Marketing can be confusing. Sometimes you just need a brochure or a single commercial. Other times, you need a bigger strategy that pulls multiple tools together to reach your goals. That’s where marketing campaigns come in.
A well-designed campaign can help you promote a new product, build awareness, or bring in new leads. But what does creating a campaign look like?
By reading this article, we’ll explain what a campaign is, what makes one successful, and how to know if it’s the right fit for your business.
You can also view a video summary of this article below.
What Is a Marketing Campaign?
A marketing campaign is a focused, strategic effort to promote a specific product, service, or message. It often includes multiple platforms working together, like social media posts, print ads, commercials, events, or billboards.
Campaigns differ from one-off marketing projects. A project is a single item, like producing a commercial, printing a brochure, or a website update. On the other hand, a campaign is a coordinated plan that combines several marketing projects into a single goal.
In addition, a project is often a one-time product with a shorter timeline that can occur at any time. Campaigns are usually seasonal or tied to a special offer. For example, a spring campaign might take months to build and then run for the next quarter. You may also have holiday campaigns that run for a month to promote a special holiday product or event.
For instance, a marketing project would be to design, print, and mail a brochure promoting an upcoming winter sale. The marketing campaign would be the commercial, flyers, emails, social media posts, and a brochure, all promoting the winter sale with the hopes of bringing in new leads. All of the individual projects combine into a single campaign.
What Makes a Campaign or Project Successful?
Success starts with setting clear goals. Whether it’s a single project or a full campaign, your goals will shape every decision. Campaign goals can often be divided into one of two camps:
- Brand awareness – How many people saw your ads, posts, or videos? Are you getting your name out there?
- Lead generation – How many new customers came in because of the campaign?
The metrics and approaches for these goals are very different. You don’t want to utilize brand awareness strategies for creating lead generation or vice versa.
Once goals are in place, successful campaigns and projects rely on:
- Consistency – Your branding (fonts, colors, logos, voice, and tone) should be the same across every platform. Potential customers should be able to recognize your brand right away.
- Timelines – Having realistic timelines helps keep everyone on track and reduces last-minute stress. Timelines not only allow you the time it takes to build a campaign but also the time to measure its success.
- Communication – The marketing team should be in regular contact throughout the process.
The Stages of a Marketing Campaign
1. Discovery
Your marketing team will review your current materials, past campaigns, and website to understand where you are and where you want to go. You can’t build a strategy for future campaigns without examining what you have and what you’ve used in the past (and if it accomplished your goals).
2. Understand the Audience
To reach potential customers, you first need to know them.
Who are you trying to reach? Where do they spend time—online, on TV, on the radio, streaming, or in print? What messaging will connect with them? What are their pain points, and how do you help them?
This step also includes looking at your competition. What are they saying? Where are they advertising? This can help you adjust your messaging and budget. If your competition is spending much more or way less than you are, then you may need to re-evaluate your budget.
Understanding your competition’s messaging is also helpful in crafting your own. You don’t want to make the same claims. How can you stand out from your competition?
3. Set Goals and Timelines
Your marketing team will build a promo calendar that shows when each piece of the campaign launches, where it will appear, and how long it will run. This includes everything from social media posts to commercials.
4. Create a Core Message
What is the heart of the message you want to communicate to customers? What pain points are you solving for your audience? What do they need to know about your service or product? What can you tell them about pricing, warranties, or discounts? What is the most important thing they should know?
Answering these questions will help you select a core message for your campaign.
5. Creative Development
This is where individual projects are created: commercials, social ads, brochures, web pages, etc. Each is crafted with the campaign goal, message, and audience in mind. You’ll review and approve each piece before it goes live.
6. Tracking and Support
Using a CRM or other tools, your marketing and sales teams will track:
- How many people interacted with the campaign (via QR codes, calls, forms, or downloads).
- What materials drove the most engagement or sales.
- How leads move through the sales process.
This stage helps tie campaign efforts back to actual results.
7. Evaluate and Recap
After the campaign ends, your marketing partner will walk through everything:
- Did it meet the goals?
- What worked well?
- What could be improved for next time?
If the goal was lead generation, how many sales were made? If it was brand awareness, how many impressions, clicks, or comments did you get?
What Should You Have Before Starting a Campaign?
Before you launch a campaign, you need:
- Specific goals – Without them, it’s hard to measure success or even know where to start.
- Time – Campaigns take time to build, launch, and gain traction. While some projects can have a fast turnaround, it’s difficult to measure true success without giving launched marketing time to make an impact.
- Tracking ability – CRM software and tracking tools help show what marketing materials and strategies are bringing in new eyes and new clients.
- Budget – Campaigns usually require more resources than one-off projects, and they usually require a decent investment. Your budget will also determine what kind of marketing channels you can utilize. It’s the difference between a series of “free” emails and the cost of producing and airing a commercial. Can you afford the marketing tools you want to utilize?
Is a Marketing Campaign Right for Your Business?
Marketing campaigns help you grow your business by reaching your ideal client base. You might consider launching a marketing campaign if:
- You have a specific promotion, event, or launch coming up.
- You want to build brand recognition over time.
- You understand your audience and how to reach them.
- You have the time and budget to support it.
Your marketing team can help you make the call. They’ll look at your goals, timeline, and available resources to help you decide between a project and a full campaign. Your marketing team can help you:
- Develop and execute your strategy.
- Work closely with your sales team.
- Track performance and adjust as needed.
However, not all marketing teams are a good fit for your business or campaign. Some red flags of a poor fit include:
- Poor communication
Your marketing team should be in frequent communication with all relevant teams, including sales. - Lack of transparency
Your marketing team should be open and honest about all aspects of the campaign, especially about budget and success. - No creative approval process
Your marketing team should contact you for approval through every stage of the creative process. No marketing materials should launch without your final say. - No tracking or reporting
Your marketing team should work with you to ensure key elements are tracked through their tools and your chosen CRM.
Next Steps For Starting Your Next Marketing Campaign Or Project
Marketing campaigns can be powerful tools, but only when built with strategy, consistency, and clear goals. Campaigns involve multiple phases: discovery, audience research, messaging, creative development, tracking, and evaluation. They require time, collaboration, and a budget that matches your goals.
A campaign might be the right move if you have a new offer or brand message to share, and the resources to support a multi-step effort. Meanwhile, one-off projects may work better when you need something quick and specific.
If you’re unsure, talk to your marketing partner. With the right support, you can launch a campaign that not only meets short-term goals but also strengthens your brand over time. The key is thoughtful planning, clear communication, and a shared commitment to results.
DW Creative is an agency committed to empowering homeowner-focused businesses. If you want help creating a marketing strategy or brand designs, schedule a fit call with our team to see how DW Creative can help.
If you’re not ready to make a commitment or want to learn more about marketing strategy and digital marketing, we recommend the following articles: