I’ve been in the marketing and advertising world for over a decade now and the industry trends further and further away from traditional marketing (print, television, etc.) and more toward digital. One of the biggest mistakes I see is that most people start out with a lot of thought and time into their marketing distribution strategy. Focusing on getting into the data about who their audience is, what their interests and hobbies are, where to target them, etc. ut they don’t spend nearly enough time on their creative impact—especially in their marketing strategy.
Somehow, the words, visuals, and content are just an afterthought. So much focus gets put on getting the ad running and in front of the right people. Often users forget to make sure the messaging or concept will engage with their audience. Which is equally as important to a campaign’s success.
It’s easy to see why this happens. With the information at our fingertips as marketers through Google, Facebook, TikTok, or any of the other countless online data-collecting sources available, the possibilities today’s technology offers can be quite exciting. Analyzing and doing the work to come up with the perfect targeting method is a skill and getting that done can feel like it’s the whole job, but you can’t forget the human element. When striving to make the perfect marketing strategy, it’s important to remember:
At the end of the day, people don’t just buy because an algorithm says they should. People make purchases because something makes them feel that the product or service you offer will make their lives better in some way to do that, you must make sure the message presented grabs their attention, resonates with them on an emotional level and leaves a lasting impact.
Getting your ad in front of the right audience is only half the battle. Think about how many ads you see that you scroll right by or skip the second the ad button allows. Every one of those ads was placed before your eyes for a reason; your online habits, interests, age, or location matched a criteria someone determined made you the right person for that ad. Still, though, you skipped it. Why? Because the ad didn’t grip you. It didn’t make you feel curious, hopeful, anxious, or anything at all (except maybe impatient).
Marketing is as much an art as it is a science and it’s not an exact science either. It takes lots of research, trial, and error, but if you spend the same time on your creative strategy as you did on your campaign strategy, you’ll be on the right path to targeting the right people and telling them about the right message in a way that works.
So, don’t be just another ad that gets skipped. Use the data and analytics in your grasp to target your audience AND build a creative approach that leaves an impact when designing your marketing strategy.
If it sounds daunting, it’s because it is, but you don’t have to do it alone. At BrandCraft, we lead at the intersection of Marketing, Data, and Design. That means we use the statistics and information to craft a digital marketing plan and creative strategy that works together to deliver results and grow your business.
