When embarking on any new marketing campaign it’s important to address the critical elements and milestones upfront to ensure that all requirements can be completed to ensure the campaign can launch as successfully as possible. Some areas to consider include:

  • Objectives – it’s important to set out what the key campaign objectives are to address the business needs. Include relevant targets, milestones, and review points to ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page.
  • Target audience – it may seem an obvious one but identifying and segmenting your audience at the initial stage may highlight new channels or opportunities to contact your audiences.
  • Budgets – an important part of the campaign strategy planning as this may determine the size and scale of your campaign. Whilst many elements could be covered with a minimal/no cost – emails, website updates, it’s important to factor any items which do require a budget – print/advertising etc. If there is a budget to offer an incentive this will also need to be included.
  • Timescales – in any campaign the timings are a key part of the success. Working back from the campaign launch date ensure there’s sufficient time for creative development, sign off/approvals, creating content, engaging support departments and external suppliers. Ideally working 3 months in advance should be the minimum lead in time for a small-medium scale campaign.
  • Roles and responsibilities – allocating roles and responsibilities is also key both from within your team and engaging other support departments/suppliers to deliver specialist requirements. The earlier you can engage the wider team the better, to understand lead times, processes and identifying other conflicting priorities to ensure that all elements can come together at the appropriate time.
  • Creative/messaging/content – arguably one of the most time-consuming elements of any campaign is the creation of high-quality engaging content. From the overall look and feel of the campaign, to the compelling messaging and call to action to attract initial interest. Consideration for any wider requirements such as new photography, video, testimonials etc need to be considered at the earliest stage to finalise prior to launch.
  • Channel delivery – this is where you can consider all the different routes you can target your campaign to your audience, the more channels, and opportunities you can identify the better. For a Returners campaign you can often maximise existing channels to target the current student cohort via Students’ Union, online portals, social media channels often with no cost.
  • Analysis and review – assessing the impact and engagement of a campaign can often refine plans whilst they are still live. Accessing any data relating to the campaign, whether it’s web statistics, email open rates or advertising metrics, they are all key in the management of the campaign. For long-running campaigns it’s also worth utilising research from students to gauge success and feedback to help refine further phases of activity. Monitoring weekly sales will also be key in assessing the overall campaign success.