In 2023, the renowned toy company Mattel, famous for creating the iconic Barbie doll, faced challenging times amidst a competitive market. However, a recent development has the potential to reshape the company’s trajectory and revitalize its brand presence: the release of the much-anticipated Barbie movie. This article explores how this cinematic venture has impacted Mattel’s stock performance and discusses the potential implications it may have for the company’s survival.

Overview of Mattel & the Barbie Brand 

Mattel is a globally recognized toy company that has been a pioneer in the industry for decades. Established in 1945, the company quickly rose to prominence with its innovative and beloved toys. However, its most iconic creation, the Barbie doll, was introduced in 1959.

Barbie became an instant cultural phenomenon, capturing the imagination of millions of children worldwide and setting a standard for fashion dolls. Over the years, Barbie has undergone various transformations, adapting to changing times and promoting diversity and inclusivity. 

Despite these efforts, Mattel faced challenges in recent years, struggling to keep up with digital entertainment and other competitors.

Mattel’s Struggles & Stock Performance

In the early 2020s, Mattel experienced various setbacks that impacted its financial performance and stock value. 

With the rise of digital toys and entertainment options, traditional toy manufacturers faced stiff competition. Mattel’s revenues were affected as children’s play patterns shifted toward online gaming and virtual experiences. 

The company also faced difficulties with supply chain disruptions and rising production costs. These challenges culminated in a decline in Mattel’s stock performance, raising concerns about the company’s ability to stay relevant in an evolving market.

Mattel Reports First Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Mattel’s Second Quarter 2023 financial results will publish on Wednesday, July 26, 2023.

The Barbie Movie: A Cinematic Triumph 

To rejuvenate the Barbie brand, Mattel embarked on an ambitious cinematic venture – the release of a Barbie movie on July 21, 2023. The movie promised a fresh take on the iconic doll, featuring a compelling storyline and modern themes to resonate with today’s audiences.

Leading up to the premiere, even Google got all dolled up for this star studded movie of the summer, turning shades of pink for the brand’s famous color scheme. As the film hit theaters, it garnered widespread praise from both critics and viewers alike. 

The film exceeded all projections, grossing an impressive $155 million during its opening weekend in domestic markets and an additional $182 million internationally. The movie’s tremendous start was fueled by $22.3 million in previews on Thursday, making it one of the top 25 all-time preview performances and securing the highest opening of the year.

Comparing Barbie’s performance to other recent releases, it outshined the Super Mario Bros. Movie, which had a $146.3 million weekend but also benefited from a $58.2 million gross on Wednesday and Thursday, resulting in a $204.6 million five-day start.

Barbie’s remarkable Friday, combined with Wednesday and Thursday figures, totaled $70.5 million, setting a new record for the highest Friday (including previews) opening of the year.

What makes Barbie’s triumph even more noteworthy is that it boasts the best opening ever for a film co-directed or directed solely by a woman. Notably, both Captain Marvel ($153.4 million) and Frozen II ($130.2 million) had male co-directors, whereas Barbie stands as a pioneering example with a female solo or co-director.

This marks only the second time in cinematic history that a solo female director has achieved an opening weekend gross of over $100 million, with the other instance being Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman ($103.2 million).

The Barbie movie’s success was attributed to its captivating storytelling, stunning visuals, relevant play on nostalgia and positive messages promoting empowerment and self-expression. Not to mention all the city wide press this movie has created. 

Market Reaction and Stock Surge

Following the movie’s release, Mattel experienced a significant surge in its stock value. Investors responded positively to the success of the Barbie movie, recognizing it as a game-changer for the company’s prospects. The rise in stock value was not only indicative of renewed investor confidence but also a testament to the movie’s ability to revive the brand’s allure and profitability.

Barbie’s Appeal to Adult Audiences

The Barbie movie unexpectedly found a substantial audience among adults. Beyond its traditional target demographic of children, the film resonated with older viewers, including nostalgic adults who grew up with Barbie.

The movie’s ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia and connect with adult audiences created an unexpected marketing advantage for Mattel. This newfound appeal among adults potentially translated into increased interest in Barbie-related products and memorabilia.

