It can easily be assumed the best marketing comes from campaigns and in-the-moment actions, such as social media shares. However, what makes those efforts so successful is the planning that goes into them before they are even seen by possible customers. It’s called pregaming and it’s essential to business owners like yourself to truly succeed in your marketing strategy. 

When creating any direct mail or email campaign, smart pre-game strategies set you up for the win. While marketers tend to plan for great results by focusing on the right message, offer, and call to action, they can improve their results even more by planning even earlier. 

Here are four pre-game strategies for maximizing your efforts. 

1. Freshen up your insights. 

Think you know your customers? Don’t rely on data or customer profiles you developed last year — you need to stay in the moment to identify your customers’ wants and needs. 

Customers and their needs are continually changing. Keeping your data and profiles up to date helps you maintain a current picture. Make sure to track not just your customers’ lifestyles, demographics, and habits, but their preferred channels as well. 

A perfect way to do this is through social media channels. You should look at what posts and campaigns perform the best and why. Don’t just assume it’s because you have a great picture or a video — it could be something different, like the wording of your message. 

2. Break down silos. 

Both online and offline data give you a picture of your customers, but it takes both types to make that picture complete. Offline data tells you things like what your customers look like, what they buy, and how much they spend. 

Online data, like activity on your website, interaction with your Facebook page, and click-throughs on product detail pages, gives you insights into why people buy and how they navigate the journey. If you want a complete picture of your customer base, you need both. 

3. Drill down into the details. 

Not every customer group acts the same way. Not every household with a $50,000-$75,000 income, for example, has the same needs. Nor does every age group. You want to know more than just the basics. 

Use these questions as examples of what you should be asking yourself about your customers:

  • Is the presence of children in the home a factor?
  • Does their location impact their buying choices?
  • What life stage are they in?
  • Do they like companies who show they care about their customers?

Customers within similar demographic groups can think and act differently. (Think the difference between your grandmother and, say, Mick Jagger.)

4. Pay attention to timing. 

Understanding the “when” is as important as the “what.” You can have a killer campaign but be putting out its main messages at times where your customers never see it. 

Take one of our client stories as an example. One telecom company had always sent follow-up printed pieces after phone inquiries, but it hadn’t tested the timing. Once it decided to do some testing, it discovered that a two-stage follow-up was most effective: an email sent immediately (within the first 24 hours of the phone call), then a print piece two to three days later. After making the change, it saw a double-digit lift in its response rates. 

Even if you get great results from your multichannel marketing efforts already, don’t rest on your previous wins. Stay sharp. Always be reinventing and you’ll run up the score.

Work With PMI

The professionals at PMI are excited to provide you with totally fresh pregame strategies. It’s why our clients love working with us — we help you see the bigger picture and then improve your results, not only for marketing reasons but in gaining customers as well.

If you want to talk more about your company’s pre-game strategies, or need help with anything creative marketing services, reach out to PMI today on our website.

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