What frequency are your online marketing campaigns tuning in on?

We’re not talking about radio frequencies, although we’d like you to stay tuned into this article until the end of this broadcast. The topic here is the frequency rate in which you and your business reach your targeted consumer audience through your online presence. Providing Online Presence Management support for several brands and companies gives us unique insight into the classic upsides, back-slides and home-run glides of the online marketing and advertising landscape.

In 1885, way before the birth of the internet and social media, Thomas Smith wrote a book called Successful Advertising. The book is best remembered for outlining the 20 step journey a consumer takes before buying a product, service or a ticket to an event. Some say, such as Chip and Dan Heath, who wrote a marketing book called Made to Stick, that a marketing message can stick even it it is heard only once.

Who’s right?

Some place in between 1 - 20 times or higher the consumer you are targeting is prime for your marketing campaigns when the following 8 consumer marketing conditions are in your favor:

• Consumer Economic Conditions (can afford or not)
• Consumer Spending Habits (buying online, buying offline, frequency of purchases in general, impulse buyers, conservative shoppers etc.)
• Consumer Confidence in product, service or event (brand awareness, reviews)
• Consumer Availability / Timing (Schedule, Availability or timing of purchase)
• Consumer Options (competing product , services or events ; fear of better offers)
• Consumer knowledge (information on product, service or event)
• Consumer Motivation (discounts, specials, promotions, or the need for the product or service)
• Consumer Benefits (gain/ benefits after purchase)

It is virtually impossible to know if your campaigns are hitting on all cylinders for the targeted consumer. You should use the above factors to help optimize your message, target audience and campaign run schedule. It is the above conditions that will eventually determine the success of your campaigns. The frequency of the delivery of your message will help improve the conditions to favor your products and services over another.

As for the frequency rate I recommend aiming as high as 20 times to unlock the secrets of successful advertising. Is it possible in today’s market to achieve 20 touches of a single consumer? We are living in the age of information overload backed with two big scoops of the instant gratification generation wave. Let’s take a look at our marketing frequency strategy and channels we suggest and utilize on a daily basis.

Word of mouth

Phone calls, face to face meetings or evening leaving a voicemail message may seem like Medieval Times, however, it can be very effective to verbally communicate the benefits of a product, service or upcoming event.

Recommendation

Start the marketing, advertising and campaigns efforts in other channels first. Reserve “word of mouth” strategies for later into the marketing channel. This will provide for a better opportunity for your audience/consumer to formulate questions.

Frequency

1 - 2 conversations is ample to deliver your message

Facebook

You should fully explore all the posting elements Facebook has to offer for organic reach. Here is a brief rundown on these elements:

• Create Events
• Post Photos / Videos
• Create Offers
• Create Phone Call (request) post
• Create Message (request) post
• Post (Share links / Updates)
• Create A Note
• Go Live (Facebook Live Video)
• Group Post (of Groups Joined related to topic)

Recommendation

For each campaign develop a plan for the various post elements that match your product, service or event. Multiple posts will be needed to ensure you reach the maximum potential audience. In a 30 day period, it is not uncommon to generate 8 - 30 posts for 1 campaign. This may seem extreme but Facebook’s algorithm, for organic reach, governs over the post circulation and frequency. It is typical to see a post only reach a consumer 1 - 3 times over the period of a campaign, therefore, a schedule is essential to the posting strategy

Frequency

2 - 4 reaches per subscriber can be achieved organically with a basic posting schedule/plan.

Twitter

Tweeting updates about a product, service or event will help keep your message connected to your audience. It is important to get your target audience to connect into as many social channels as you have available for your business.

Recommendation

For each campaign develop a plan for tweeting updates at least once or twice per week during the course of a campaign. This too may seem extreme but your message will have a better chance of reaching the targeted subscribers if you keep a steady flow of Tweets. Use mentions and messaging as a way to target individuals directly.

Frequency

1 - 2 reaches per subscriber can be achieved organically with a basic posting schedule/plan.

Push Notifications

Push Notifications are awesome. The intended target is reached 98% of the time with a view rate of 99%. You should not overdo it with push notifications. A few messages over the period of a campaign is all that is needed.

Recommendation

For each campaign develop a plan for push notifications, which includes a couple of push messages, during the course of a campaign. This method is used to help ensure you maintain awareness of the product, service or event. Use notifications to send critical updates, special promotions or last-minute highlights.

Frequency

1 - 3 notifications are ample to reach the subscribers of your notification system.

Email

Email marketing is still an excellent notification and message delivery tool. The intended target is reached 90% of the time with an open rate of 30% with a basic strategy. You should not overdo it with emails. A few messages over the period of a campaign is all that is needed. Using segments works best to increase open rates. For example: sending a second mailer only to people that did not open the first mailer will help the current campaign and future campaigns.

Recommendation

For each campaign develop a plan for push notifications, which includes a couple of push messages, during the course of a campaign. This method is used to help ensure you maintain awareness of the product, service or event. Use notifications to send critical updates, special promotions or last-minute highlights. You should also consider sending direct emails to individuals outside your email marketing tools. You can still track open rates, but you may stand a better chance of reaching some prospects through a more direct approach. This will also allow you to further personalize the message, and remind the person why what you have to offer is something they must act on now.