Expanding Merchandising Opportunities

The success of the Barbie movie opened up new avenues for Mattel to capitalize on merchandising and licensing opportunities. With the movie’s characters and storyline capturing the hearts of audiences, Mattel had an opportunity to introduce a wide range of spin-off products and tie-ins. 

Collaborations with other companies for limited-edition Barbie merchandise, such as clothing, accessories, and collectibles, provided an additional revenue stream and reinforced the Barbie brand’s relevance.

Impact on Mattel’s Future Strategy

The triumph of the Barbie movie significantly influenced Mattel’s future strategic decisions. The success of the entertainment-driven approach demonstrated that storytelling and engaging narratives were vital components for the company’s product development. Consequently, Mattel might prioritize partnerships with filmmakers, screenwriters, and animators to create compelling content that goes beyond just physical toys.

Marketing Lessons from Mattel’s Barbie Movie Campaign

The release of the Barbie movie in 2023 marked a turning point for Mattel, reviving the company’s brand image and stock performance. The success of the film not only brought renewed interest from children but also unexpectedly resonated with adult audiences, further bolstering the Barbie brand’s status. 

With this newfound momentum, Mattel now has a unique opportunity to leverage the success of the Barbie movie to explore new horizons and ensure its survival and success in the ever-evolving toy industry.

Take Action

• Understanding the Power of Brand Nostalgia: Mattel tapped into the nostalgia associated with the iconic Barbie brand, resonating not only with children but also with adults who grew up with the doll. Marketers can leverage nostalgia by revisiting and reimagining their brand’s heritage to evoke emotional connections with their target audience.
• Effective Audience Segmentation: The marketing campaign demonstrated a deep understanding of its target audience, recognizing both children and adults as potential consumers. Businesses should segment their target audience effectively to craft tailored messages that address specific needs and preferences.
• Leveraging Cross-Platform Promotion: Mattel maximized the impact of its marketing efforts by employing cross-platform promotion. Businesses can learn to integrate their campaigns across various channels, such as social media, television, print, and online advertising, to reach a wider audience and reinforce their brand message.
• Inclusivity and Diversity in Storytelling: The Barbie movie emphasized themes of empowerment and inclusivity, promoting diverse representations of characters. Marketers can learn from this approach and incorporate diverse and authentic storytelling that reflects the varied experiences and backgrounds of their audience.
• Building Anticipation with Previews: The use of previews to create buzz around the Barbie movie generated excitement and anticipation. Marketers can apply this tactic by offering sneak peeks, teasers, or exclusive content to build anticipation for their product launches or events.
• Collaborating with Influencers and Partners: Mattel collaborated with influencers, celebrities, and other partners to amplify the movie’s reach and create additional hype. Businesses can explore partnerships with influencers and other brands to extend their brand visibility and tap into new audiences.
• Emphasizing Female Leadership: The success of Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, highlighted the impact of female-led projects. Businesses can embrace gender diversity and empower female leaders within their organizations, signaling their commitment to inclusivity and equality.
• Storytelling as a Central Element: The Barbie movie’s success was driven by compelling storytelling that resonated with the audience. Marketers can prioritize storytelling in their campaigns, creating narratives that connect emotionally with consumers and elevate their brand message.
• Measuring and Analyzing Results: Mattel’s campaign likely involved thorough monitoring and analysis of marketing efforts, allowing them to optimize their strategies. Marketers should invest in data analysis and performance tracking to measure the success of their campaigns and make data-driven decisions.
• Building a Comprehensive Merchandising Strategy: The success of the Barbie movie extended beyond the film itself, with a robust merchandising strategy. Businesses can learn to capitalize on their campaigns by offering related products and tie-ins to enhance brand exposure and generate additional revenue streams.

By drawing inspiration from Mattel’s successful marketing campaign for the Barbie movie, businesses can apply these valuable lessons to enhance their own marketing strategies and ultimately achieve greater brand impact and success.

The post Barbie Movie Boosts: How the Barbie Movie Redefined Brand Marketing appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Marketing is a vital element of any SME’s operation—especially if you’re just starting out.

