seo search engine optimization link building agencyseo search engine optimization link building agencyseo search engine optimization link building agencyseo search engine optimization link building agency
  • BRANDS
    • PPC.co
    • DEV.co
    • Website.Design
  • SERVICES
    • Managed SEO
    • Link Building
    • White Label SEO
    • Content Writing
    • SEO Audits
    • PPC Management
  • TOOLS
    • Backlink Checker
    • Site Audit
    • Broken Link Tool
    • Robots.txt Tester
    • Sitemap Validator
    • Site Speed Tester
    • Title Tag Checker
    • AI Content Writer
    • SEO Training
  • WHY US
    • Case Studies
    • Our Process
    • Our Team
    • Our History
    • Acquisitions
    • Become a Writer!
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
LOGINGET STARTED
✕
Small Businesses SEO: 3 DIY Options When You Afford an SEO Expert
Small Businesses SEO: 3 DIY Options When You Afford an SEO Expert
October 21, 2015
How to Tell if an SEO Agency Is Trustworthy in 5 Steps
How to Tell if an SEO Agency Is Trustworthy in 5 Steps
January 24, 2016

SEO Questions: Questions to Ask Before Launching a Marketing Campaign

Last Updated by Sam Edwards on December 24, 2015
Questions You Need to Ask Before Launching a Marketing Campaign

In today’s digitally accessible, technologically advanced, ridiculously complicated age, the number of possible marketing strategies and advertising outlets is virtually limitless. Most online marketing strategies can feed into one another, resulting in countless varieties of hybrid strategies and unique approaches. While a purely organic search engine optimization (SEO) strategy might work well for one company, another might be better suited with a content/social strategy that happens to peripherally result in higher ranks.

Despite all this available diversity, marketing still boils down to a handful of simple, important principles. All the bells and whistles of the latest, greatest technology won’t be able to help you achieve your goals if you ignore those principles, or don’t understand them. It’s easy to lose sight of the fundamentals, especially with the excitement of everything new, but there are no guarantees or magic formulas for success. Instead, all successful marketing campaigns start with well thought-out answers to five important questions.

Before launching any marketing campaign, online or offline, ask yourself these five questions, and use your answers to direct your strategic choices:

Table of Contents

  • 1. What are my goals?
  • 2. Who is my audience?
  • 3. What is your core message?
  • 4. What makes you unique?
  • 5. What other options do you have?

1. What are my goals?

What are my goals

The longer you think about this question, the harder it gets to answer. It starts out with a quick, knee-jerk response: get more sales. Of course. But how many sales? And what kind of sales? Where are you really lacking? For large organizations, this is a demanding question. Think about where your current process could be improved, and use that as a starting point. For example, are you getting lots of leads but few leads of quality? Your goal could be further refining your online audience to only the most relevant demographics. Are you getting a high conversion rate, but suffering from a lack of traffic? Increasing web traffic should be your main concern. With any marketing strategy, a singular goal should be your bottom line, and the more specific you are, the better. Do your research and know what to expect from whichever strategies you end up pursuing.

2. Who is my audience?

Who is my audience?

I’ll get you started: the only wrong answer is “everybody.” Most novice marketers start out thinking the best audience to target is the largest audience possible. However, this is almost never the case. Even if your products can be useful to almost anyone, it’s better if you start out focusing on a specific niche within those broad demographics. Targeting a niche will allow you to find more effective, specific communications channels, hone your messaging to its most convincing, and better understand the overall psychology of your buyers to craft and fine-tune your strategy over time. If you have multiple demographics, start out with one and focus on them. Use market research and buyer personas to dig deep into your customers’ psychological profiles, and only start building your campaign once you’ve done so.

3. What is your core message?

What is your core message?

You can only answer this question once you know who your audience is and what your goals are. Otherwise, your answer might change. For example, let’s say you’re a manufacturer of a product that makes refrigerators more efficient. If your target market is homeowners and your goal is to become established as an authority in the industry, your core message might revolve around raw information, or the mechanics of energy efficiency. If your target market is college students and your goal is more transactions on your e-commerce platform, your core message might resolve around utility, or the fact that your device helps beer stay colder for longer. This core message, whatever it is, should permeate all the messaging you produce throughout the entirety of your campaign.

4. What makes you unique?

What makes you unique?

There are lots of companies like yours out there already. What makes yours unique? In the imaginary refrigerator efficiency product scenario, let’s say you have multiple similar competitors. What makes your product any different? Is it more efficient? Is it more cost-effective? Does it offer some other function? Is your brand more approachable? Identifying this key, unique differentiator will give your campaign a better competitive edge, and better focus in your design and messaging. Your unique value proposition and your “core” demographic-oriented message should work together to underline all your smaller initiatives.

