Marketing, whether you’re running a political campaign, a podcast, or a business is an essential part of what it means to succeed, and in the 21st century, not all marketing is created equal. Technology—especially the Internet—dictates more and more of the ways by which people buy, sell, learn, interact, and come across any kind of information at all, which means, without it, your marketing is likely to fail. Add to that reality the fact that there are so many ways people like to consume information—video, audio, blogs, social media posts, etc.—and the necessity of taking a multimedia approach when waging a marketing campaign becomes clear. If you’re in the hunt for how to ensure you reach your goals with your next marketing endeavor, follow these five tips for pulling off a successful multimedia marketing campaign.
1. Make It Visual
Gone are the days when vast swaths of people spent time thumbing through newspapers and magazines or gathering around the radio. As the world’s greatest thought leaders who speak about technology know: Today’s technology is screen-based and overwhelmingly visual. Photos, videos, infographics—even the ways in which articles and blogs are presented—the most effective content on the Internet makes use of visual design, and your marketing campaign should do the same.
Whether you’re buying adspace onthe mobile Web, putting together a series of YouTube and television commercials, preparing to do a social media blitz or a combination of all this and more, make sure every aspect of your multimedia marketing campaign is visually appealing.
2. Stellar Content
When it comes to driving search, everyone (including the search engines’ algorithms) is in agreement: Content is king. However, what many people fail to acknowledge when it comes to marketing campaigns—multimedia or otherwise—is that content matters in marketing, too. Today’s consumer often wants to research a product or service before buying it, regardless of how good the marketing around it is.
Don’t shy away from this tendency in your customers and potential customers; embrace it. Fill your website, YouTube channel, and social media profiles with stellar content so when people seek more information, they can find everything they’re looking for and then some. Stellar content will reinforceany marketing campaignby giving customers more of what they need on their terms.
3. Essential Analytics
How do you know whether or not your marketing works? How do you know which aspects of your marketing are most effective? Are you employing analytics and ongoing A/B testing? If you’re spending money on a multimedia marketing campaign that hasn’t been tested regarding results beforehand, or, if you aren’t paying attention to how your campaign is faring as it unfolds, you’re not just wasting money, you’re missing out on opportunity.
When you employ even basic analytics, you can discover everything from what types of subject lines are most effective in getting people to open emails to which color “Buy Now” buttons get clicked the most. Don’t fly blind. Analytics can give you the feedback you need regarding what works and what doesn’t.
4. Leverage Multiple Screens
5. Make It Shareable
It goes without saying that the most effective marketing you can achieve is word-of-mouth, and in the age of social media, that type of marketing often involves Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook more than it involves people talking things over face-to-face. As much as you can, then, make your multimedia marketing content shareable. What defines shareable content? Shareable content is engaging, entertaining, funny, interesting, educational, beautiful, surprising, and/or enlightening. It’s traditionally not been content that’s trying to get people to buy anything.
How can a marketer create shareable content then?When you launch a marketing campaign, don’t just produce pieces, videos, blogs, and ads that are trying to sell. Create content that simply engages. While it won’t sell directly, it will bolster your brand in the eyes of the consumer, and that can pay big dividends down the road.
Get the most out of your efforts and the technology available to you. Make your next multimedia marketing campaign a successful one by following these five tips.