6 Best Practices for Creating a High-ROI Demand Generation Campaign
Demand generation is a crucial aspect of any modern marketing campaign. However, it’s not a skill that’s so easy to master and apply. To build demand effectively, you must know your target buyers in-depth and tailor your message to them.
Sadly, many people use the area approach. They aim basic and detached messages at a broad audience and hope some will respond. This is a poor tack that yields bad results. If you are in that boat or looking to improve your demand generation, read on. We will discuss demand generation and how to improve your approach to it.
Demand Generation—What’s It About?
For any goods to sell, there has to be a demand for them. However, this demand isn’t always already there. Consumers may not know of the products, or they might but don’t think they need them. This is the purview of demand generation.
A demand generation campaign is a highly planned and data-fuelled tack for stoking interest in your products. The idea is to educate people about your business, products, and use of your services.
Now, you may have also heard of Lead Generation, which some conflate with demand generation. You should not mix both. While not wholly the same as demand, a lead generation comes in after you’ve stoked the interest in potential patrons. In short, demand generation shows them who to go to; lead generation seeks to turn the demand into a purchase.
How to Build a High-ROI Demand Generation Campaign
What are the best things you can do for more ROI in your demand generation campaign?
1. Invest in a Demand Generation Service
Demand generation is complex work that calls for great care. You must know what makes your audience tick, plan thoroughly, refine your approach, and apply it consistently. Yet, not everyone can take care of all that, especially with multiple concerns to cater to. So, what to do? Why not invest in a demand generation service?!
When you outsource the job to an experienced service team, your table becomes much freer. Then, you will have more time to work on other aspects of your marketing affairs. Further, you can learn much about demand generation from watching the Meisters at work. So, while it may cost you money at first, you will eventually be able to run your campaign yourself.
2. Try Content Marketing
One of the most widespread and effective approaches to marketing these days is Content Marketing. It involves creating useful digital content on blogs, sites, etc., to drive good user response.
People value expert opinion, and offering helpful content is a great way to show your expertise to your audience—and it works! According to a 2022 survey of B2B outfits, 72% of content marketers use it for demand generation, and to good effect.
So, a content marketing approach is worth the investment—if you do it right. And to do that, you need a good content plan that includes:
- What themes to focus on
- How to make unique and useful content
- How often to publish new content
With these in place, you can then execute the plan.
3. Make Content for All Relevant Stages
Many marketers make the mistake of creating content for a limited audience at just one or two stages. You have to make content that will inform and educate your audience at various stages of the marketing funnel. Instead of making content focused on, say, products, have a diverse focus. Here are some crucial ways you can do that:
- You can make content to compare your products and the other options. This will likely convince users who are not sure that your product is what they need.
- You can make FAQs and educational pieces that will answer visitors’ questions and project your image as the go-to guy for expert information.
- You can make content centered on your product and its pros.
Content like this will help bring in unsure customers, including those who have heard of your product but don’t know much about it.
4. Speak to Your Ideal Audience
Want to know the secret of high-ROI demand generation? It’s customer research. Yet, only 40% of marketers base their choices on customer research. That’s a sad state of affairs.
Especially if you’re just getting started, you need to engage in strong market research. Speak with your target audience or avid customer (if you already have them) in person. Ask about their problems, how they view content, and the sites they visit. You can also speak to pleased consumers about their best features and usage patterns.
Then, you can use the data you have gotten to create product-led content. You can offer real-life cases of your product solving problems for other users.
5. Analyze the Competition
Like living things, every marketer exists within a population of similar people among whom there will be competition. And while competition can be a pain in the posterior, you can still gain from it. Think of the marketing space as one big sample space from which you can get data on what works and what doesn’t.
So, observe your rivals and ask the vital questions:
- What content are they making?
- What strategy are they using?
- How well is it working?
- Can you apply it in your case? If yes, how?
By running a thorough analysis of what your rivals are doing, you can derive crucial data that will help refine your approach.
6. Try Multi-Channeling, But With Trainers On
These days, there are so many channels you can use to extend your campaign. So, why not make use of them? With more than one channel to work with, you can reach a larger target audience.
However, there is one danger: you risk spreading yourself too thin, which can be counterproductive. So, what to do? Try just a few channels, say, three or four. By working with as many channels as you can manage to goof effect, you can get the best results from a multi-channel demand generation campaign.
Final Remarks
Bear in mind, that data is king! The current century is data-driven, and every marketer who must succeed needs to get with the trend. Engage in research to gain insight into the mind of your audience. Know them as much as you can, then offer them useful content that will inform draw them to your goods. Giving good value should be your watchword.
Lastly, always keep an active rapport with your current clients while expanding your reach.