A Tail Of Two Trails

This is the most common mistake I see in marketing…

When you’re launching a new marketing campaign, the trail splits at the trailhead.

There are actually two paths that have different end goals, but both of them get you up the mountain. You need to choose between a Direct Response campaign and a Branding campaign.

Direct Response campaigns are about accomplishing a specific goal within a certain amount of time in order to gain a Return On Investment (ROI).

The best performing Direct Response campaigns have an offer and a deadline. There may be a sale for a limited time, an event on a certain date, or a coupon that expires. These campaigns leverage urgency and “fear of missing out” to encourage action. This is a short-term investment. Ideally, you would be able to track your sales starting from dollars spent on ads all the way to net profit.

Branding campaigns are about awareness and are a very slow burn.

This trail will be flat for a long time, and you just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other until you start to see an incline. On average, it takes seven ad impressions before a viewer will acknowledge your brand.

For most small businesses, Branding campaigns are something to grow into once you have a Direct Response system that works well. It’s a long-term investment in your business that pays a return in years, not months or weeks.

Before you start a marketing campaign, ask yourself “is this a Direct Response or Branding campaign?” – and then measure every step accordingly.

Onward and upward,
Simon Trask