Step-By-Step Guide On Creating Your Own Marketing Framework

You wouldn’t spend money on something without knowing what you’re buying, would you? 

Why should your online marketing plans be any different?

It’s time to stop playing the guessing game and start with the results you want to achieve.

If you’re reading this guide, it’s probably your first time creating a marketing campaign. 

You don’t have a plan or previous results to base it on. And that’s alright! You have to start somewhere.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating your own marketing framework for your internet marketing campaigns.

1. Time your marketing

Marketing is all about reaching your customers at just the right time. 

Think about the last time you shopped for a product online.

Less than 24 hours later, you start seeing ads for the same or similar products in your Facebook and Instagram feed.

Creepy, huh?

Still, you like those items, and you’ve shopped with that retailer before, so you let it slide. You’re also on the newsletter that notifies you of upcoming discounts and available promotions.

About a week later, you receive a “courtesy” 15% discount code for those same items you were looking at.

Tempting, to say the least.

You add your items to your cart and do something else and forget all about it. You visit the store days later, and the coupon is no longer valid. 

But what’s this? The price in the shopping cart dropped. How convenient!

This isn’t a coincidence. It’s all strategy and planning.

Behind the scenes, there’s a group of capable marketers analyzing and responding to your behavior. They’ve built a system with one objective: move customers through the purchasing process.

In the example above, the retailer was there for the customer in the micro-moments that matter:

• Their initial product search
• The banner advertisements and promo on their feed
• The follow-up with the coupon discount
• Dropping the client’s cart price when they return

Those are some of the numerous moments you can target for the customer journey.

Whether you own a brand or are working for a business, the lesson is the same.

Timing is everything.

Sync the timing of your marketing campaigns to your buyer’s behavior and psychology. That way, you can deliver your message and be present with your customers at just the right time.

Don’t know how to do this? Take a look at your favorite brands and see how they do it. Study their web pages and social media management and take notes on what worked for them.

How are they catering their marketing strategies and programs to reach you and other likely buyers? 

Think about it from the perspective of the consumer.

2. Define your marketing goals

You need to establish your core marketing objectives.

If you don’t, you might as well be shooting at a target blindfolded.

You can end up shooting yourself in the foot. Without clear goals, marketing campaigns can be harmful to your business.

If you go in without a clear set of objectives, you’re risking time and money, two of your most valuable resources as a business.

For every goal defined, establish a clear why.

“I want to acquire more users for my app.”

Why?

“Because my business model needs paying customers to remain profitable and grow.”

Good.

“I also want to increase the number of followers on my Instagram/Facebook page.”

Why?

“Um… Because good social media management means engagement, which in turn means exposure for brands?”

Correct. Now you have two good reasons to build brand awareness and interest around your app’s services.

You should cater your marketing goals to your business’s revenue objectives as well. These can be simple, like lead generation or drive revenue and sales.

When thinking about a goal, do the following:

• Find out your customer’s needs.
• Identify your business’s priorities and objectives.
• Align your marketing goal to satisfy both.

3. Ask more questions

If you’re still unsure how to determine your business’ marketing goals, ask the following questions:

-What are my company’s current goals?

Promote your brand? Generate leads? Both? Consider which marketing programs benefit your specific goals.

To do that, you must understand what your business currently needs. There’s no need to make an explainer video without first focusing on traffic generation, especially when first starting.

-How much can I afford to invest upfront?

It’s uncommon for businesses to get their marketing system right on the first try. You need to see what does and doesn’t work for you.

Good news. You can start with $100 by investing in a simple campaign.

However, expect to lose some money at the beginning while you’re still learning. $100 here and another $100 there might add up in the long run if you don’t apply what you learn.

-What are the realistic results I expect to achieve?

Marketing isn’t magic. 99.9% of the time, your brand’s campaign won’t become viral overnight.

Set realistic expectations of the goals you want to achieve and align them with the amount of money and resources you are willing to invest in your marketing strategies.

Research case studies from brands that have similar business models to yours. Try to replicate campaigns that you liked and were effective.

Adapt your approach to meet your business’s needs and goals while keeping your feet on the ground.

4. Learn the consumer purchase cycle

Remember how I mentioned timing?

Marketing should target the consumer purchase cycle. These are steps that people take before becoming customers. This process also applies to repeat buyers.

Let’s take a quick look at what your campaign can do in the different stages of the cycle:

Awareness

Here, you can connect with potential new customers by making them aware of your products or services. Ensure that existing customers are always kept informed of these as well.

Email marketing and banner ads are great ways to promote your products and promotions and simultaneously reach both types of customers.

Engagement

Keep customers interested in what you offer. Ensure your existing customers repeatedly engage with your marketing and see you as a trustworthy brand.

Email newsletters and campaigns are perfect for that. Re-engaging your consumer base via email to bring them to your website is still one of the most effective strategies to this day.

Decision

Reach prospects in the moments that matter most for their decision. These can be moments when they’re unsure whether to buy your product right now or are considering the competition over you.

For example, you can target your customers with slight discounts or free shipping on products they have added to their carts but haven’t bought yet.

Imagine you’re considering purchasing from one of two brands and leaving both carts full of the products you want. You decide to continue the next day and wake up to find out an email from the second brand:

“Hello *YOUR NAME*

We noticed that you haven’t secured your checkout yet. Don’t worry. We saved your cart items for you! 

Also, we’ve added a 10% discount on your entire purchase as a courtesy for being your first time buying from us.

You can access your discounted cart here: *Insert link here*

Happy purchasing!

*COMPANY NAME* ”

You receive this email with a follow-up, a convenient feature (saved items) and a discount. Meanwhile, the other company’s website didn’t even save your cart.

The choice is clear.

Retention

In this stage, your marketing initiatives should promote long-term loyalty by connecting with buyers when they’re shopping for additional products and services (add-ons). You can focus on preventing dropping off. 

Note: This can apply to all stages of the purchase cycle.

Did you notice that your customers aren’t visiting your website to purchase? Send out an email that all current users have $20 credit. Remind them that they can stick with you and prove you think about them constantly.

Key Takeaways

I don’t like TLDR’s, but here’s one for you if you have no time:

• Your marketing campaign needs a goal-oriented framework. Note what your company wants to achieve. Take educated decisions and be strategic with your planning, even when starting out and are just learning.
• Timing is everything. Deliver the right message to the right customer at the right time. This is key to your success.
• Ask the right questions. Learn what your customers need and what your company’s priorities are. Create connections between the two and apply them to your marketing endeavors.
• Marketing initiatives should follow the consumer purchase cycle, meaning they will target at least one of the following areas: awareness, engagement, decision, and retention. Understand what each of them aligns better with the goals you want to achieve.

I hope you’ve found this information helpful. If you are interested in learning more, be sure to check out our blog. We post regular content regarding marketing, SEO strategies, web design, copywriting, and more!

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