Marketing is a way to get your name out there, reel in new customers, convert browsers to buyers, and build a core of loyal customers who will sustain your business through thick and thin.

All in all, marketing is worth doing—and it’s worth doing well. But of course, marketing comes with its fair share of challenges, not least the fact that it can be expensive.

Many SME owners are willing to grit their teeth and pay top dollar for great marketing. After all,, marketing campaigns can have fantastic ROI in terms of profit generated. That said, if you’re concerned about cash flow, it’s worth trying to make your marketing as cost-effective as possible.

With the right marketing strategies and the best software to back you up, it’s possible to make your campaigns more efficient without spending too much. You can generate significant campaign results for relatively little outlay through clever, targeted tactics and consistent engagement with your user base.

How? Let’s take a look.

Partner with Influencers & Brand Ambassadors

In terms of marketing efficiency, influencer marketing has a massive advantage over branded posts. Why? Influencers have incredible reach and committed followers who trust their recommendations.

The best influencers are also adept at digital storytelling, enabling them to create compelling, engaging content that resonates with audiences.

That said, it’s essential that you approach the right influencer to be your brand ambassador. Pick someone likely to appeal to your target customers.

To do this, dig into your customer metrics and establish what (and who) your customers will likely find engaging, informative, or simply entertaining. Go through your marketing data, CRM, and customer service records to better understand who your customers are and what they want.

It’s also worth investing in an ERP system, as this can connect all your data repositories, making it significantly easier to collect, collate, and understand your customer’s activity in a meaningful way. You can then use what you’ve learned to pinpoint the perfect influencer for your brand and which products they should focus on. 

Encourage Training & Upskilling

Your staff is your best resource—and a more efficient marketing team means more efficient marketing.

Training and upskilling may seem expensive, but it’s worth the investment. A talented, well-trained marketing team can exponentially boost your marketing ROI. 

Conducting training shouldn’t be a one-off, either. Marketing is constantly evolving. So marketers need to have their fingers firmly pressed on the pulse of industry trends and events. 

Regular retraining and upskilling will keep your marketers up-to-date with current marketing trends. This, in turn, will enable them to work at the cutting edge of their industry.

Focus on SEO 

SEO is a highly efficient, cost-effective way to boost your business’s online presence. You can get to the top of Google’s search rankings with relative ease by using an effective SEO strategy.

It’s a simple equation: as Google is often the first place people turn to when looking for a product or service, the more Googlable your business is, the more leads you will bring in.

To boost your SEO, you need to think about the following:

• Producing high-quality content
• Engaging with online audiences
• Having a solid, reputable online presence
• Keeping your social media updated
• Using keywords in your online content
• Staying on top of algorithm changes and SEO trends

Partner with Complementary Businesses

Building a network is a fantastic way to establish your brand without chewing into your marketing budget. 

If you can find a business that complements your own, partnering with them for content campaigns and other messages could be a win-win situation.

For example, let’s say you’re in the business of selling cookware. A company that produces or sells cooking ingredients could be a fantastic partner. Together, you could produce recipe blog posts, video tutorials, and culinary tips featuring your cookware and their ingredients, all for relatively little cost.

You can then post this content across your brand’s platforms and theirs, doubling your reach in a single stroke.

Again, businesses you partner with must be relevant to your own. For example, if your cookware company partners with an art supplies store, customers will struggle to see the connection between the two. After all, art enthusiasts aren’t heading to a creative blog for cooking tips, nor will your customers expect to find painting tutorials on your social media channels! 

With that in mind, look for businesses with a customer base likely to be interested in your products and vice versa.

Foster User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) can make a big impact. 

A good UGC campaign can simultaneously send engagement levels through the roof, boost brand/customer relationships, and vastly increase your reach.

Let’s take a look at a simple, but very successful, example. 

In 2022, Shakira released a track with the Black Eyed Peas. Having been out of the mainstream eye for a while and wanting to make a huge comeback, Shakira generated a buzz about this new track by calling on fans old and new.

Her #girllikeme challenge invited TikTokkers to recreate the complex dance from the ‘Girl Like Me’ music video. Unable to resist, TikTok exploded with dance videos. In response, Shakira posted compilations of the best, most inventive, most amusing, and most relatable on her Instagram account.

