[Cheat Sheet] How to Make a Great Marketing Campaign: Part II

In case you missed it, last month we peeled back the layers of the important role of your marketing campaigns. In Part I, you learned about what exactly a marketing campaign is, the elements that make it great, and an example of a successful marketing campaign. Now, in Part II, we’re going to show you how to make a great marketing campaign – and give you a cheat sheet so you can get started, fast.

No, it doesn’t have to be so hard

If you’re like thousands of other business owners out there, you probably know exactly what you want to promote, and who to promote it to; but, when you starting thinking how to make a great marketing campaign, you suddenly feel stumped. 

Have you ever said this to yourself?

1. I know what I want to say, but I don’t know how to say it.
2. If only I could just finish this other project, I’d have enough time to design a marketing campaign.
3. I just need to devote a weekend to understanding [social media, Google Ads, SEO, but I never seem to have enough time.

It doesn’t have to be that hard. You don’t have to waste time wondering, trying, adapting, and trying again. And you definitely don’t need to sacrifice your weekend! If any one of those statements sounds familiar, then you’re going to want to download this cheat sheet! Download this now, and you’ll never have to wonder how to make a great marketing campaign again.

Fill in the G.A.P.S.

Before you download your cheat sheet, we’re going to give you some explanation and details. This will help you squeeze the most out of the cheat sheet.

This approach will help you with every marketing campaign you ever create. It will eliminate confusion, clarify your messaging, and help you create excellent promotions that drive results. 

When you wonder how to make a great marketing campaign, the answer is: fill in the G.A.P.S.S.

Filling in the G.A.P.S. means you’ll implement the following step-by-step planning process:

1. Set a Specific Goal
2. Describe your Target Audience
3. Detail your Audience’s Problem
4. Offer your Product a Solution

Now, let’s get started filling in the G.A.P.S.

Goal

To begin, set a specific goal for your marketing campaign. This should be intricately tied to a business goal, meaning this marketing campaign will help you advance your business in a particular way. 

Examples of a campaign goal include:

1. 1. Boost sales
   2. Generate leads
   3. Increase brand awareness
   4. Drive website traffic

As you proceed to the next steps, keep this goal in mind. Everything you do in the following steps should be intentionally connected to achieving this goal. 

Audience

Now, think about your audience. Work with your team to create a real picture of who they are. Using a white board is helpful here, so that you can brainstorm in a collaborative way. 

Try to answer these questions (and more) about your target audience:

Where are they located?

What are their hobbies?

Is your audience mostly women or mostly men? Balanced?

What digital platforms or apps do they use most?

Are they tech-geeks or creatives?

What do they love?

What do they fear or what causes them anxiety?

What frustrates or angers them? 

What’s their ambition?

Do they prefer urban or rural environments?

What type of people do they interact with?

Do they have families?

On the weekends, are they Netflix bingers or Mountain climbers?

What would their spirit animal be?

What motivates them?

Are they introverted or extroverted?

What type of music do they listen to most?

What causes pull at their heartstrings?

What stores do they like to shop at?

Would they buy a Cyber Truck or a 1985 Jeep Wrangler?

When buying food, do they reach for organic first?

These are examples of detailed questions you can consider about your target audience. You might think of other questions along the way; answer those too! 

In the end, you want to have a clear understanding of your audience’s preferences, habits, motivations, and more. It will help you complete the next steps. Before you move on, write two-three sentences to describe your target audience. 

Problem

You probably can see what comes next. You’re so smart! As you describe your audience in detail, you probably uncover your audience’s problem, or pain point. 

Drill down in this. Go beyond simply identifying the problem. Think about how the problem impacts your target audience. Describe the emotions they feel because of this problem. Picture the opportunities that this problem prevents. If the problem is a wall, what does it look like on the other side of that wall? 

Tell yourself the story of your target audience. What is her day-to-day life like? How does she grapple with this problem every day? How does she long for a solution? 

Again, after you brainstorm with your team, write 3-4 sentences that sum up her experience with the problem.

Solution

Next up, your product! Ultimately, the purpose of your marketing campaign is to promote your product as the solution to your target audience’s problem. The trick here is to show how your product-solution benefits your target audience. Avoid talking about your product’s features; instead focus on the ways it will make life better.

Return to the problem your audience is having. What pain points will ease or disappear when they use your product. What new opportunities will open up because of it? What emotion will you stir to prompt a longing for the solution you provide?

Identify the emotion you want to stir and the benefits your product provides. 

Design a Sequence of Marketing Activities

Now it’s time to plan your marketing activities. No matter the media or the channel, each marketing activity should aim for the same goal, target the same audience, and present your product as the solution to your audience’s problem. 

A key word here is strategic. This should serve as a caution that you choose your marketing activities intentionally. That means:

Decide on your media.

This is where you determine exactly what marketing activities you will implement. It’s important that you strategically select the media that will help you reach your particular goal. Media can include, but are not limited to: landing pages, Google Ads, social media ads, social media posts, videos, blogs, emails, influencers, third-party placements, PR, and more. 

Identify the right channels.

If you know that your target audience engages on Instagram and Facebook, but has limited engagement on X, then don’t waste time advertising on X. 

Set a timeframe.

Designate a beginning and an end for your marketing campaign. This will allow you to create a sense of urgency in your audience.

Determine a budget.

Here, investment is important. Skimping on your advertising budget could yield a failed campaign. Without overextending your finances, determine a realistic budget.

Design your messaging. 

Think again about your target audience’s key characteristics and the emotion(s) they feel when encountering a particular problem. Decide how you want to tap into that, and identify a few words or phrases that you want to leverage to motivate your audience.

Create your assets.

This is perhaps the most fun part, if you like getting creative. Record your videos, design your social media ads, launch your landing pages, and more. Create the assets you need and get ready to launch!

Don’t forget to analyze results

After you create your assets, you’re ready. Implement your marketing campaign across your selected channels, and take time to analyze your results. Keep your goal in mind; which marketing activities were most successful in helping you reach that goal? What did those activities have that the others did not? Use this information to help you make future marketing campaigns even better!

And look at that: you’ve gone from wondering how to make a great marketing campaign to running a great marketing campaign!

Get your Cheat Sheet 

Now that you’ve read all about how to make a great marketing campaign, you’re ready to head off to the races. You can bookmark this blog for reference, or even better, download your cheat sheet to make a great marketing campaign. 

This easy cheat sheet will take the guesswork out of your planning, serving as a time-saving guide to execute each stage with ease. No more Googling “how to make a great marketing campaign.” No more saving marketing hacks in your Instagram files. No more feeling your way around in the darkness of the marketing world. 

Instead, simply take out your cheat sheet and follow the steps. It’s that simple!