Frequency

2 - 3 mailer campaigns are ample to reach the subscribers. If you achieve a 40% or higher open rate you have accomplished a great deal in circulating your message. Click-through rates can vary from 0% - 15%. We have found personal emails get a much higher open and engagement rate than email marketing campaign solutions. Oftentimes, 1 personal email is all it takes.

Online Ads

Using online advertising is an excellent plan to increase reach and frequency into your target audience. Build an audience that includes your subscribers that may be in multiple channels, as well as others within the ad network that will be most likely to buy the product, service or attend an event. Running ad campaigns at these targeted subscribers will increase your campaign's chances of being successful. Each campaign should also include a plan to remarket (retarget) visitors of your website landing pages.

Recommendation

For each campaign develop an ad plan in at least one ad network during the course of a campaign. Think through carefully who the target audience is and be sure to include subscribers that exist in multiple channels. This method is used to help ensure you maintain awareness of the product, service or event. Use ads communicate the overall event, special promotions or last-minute highlights. Do plan a remarketing strategy to help increase the reach and view frequency of your online ads.

Frequency

1 - 3 ad views is what can be expected with a basic campaign plan. Ad reach, with a well-planned campaign, is generally 70% - 100%. Click-through rates of ads can reach as much as 16%. Conversion can vary from 0% - 8% depending on the ad network, frequency point and reach of the audience member.

Search (Organic)

Optimizing your campaign information on your website will help ensure your product, service, or event will be high on the search result pages if and when your targeted subscribers or audience utilize search engines to find out more details. This is not an area of marketing you can control beyond being ready. Reach and frequency is determined by the subscriber or audience.

Recommendation

Search engine optimization is the best way to prepare for what will come. This is done by ensuring the content of the landing page has the proper keywords, meta descriptions, rich snippet data, high-quality graphics and proper call to action elements.

Frequency

1 - 2 site visits out of 10 - 20 will come looking specifically for your product, service or event if your other campaign strategies are enforcing a consistent theme, keyword or message. Click-through rates, for specific keywords in which your product, service, event or company rank in the first 1 - 3 listings is as much as 90%.

Print Media

Any print media campaigns should complement the current digital strategies. The target audience should match the audience included in your other campaign efforts. Saturation strategies perform poorly while information distribution tactics that help reinforce the message perform much better.

Recommendation

Ensure that all print media distributed drives the receiver of the print material back into your online channels. This does not mean that the message in the print material should solely promote the online channels, however, be sure to ensure the final destination for more details, the purchase, the submission of information or closing the deal end into an online channel to help measure the effectiveness of your print campaigns.

Frequency

1 - 8 distribution drops is ample. If the targeted consumer is hand delivered the print material then 1 time is sufficient. If you are relying on print magazines, direct mail or newspapers factor on 4 - 8 runs to start to receive a response.

Messenger Apps

This approach is more one on one, personal touch and less automated however very effective. Similar to Word of Mouth, start first in another channel before engaging into direct messages. Keep a list of all your contacts, which messaging apps/platforms they use and average response times for each. Organize the contacts by platform, draft a general message you can copy / paste and personalize a bit. Be sure to exclude people that have already purchased the product, service or event.

Recommendation

Avoid group messaging when possible. It may be tempting to help expedite the chore however the personalization of the message will help reinforce your message and improve your response rate. Minimize overloading a single individual. For example: If you message a person on Facebook and they don’t respond, wait a few days before contacting them via messaging in another channel. Also, make mention of your previous contact attempts and apologize for information saturation. Lastly, ensure the recipient you are merely presenting them with an opportunity and that response is not required. This will ensure future messages will have a chance.

Frequency

1 - 2 message attempts is ample. If the targeted person has not responded but has done so in the past for other communications, chances are they are not interested. Don’t make it awkward and spoil our chances of having this channel as a possible communication channel. Due note: The change of the term consumer into a person. Messaging is a function reserved to personal accounts on most platforms.

Linkedin

Create posts targeted at your network and business profile followers. Again, the objective is to ensure that your message is getting maximum reach and exposure. To help support your targeting efforts, update your contact database to ensure you reach the best possible groups for your product, service or event.

Recommendation

Bring the business connection back to your website. Have in place tracking pixels, call to action buttons, and lead generation tools. Ensuring that your business contacts are well connected to your other channels should be a high priority. Also, post and share information in Linkedin Groups as well. If you are not on Linkedin, substitute Linkedin with Instagram, Google Plus or any network that provides groups, network connections or followers.

Frequency

1 - 2 posts are ample when utilizing targeted efforts. As with all social media channels, monitor your engagement levels. If reach and engagement are low, increase the number of posts to help reach more of your network.

Conclusion

Do the math, select the channel and go after the frequency levels that work best for your online marketing strategies and available channels. Make every attempt to get your target audience connected into as many channels as possible to help increase your reach and effectiveness. Channels that require you to make a personal connection with your audience may be a challenge for some businesses. Be sure to take full advantage of the various privacy settings and list grouping features when inviting customers, clients or prospect consumers into your personal channels (e.g. Facebook Personal, Linkedin, WhatsApp, SnapChat, Facebook Messenger, Google Plus etc).