4 Types of Campaigns that are Great Building Blocks for MSP Marketing

When it comes to marketing, a campaign is an outline of how you’re going to reach a specific marketing goal: By using tactic 1, tactic 2 and tactic 3, we’re going to achieve a specific goal. Below, we’ve listed 4 popular campaigns types and when you might want to use them to reach your marketing goals.

Direct Mailing

• What is it? Direct mail campaigns are cenetred around one or more pieces of media that is sent to a list of contacts through traditional mail. These types of campaigns generally are comprised of sales letters, postcards, flyer/brochures, and even promotional items.
• When should I use it? Direct mail is extremely versatile and can be used with everyone from suspects to current clients.
• What metrics/KPIs should I use to track it? The success of a direct mail campaign is slightly harder to track than other campaigns. Use shortened URLs, QR codes, and even trackable phone numbers that will take the reader to a landing page to track and have your sales team reach out to those asking permission to get them on an email list.
• Why should I use it? Even though digital marketing has become much more popular, direct mail is a solid part of a marketing life cycle. Direct mail doesn’t require the marketer to obtain the permission of the businesses on their list before contacting them. This gives direct mail campaigns the upper hand with suspects and prospects that have never opted into your list.

Email

• What is it? Email campaigns are comprised of a short series of emails that alert a list of contacts to a service, product or promotion that you believe they would be interested in purchasing. These emails often contain information that is of particular interest to a targeted audience.
• When should I use it? Technically, email campaigns should only be sent to people who have requested or agreed to be contact by you or a representative of your company. If you plan to use an email application like MailChimp or Constant Contact, they will ban your account if you have too many bounces or complaints about unsolicited email. Email campaigns are most successful when you’re marketing a new or reinvented service to current clients, requesting referrals, or marketing to prospects that you’ve already had some contact with and are looking to turn them into a qualified lead.
• What metrics/KPIs should I use to track it? Email campaigns can be monitored closely. It’s possible to know the number of bounces, opens, clicks, unsubscribes, landing page visits, how many times the email was viewed by a contact and more.
• Why should I use it? Email campaigns are one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies available. Some experts estimate that there is as much as a 4300% ROI for an email marketing campaign. Even if your ROI is less than that, it’s still a very economical marketing option.

Drip Campaign

• What is it? A drip campaign is designed to use media, generally 3-to-5 emails to continuously and automatically market to a contact over a longer span of time. Many times, the pieces will be prepared ahead of time and once a contact is put on a drip campaign's list, the marketer doesn’t have to reach out to the contact again until the campaign expires.
• When should I use it? Drip campaigns are ideal for companies that you’ve interacted with and weren’t the right fit for at the time, but might be in need of your products/services in the future. They can also be used to market to current clients, after a sale to obtain feedback, testimonials and referrals.
• What metrics should I use to track it? Drip campaigns are measured by many of the same metrics that an email campaign would be measured by, with the understanding that overall goal of a drip campaign is to touch the contact repeatedly with information that they find useful, and make sure that you’re their first option when and if your services are needed.
• Why should I use it? Drip campaigns are useful to develop two important marketing concepts: brand recognition and reputation. You never know when someone’s business will change or a contact that receives your drip campaign will move to a company that are in need of your services.

Social Media

• What is it? A social media campaign uses a series of social media posts to drive traffic back to a landing page, usually offering educational material or a promotion to the person or businesses targeted.
• When should I use it? Social media is useful for targeting new suspects and prospects and turning them into a qualified lead. It allows you to demonstrate your expertise and experience to a huge pool of targets.
• What metrics should I use to track it? Social media is very easy to monitor for metrics. Each social media platform has metrics built into them, offering insight on all of your posts. Once back at your website, you can use forms to keep track of the rest of the information.
• Why should I use it? Social media marketing offers something that no other marketing campaign offers: the ability to target a very specific demographic. They also have paid advertisement features that will fit nearly any budget.

These four campaigns do not even begin to reflect the number of campaign strategies that an MSP can use to market their services but using them as stepping stones is a good start. Take some time, run some campaigns and build the best marketing strategy for your business.