The upshot was that the track gained a huge boost in plays and popularity. In addition, the hashtag had nearly 500 million views, and Shakira was catapulted back into the mainstream media.

You may not be Shakira, but you can still create a memorable, wide-reaching marketing campaign by encouraging UGC challenges, hashtags, and so on. 

Think about how you can challenge customers to get creative with your products and share the results, whether it’s fun ways to reuse packaging or funny photos of pets using your product. 

Contests are also a great way of incentivizing users to create content. The price of awarding a prize is worth the ROI of a successful UGC campaign.

Repurpose or Update Old Campaigns

You don’t want to churn out the same old ideas. But at the same time, there is little point in changing a winning formula just for the sake of it. 

If an ongoing campaign is working well, keep using it. If a particular message or campaign worked well in the past, freshen it up and reuse it.

Even if you can’t recycle them, old campaigns are a great resource. Historic campaign data can offer useful insights about what does and doesn’t resonate with your customers.

If you want to be thorough, you should compare your campaign data with historical customer and sales data. This will give you a more in-depth analysis and help you to pinpoint why specific campaigns were successful. 

To do this, make use of tools like cloud ERP software. This will give you access to the data you need, but also, as it’s a cloud-based solution, it will allow anyone on the team to access data from anywhere.

In this way, the marketing team can easily cross-reference campaign data with metrics like customer satisfaction, conversion rate, and complaints. It’s also beneficial for collaborating with other departments in real-time, so you can access historical data to make better decisions, even if you’re on the go.

But, it is important to be proactive about this. Simply churning out the same old campaigns because they worked once isn’t going to cut it. 

Customer tastes change quickly. So, even if you feel that a campaign is still as relevant and engaging as before, it’s still essential that you update it for today’s market. 

Utilize Referral Marketing

This is often confused with word-of-mouth marketing and UGC marketing. While there is some overlap between the three, referral marketing is different enough to deserve its own category.

Referral marketing directly incentivizes the customer to bring in new customers. In a typical example, a brand will offer customers a reward—often cashback, a gift card, discount, or free gift—if they persuade a friend to sign up for your service.

It’s worth noting that referral marketing is more common for businesses offering services rather than selling products. These businesses need customers to actively sign up for an ongoing brand/customer relationship rather than simply purchasing a new product whenever needed. However, it can work for product vendors as well.

To make sure customers are properly rewarded for referrals, set up a referral link system. When someone signs up using a customer’s referral link, your ERP software or other system will automatically note the details so everyone gets their referral bonus.

Efficient marketing campaigns don’t have to be expensive. Through careful planning, clear customer insights, an effective ERP system, and clever strategizing, you can run great campaigns with brilliant ROI, for very little initial outlay.

Digital channels offer huge opportunities to leverage your network and engage your customer base in brand-building ways without breaking the bank. 

Sure, you get what you pay for in terms of staff, graphics, and so on. But marketing efficiency is more about knowing where and when to deploy that money. It’s about being strategic and insightful, rather than hoping that money will talk.

With the right approach, you can achieve a high degree of marketing efficiency and fantastic ROI—and you don’t have to increase marketing spend to do it.

The post How SMEs Can Improve Marketing Efficiency within Budget appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

In the world of digital marketing, data is king. With so much information available, it can be overwhelming to try and make sense of it all. One of the best ways to gain insight into digital marketing trends is through the use of graphs.

Graphs can help to visualize complex data sets and identify patterns that may not be immediately apparent when looking at raw data. In this article, we will explore the top nine graphs for revealing digital marketing trends.

Line Graphs For Digital Trends

Line graphs are one of the most commonly used graphs in digital marketing. They are particularly useful for showing how a particular metric has changed over time. For example, a line graph could be used to show how website traffic has changed over the course of a year.

By plotting data points over time, it is easy to see any trends or patterns that may have emerged. Line graphs can also be used to compare data sets over time, such as comparing the performance of two different marketing campaigns.

Chord Diagrams Connecting Different Marketing Channels

Chord diagrams are a type of visualization that show the connections between different variables. They are often used to show the relationship between different parts of a complex system or network.

