If you’ve ever planned a celebration or an event you know things don’t always go as planned. Maybe you can remember a time that the weather didn’t match the forecast or you had unexpected guests or ran out of food. Did you have a backup plan or at least some resources to use, just in case? Were you able to adapt to the unexpected?
With so many factors that can go wrong at any given time, having certain things always in place can have you ready for things that go awry. Maybe you have an indoor location as a backup for bad weather. Or a stash of delicious snacks on hand for extra appetite. Or maybe you communicate clearly ahead of time whether extra people will be able to be accommodated.
Of course, being ready to adapt applies to digital marketing as well. Creating a digital strategy and setting a roadmap for the execution of a campaign are important steps for success, but sometimes things go wrong. You need to factor in the possibility that the campaign can swing either way – even with all the research and testing – and be ready to adapt.
So how can you be prepared for the unknown when launching a digital marketing campaign?
- If possible, open the campaign to a smaller audience first to test it out, so you can fix any issues before it’s launched full-scale.
- Have your team of developers ready to tackle technical problems as fast as they can. Broken links, errors in submissions, payment issues, etc. are very common and can happen anytime. The lead generation funnel should work without a glitch, collecting data and impressing your audience.
- Be vigilant about user feedback. Consumer is the king and understanding their behavior is the key to success in paid, search, and social media. A good way to track consumer behavior is to build trackers, KPI’s and goal conversions using Google Analytics, Tag Manager, and similar tools.
- Take A/B testing seriously. It’s the best way to identify what’s working and what’s not and switch to the right option fast.
- Use a centralized dashboard to monitor and report activity. This is critical as it gives direct access to decision-makers so that they can see the results in real-time.
While there’s no rule book for a perfect strategy and execution, being prepared always gives a feeling of confidence when a large campaign is at stake. Whatever happens, be ready to learn from the outcomes so you are well prepared for the next campaign.
Teamwork and trust are also big contributors to success! Our team recently worked closely with our client, Karen Colligan, to build a webinar lead-generation funnel for her Keep it Real Leadership Program. We followed a plan and kept communication open throughout this process, which made it much easier to adapt to changes. Check out opportunities to attend her Leadership Power Hour by clicking here.
Work with your team to create processes that will make it easier to adapt when things don’t go as planned. Contact our team if you want help getting the wheels in motion.
