Is there a magic formula for marketing success which doesn't involve having to spend copious amounts of money? Ben Maughan, managing director at Chester-le-Street-based digital start-up, Epic Social, muses over how marketeers can make a big impact on a tight budget.
In years gone by, marketing managers looking to make an impact on the launch of a new product or promote an event wouldn’t look past print and outdoor advertising in order to spread the word. However, in today’s world of instant gratification, where technology is ever-changing and consumers can access media on-the-go 24/7 via their smartphones, there are lots more options available and it can be difficult to know where to start.
Marketeers with a large budget tend to opt for integrated campaigns, comprising a number of different elements in order to maximise exposure. A great recent example of this is the Grand National 2018 campaign. In the lead up to the event, the Grand National had a strong digital advertising campaign, reinforced with traditional, large-scale print and billboard ads and a social media presence to create maximum impact. For those working to a smaller budget however, how would you seek to replicate this?
Our advice would be to look at your brand, decide who your audience is and then work within your limits. Yes, huge neon billboards over commuter routes may look great and attract motorists’ attention, but there are far more thrifty ways of engaging equally as many people.
Targeted social media advertising can help you to engage with a very specific demographic on a very reasonable budget. Using built-in analytics, you can track exactly how many interactions your advert receives in real-time, so you can monitor the effectiveness of your campaign and your return on investment, something which is much less scientific with outdoor advertising.
At Epic Social, we specialise in providing results-driven, highly creative, contentbased advertising solutions for clients operating across a wide spectrum of industry sectors including retail, hospitality, automotive and professional services.
