The answer is simpler than you think: what you don’t know can hurt you. More often than not lately, I find companies and brands don’t know who their target audience is, and how they want to be contacted. With capital being swept away from marketing departments over the last two years, companies have lost sight of who their customers, clients, and subscribers are. Testing online media can quickly tell you who you want to reach out to and more importantly, who you don’t.
Decision-makers get caught asking questions before agreeing to test an email list, for example, about average click-through rates and how many conversions they may see. While important and justified, querying about the demographics of the file and source of the data has the same direct effect on a campaign as does an offer and creative. The point is that percentages and clicks vary: it’s the nature of the beast. However, multivariate testing and gusto can give a company priceless data even when a campaign is not considered a success. Metrics from a clean company and respected sources do not lie. The best direct marketers are savvy enough to know that the most opportune time to test is now. and they do it often!
Without a hefty cost commitment, an online campaign consisting of emails, banners, and co-registration can help jumpstart profitability and product awareness. Commit to the longevity of your brand and invest in an online media service that can actually answer you back. If a consumer isn’t converted today, it doesn’t mean they won’t become a buyer tomorrow. Re-test and remarket. Remember, it’s never a loss when it’s knowledge you’ve gained.
After working for The Catamount Group as an account executive in list management, Jacqueline Causa’s concentration moved from traditional offline marketing to online media services, where today she focuses on some of Catamount and eWay’s larger accounts. Working closely with advertisers, mailers, publishers and agencies she helps clients drive customers to their websites through online ads such as banners, enewsletters, co-registration, and more. She enjoys the realtime, fast pace of the online world and continues to stay on top of the current trends in the industry through frequent seminars and events.
