value to your business and bring in new customers month over month, why wouldn’t you?
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