5. What other options do you have?

Chances are, you already have a marketing channel or campaign picked out. But what happens if it doesn’t work out? Do you have a plan to scale back your budget and experiment within the same strategy, or do you have another outlet where you can use the same materials? This is less of a philosophical marketing question and more of a practical one, but it’s vitally important to ask before you start a online marketing campaign. The more potential options you have in case of a crisis or dead-end, the better.

These five questions aren’t the only ones you’ll need to ask, but they are some of the most important and most influential. If you can reasonably answer these five questions, you’ll have a good grasp on the core of your marketing campaign, and the remainder of your work will be filling in the details. As you start measuring and analyzing the results of your first line of effort, you may find your answers in need of adjustment; don’t be afraid to adjust them. Marketing is an evolving, give-and-take process that requires revision as you gather more data, but it all starts with a singular vision and a comprehensive goal to drive the remainder of your work.

We help with SEO & online marketing, including strategic link building services for direct clients and white label SEO resellers. Get in touch with us today for more info!

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Sam Edwards
Sam Edwards
Chief Marketing Officer at SEO.co
In his 9+ years as a digital marketer, Sam has worked with countless small businesses and enterprise Fortune 500 companies and organizations including NASDAQ OMX, eBay, Duncan Hines, Drew Barrymore, Washington, DC based law firm Price Benowitz LLP and human rights organization Amnesty International.

He is a recurring speaker at the Search Marketing Expo conference series and a TEDx Talker. Today he works directly with high-end clients across all verticals to maximize on and off-site SEO ROI through content marketing and link building. Connect with Sam on Linkedin.
Sam Edwards
Latest posts by Sam Edwards (see all)
  • Top 200 Google Ranking Factors: 2022 Complete List - May 16, 2022
  • How to Survive the Next Google Algorithm Update - May 1, 2022
  • Blog & Content Writing Best Practices for Lawyers - April 17, 2022
Share
4
Sam Edwards
Sam Edwards
In his 9+ years as a digital marketer, Sam has worked with countless small businesses and enterprise Fortune 500 companies and organizations including NASDAQ OMX, eBay, Duncan Hines, Drew Barrymore, Washington, DC based law firm Price Benowitz LLP and human rights organization Amnesty International. He is a recurring speaker at the Search Marketing Expo conference series and a TEDx Talker. Today he works directly with high-end clients across all verticals to maximize on and off-site SEO ROI through content marketing and link building. Connect with Sam on Linkedin.

Related posts

Top 200 Google Ranking Factors: Complete List
May 16, 2022

Top 200 Google Ranking Factors: 2022 Complete List


Read more
6 SEO Tips for Criminal Defense Attorneys
May 10, 2022

6 SEO Tips for Criminal Defense Attorneys


Read more
May 1, 2022

How to Survive the Next Google Algorithm Update


Read more

Inc 5000 Logo

Our Services

  • SEO Services
  • Link Building Services
  • White Label SEO
  • Content Writing Services
  • Amazon SEO
  • PPC Management
  • Public Relations
  • Brand Mentions
  • SEO Site Audits

SEO Resources

  • SEO for Beginners
  • Link Building Guide
  • Local SEO
  • Online Marketing
  • Digital Marketing
  • Content Marketing
  • SEO Reseller
  • Backlink Checker
  • Keyword Research
  • Google Ranking Factors

About SEO.co

  • About Us
  • SEO Team
  • SEO Blog
  • SEO Clients
  • SEO Tools
  • Markets Served
  • Locations Served
  • Client Login
  • Contact

Contact Us

Email: info@seo.co
Call: +1 (877) 545-4769
Address: 1425 Broadway Suite 22689
Seattle, WA 98112
White Label SEO Agency
  
Outwrite. Outrank. SEO.
© 2022 SEO.co. All Rights Reserved
Privacy Policy | Sitemap
PPC.co // DEV.co // Website.Design
An Invest.net Partner
    GET STARTED
      We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of all the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
      Cookie SettingsAccept All
      Manage consent

      Privacy Overview

      This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
      Necessary
      Always Enabled
      Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
      CookieDurationDescription
      cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
      cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
      cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
      cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
      cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
      viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
      Functional
      Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
      Performance
      Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
      Analytics
      Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
      Advertisement
      Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
      Others
      Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
      SAVE & ACCEPT