In digital marketing, chord diagrams can be used to show how different channels (such as social media, email marketing, and search engine marketing) are related to each other. By visualizing the connections between different channels, businesses can optimize their marketing mix and ensure that each channel is working together to achieve their marketing goals.

Scatter Plots for Digital Correlations

Scatter plots are often used in digital marketing to show the relationship between two different metrics. For example, a scatter plot, designed by a graph creator, could be used to show how the bounce rate on a website correlates with the time spent on the site. 

By plotting data points on an x and y axis, it is easy to see any correlations that may exist between the two metrics. Scatter plots can also be used to identify any outliers within a data set.

Bubble Charts Show How Differing Variables Relate to Each other

Bubble charts are similar to scatter plots, but they add a third variable to the mix by varying the size of the bubbles based on a third data point. This can be a useful way to visualize trends and patterns in complex data sets.

In digital marketing, bubble charts can be used to show how different variables (such as ad spend, click-through rate, and conversion rate) are related to each other.

Bar Graphs for Quick Comparisons

Bar graphs are another common graph used in digital marketing. They are particularly useful for comparing different data sets. For example, a bar graph could be used to compare the conversion rates of two different landing pages.

By presenting data in a visual format, it is easy to see which landing page is performing better. Bar graphs can also be used to compare data sets over time, such as comparing the number of leads generated by two different marketing campaigns.

Heat Maps Revealing Behavior

Heat maps are a unique type of graph that are particularly useful for analyzing website user behavior. Heat maps show how users interact with different parts of a website by using different colors to represent user engagement.

For example, a heat map could be used to show which parts of a landing page receive the most clicks. By analyzing heat maps, marketers can identify areas of a website that may need to be optimized to improve user engagement.

Pie Charts For Categorical Divisions

Pie charts are often used in digital marketing to show how a particular metric is divided among different categories. For example, a pie chart could be used to show how a company’s social media followers are divided among different age groups.

Pie charts are particularly useful for highlighting the most significant categories within a data set. However, it is important to keep in mind that pie charts can be difficult to read when there are too many categories.

Funnel Charts Reveal Bottlenecks

Funnel charts are a type of chart that shows how many users or customers move through a series of steps in a process. They are often used in digital marketing to track the conversion rate at each stage of a sales funnel.

By visualizing the drop-off rate at each stage of the funnel, businesses can identify potential roadblocks or bottlenecks in the conversion process and take steps to optimize their marketing strategy.

Gantt Charts for Keeping Campaigns on Schedule

Gantt charts are a type of bar chart that show the duration of each task in a project, as well as the start and end dates. They are commonly used in project management to track progress and deadlines.

In digital marketing, Gantt charts can be used to plan and track the progress of marketing campaigns. By breaking down a campaign into smaller tasks and assigning deadlines to each one, businesses can ensure that their marketing efforts stay on track and meet their goals.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, digital marketing is a complex field that requires businesses to track and analyze a large amount of data. Charts and graphs are essential tools for visualizing this data and identifying trends and patterns.

By using the right types of charts and graphs, businesses can gain insights into their marketing performance and make data-driven decisions to optimize their marketing strategy.

From line graphs and scatter plots to heatmaps and chord diagrams, there are a variety of charts and graphs that businesses can use to reveal digital marketing trends and stay ahead of the competition.

The post Data-driven Marketing: How Graphs & Charts Transform Digital Strategies appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

As I was auditing yet another Google ad account at my agency Digital Street, one of the biggest and most common mistakes that popped up once again was no negative keyword list or negative keywords added to any of the campaigns.

The ad account in question is spending $1500 a day i.e., around $45000 per month. I’ve audited 1000s of Google ad accounts and this one mistake annoys me to the hilt.

You Must Be Wondering, Why? What’s the Big Deal?

Let me explain.

First things first, let’s define what negative keywords are. Simply put, they’re words or phrases that you add to your Google Ads campaign to tell Google which search terms you don’t want your ads to appear for.

By excluding these keywords, you can save money, improve your click-through rate, and increase your conversion rate. 

