We recently released the Skai Guide to Proactive Marketing, and in this Guide, Chris Camacho, Managing Partner, Precision Marketing at Starcom MediaVest, contributed a Marketer Perspective on four tips for marketers to remember in order to take their programs to the next level. As we head into a new year, we’re excited to share an excerpt of Chris’s perspective on our blog to help get you on track. If you enjoy this piece, be sure to download a copy of the full guide and the corresponding supplemental materials. Remember, you can view all the topics featured in the Skai Guide Series by visiting Kenshoo.com/Guide-Series.
Proactive marketing is all about making sure you have the right data to make the right decisions. Utilising all the historical data you and your clients have, while also keeping a close hold on the day to day for any unexpected eventualities, will leave you best equipped for any challenges thrown at you.
Four tips for proactive marketers to remember:
Remember the past
When doing any budgeting or forecasting activity, your historical data and performance will be your most useful guide. Tools such as Skai Halogen learn from your historical performance and equip you with the tools to make the right decisions based on seasonality, keyword performance, and micro and macro trends.
Machine learning can only tell you so much; it’s the human understanding that can give you the edge.
…But don’t forget the future
By its nature, historical performance can only tell you what’s already happened, and doesn’t give you any insight into what’s around the corner. Machine learning can only
tell you so much; it’s the human understanding that can give you the edge. In addition to seasonal trends, make sure you’re aware of everything happening in other
channels. Is there any above-the-line activity about to go live? What’s happening in PR? Are your competitors about to launch a new product? All this will impact your results.
Keep up with the present
The best laid plans can always go awry. Unexpected changes to the market place can and will happen, so make sure you and your team keep on top of the day-to-day trends. It is always a good idea to compare these results to your anticipated performance to see what’s changed. This will give you the granular insight into performance needed to make decisions quickly and can turn around a poor performing campaign before it’s too late.
…But don’t let it push you off track
While you want to make to quick decisions, you need to make sure you’re making the right quick decisions. Make sure you don’t treat every digression as a catastrophe that must be reacted on immediately. Ensure any changes you make to your original forecasting are based on statistically significant data and don’t waste your time getting concerned on small numbers.