Performance marketing, I feel it’s like a tree. If you give all the proper nutrients and sunlight, in return it gives you fruits, flowers and shade, till it lasts. Such is the case with performance marketing. If the right plan is made and if the plan is rightly implemented and managed, it is a very stable and lucrative strategy that will keep growing and achieve great heights. Eventually, your business becomes a brand name, and with it comes more money, more customers, more brand awareness and so forth.

Along with performance marketing, in comes web-based marketing. One thing about web-based marketing is very clear. If not done correctly, it can end in utter failure of the business. Now, you wouldn’t want that, would you? There are many aspects of web-based promotions, and with many years of experience, I have learned some things that I would like to share with you and help you avoid any disasters.

Below mentioned are simple questions you can ask yourself when designing a web-based promotion strategy:-

Q-1 Does the promotion meet the core objective of the business?

• You might think it is a silly question to ask, as the objective is what is the center of the focus, but trust me it has been overlooked many a times.
• As, many companies believe in one strategy for all and that results in total loss.
• Every company, every business is different, so the strategy has to be different.
• For example, say, the current company have a good market name, so as of now, their prime target is to retain the customers rather than looking for new ones.
• So, the strategy has to be more inclined towards such requirement and not towards promotions to reach new audiences.
• So, make sure you and the company are on the same page when it comes to OBJECTIVE.

Q-2 How reasonable you are when it comes to the success of the promotion?

• Make sure to never give false hope or promise to the client, if you have minimal of doubt. Your job is to design the right strategy and work on it, the success and failure are entirely up to luck.
• But make sure that you make the client aware about the ups and downs of the promotions. Set different landmarks.
• In other words, tell the client that, if the promotion is a huge success we will get (A), if the promotion is moderately successful, we will get (B) or if it is a complete failure, at least we can redeem ourselves with (C).
• Remember, no last minute surprises for the client.

Q-3 How will I manage the resources?

• The team working on the promotion is as important as knowing the goal, of the client.
• So, it is advised that once you have cleared everything with your client, have a team meeting and prepare the team for what is coming on their way.
• As a team they will understand about the seriousness of the project as well as they will have a hint about any extra hours they have to put in.
• Such meetings help them prepare mentally and works better rather then telling them at the last moment that they have to put in extra hours. Some donuts and a coffee can go a long way.

Q-4 What measures can I take before the launch to increase the chance of success?

• The first and foremost thing I personally do is let the team work on the issues. The team is the best judge of the work they did. So, if the team is confident about the effort and outcome, you can relax a bit.
• Also, you can send your work to any outside party, see if they understand the concept. Sending a promo to any common people will give you an idea about how user friendly and easy to understand it is. If, a non-technical person can understand it, then you did a good job!
• Also, a contingency plan is always important. You should always have a backup plan and make sure the team is aware of the deadlines and dates involved.

Q-5 How should I prepare for launch day?

• The first thing to do is to see that the whole team is ready for the day and they all know their respective part.
• Make sure the team is aware about the dates and deadlines, along with the community manager to keep everything in check. Make sure, the analyst is keeping the track of site metrics and other big numbers.
• The analysts play a very important on the big day, as the numbers afterall is what matters. Keep checking them.

Q-6 What are my post launch and promo plans?

• Now, this is very important. The promos can last anywhere from a day to months. So, it is very important to have a smooth launch day and keep up the hype.
• So, you should always have ideas and strategies that keep up the hype for a few dates or months if required. Also, it is very important to keep an eye on the channels you leverage.
• The LONG TAIL BUZZ is very important for promotion to last for days or months. And in order to do that, E-Mail Marketing, Facebook Ads, Social Media Messaging, Promotional tweets are some of the mediums widely used these days.

Q-7 What after the Promo?

• You can never relax after the promo is done. Don’t pat your back and relax, remember there is still work to do!
• Now, as it was a promotional event, there would be winners. So, make sure that the section is nailed down, and the communication with winners is happening.
• Have a plan for the assets that were used in the promotion, some of them might be helpful in other events as well. Also, have the plan about the page that the promo was hosted. Have plans for late entries.
• Make sure the above mentioned aspects are worked out before time and make sure they are successfully implemented.

Q-8 How can I use the promo after the launch?

• Now, this is one of the best part of web based promotion. No matter if the event was a huge success or a big flop. There are bits and pieces of the event that you can use to enhance the result.
• The first suggested and the most common practiced method is writing a blog. Yes! A blog can give some important insight on the event.
• In the blog, you can talk about the event, what happened, what were the plus points, what you figured out and also give an insight about any future events.
• Also, the users comments can help you to plan your future events. Their comments can give you an idea about what tricks you missed and how you can rectify them for any future event.

Q-9 How to effectively generate the promo report?

• First thing’s first, wait till the dust settles. After all the hype of event and promotion, it is advised to wait for at least a week or two before submitting any report, regrading the event.
• Once the dust has settled, you can view the traffic the site has gained, how many new sign ups you got, the brand mentions and many other aspects that takes a while to take effect.
• So, make sure to mention such wins in the report to make the client happy.
• A simple email, saying thank you to the people who have helped with the event and express your gratitude towards them. Such small mail can help you a lot for any future aspects.

Q-10 How about next promo?

• The time gap between any two events is very essential. Often it is referred as many clients carry events between very short time periods. Such, instance confuses the customers as well as if you tell the same story every time, then the customers tend to loose interest in the event.
• Make sure every event is after a good time frame from the other as well as it should provide new information. Wait for weeks or even months, if necessary.
• Again, if you want to start new event, read this post from the top and repeat the cycle. Pretty simple, huh!.

I hope this post gives you a good idea about your next web based promotion.

Lastly, I would like to know your insight about the problems and success you have enjoyed in web based promotions. Any practical suggestions or experience regarding web based promotion is very highly well come. Please write in the comment box below.