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Bad Social Marketing Lacks Consistency

Especially when it comes to results!

Smart Marketing … is a process. Not an event.

Would expect a vegetable garden to yield a great harvest if you didn’t tend it regularly? Of course not. Everyone knows you have to water plants consistently throughout the growing season if you want them to bear fruit (or vegetables, in this case).

The same principle applies to social marketing. For any campaign to yield the results you want – whether it’s increased awareness, engagement, leads or sales – your efforts must be consistent.

Drip, drip, drip…

(Humor us for a minute while we continue this gardening analogy.)

Which is the more effective method for watering: dumping a single bucket on your plants in the morning, or sprinkling them slowly and frequently throughout the day?

Again, the answer is obvious. If you drench a plant, most of the water will run off. But if you repeatedly dampen its soil, much more water will sink in.

And yes, this principle also applies to your marketing efforts! Some studies indicate that, on average, a person must be exposed to a marketing message seven times before it truly sinks in. Other research suggests that number (which marketers call “effective frequency”) is much higher.

So, what’s the best way to consistently “drip” your marketing message on your audience?

Create a master plan.

A marketing calendar with planned, consistent “touch points” (i.e., exposure or interaction an individual has with your organization) is the cornerstone of smart marketing. Whether you use a Google Sheet, an Excel spreadsheet or a template specifically for marketing, a calendar:

  • Gives your efforts structure and purpose;
  • Helps you plan what message to send – and through what channels you should distribute it;
  • Ensures nothing is forgotten, even when you’re really busy.

Here are a few tips for creating a marketing calendar – and improving your results:

  • Start with a blank calendar or spreadsheet, charting the seasonality or cyclicality of your business, as well as important customer touchpoints in your sales cycle. This helps ensure you are marketing during critical times when customers and prospects are most likely to have a need for your products and/or services.
  • Schedule your marketing for the whole year, so you can plan your budget, ensure adequate lead-time and be consistent.
  • Get specific. The more detailed it is, the more effective your calendar will be as a roadmap for all your marketing efforts. Here are a few things you should include:
    – Advertising campaigns
    – Email marketing
    – Social media campaigns
    – Public relations
    – Event marketing
    – Content pieces
    – Special promotions
  • Add up your “touches” across channels and campaigns. Make sure you are hitting your effective frequency target, so that your message has the opportunity to sink in with your audience.
  • Track your results right in the calendar. This step will help you make smart choices in the future that further increase your marketing ROI – and generate even better results.

Need help creating a consistent – and effective – marketing plan?

That’s what we’re here for! Give BARQAR’s experts a call today. Our team helps hundreds of companies across North America plan and implement strategic and consistent marketing programs.

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