For example, let’s say you own an online shoe store that sells high-end designer shoes. You might want to bid on keywords like “designer shoes,” “luxury shoes,” and “high-end shoes” to attract potential customers who are specifically looking for your products.

However, you probably don’t want your ads to show up for search terms like “cheap shoes” or “discount shoes,” since those searchers are unlikely to be interested in your expensive products. In this case, you would add “cheap” and “discount” as negative keywords to your campaign.

Now, Why Are Negative Keywords So Important?

Well, let me break it down for you.

By eliminating irrelevant clicks and focusing on high-intent searchers, you’re likely to see a higher click-through rate (CTR), a lower cost per click (CPC), and a higher conversion rate. That means you get more bang for your buck and achieve better results from your Google Ads campaigns.

And who doesn’t want that?

So, How Do You Create An Effective Negative Keyword List?

Here are some steps to follow:

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• Step 1: Start with a brainstorming session. Think about the types of search terms that would be irrelevant or low-intent for your business. There are certain words such as ‘free’, ‘reviews’, ‘cheap’ that we always exclude across all our accounts.
• Step 2: Use Google Ads’ Search Terms Report to see which search terms are triggering your ads. This report shows you the actual search terms that people are using to find your ads and can help you identify any irrelevant or low-intent search terms that you might have missed. At my agency Digital Street AU, we mine search terms every 48 hours. It’s part of our optimizing the ad campaigns process.
• Step 3: Add Negative Keywords to Your Campaign. Once you have your list of negative keywords, you can add them to your campaign by going to the “Negative keywords” tab in your Google Ads account.
• Step 4: Refine Your List Over Time. Remember, creating an effective negative keyword list is an ongoing process. Keep track of your campaign’s performance and adjust your negative keyword list accordingly.

In conclusion, negative keywords are a powerful tool that can help you save money, improve your ad performance, and achieve better results from your Google Ads campaigns. So, don’t neglect them!

Take the time to create an effective negative keyword list and watch your Return on ad spend (ROAS) soar.

Until next time, keep optimizing!

The post Don’t Waste Your Google Ad Spend: How Negative Keyword Lists Can Improve Your Google Ads Campaigns appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

How to build a content campaign that drives sales quarter after quarter. 

We all know the importance of creating content– but creating content for the sake of it doesn’t often result in increased sales. Content campaigns are a great way to engage your audience, build brand awareness, and drive sales quarter after quarter.

In this article, you’ll learn how to create a 90-day content campaign that will deliver lasting value to your business, move prospects through the customer journey more efficiently and effectively, and drive sales! Let’s get started!

6 Levels of Customer Awareness

As your prospects move through the customer journey, their awareness of your brand and offer increases.

In 1966 Breakthrough Advertising, marketer and author Eugene Schwartz identified five stages of customer awareness. Since then, digital marketing has evolved significantly, creating the need for a sixth level of customer awareness that DigitalMarketer introduced.

First, we’ll walk through each level of customer awareness and then create a content campaign that moves prospects through these levels to increase the speed and efficiency of your customer journey. 

1. Unaware Stage

Customers in the unaware stage have no knowledge of the problem or perceived need for a solution. To catch a prospect’s attention and keep it, we need to stop the scroll. The best way to do that is with entertainment! 

Types of entertaining content for the unaware stage: 

1. Shock and Awe
2. Amazing Demos
3. Data/Research

Examples: 

• Dollar Shave Club Commercial
• Chatbooks Commercial
• Will It Blend Demo
• Thinkific 13 Membership Site Examples That Will Inspire You
• 125 Books Every Marketer Should Read

Tip: As you scroll social media and the internet, think about the advertisements and content that catch your attention. 

2. Problem-Aware Stage

Customers in the Problem-Aware Stage know they have a problem but don’t know if a solution exists. They are in need of hope as they search to discover if a solution is available. 

Types of hopeful content for the problem-aware stage:

1. Question & Answer (Q&A)
2. How-Tos
3. Brand Case Study
4. Success Stories 

Examples: 

• HubSpot How to Create a Sales Plan: Template + Examples
• Salesforce Career Stories: Q&A with Jo Gaines, Area Vice President Sales
• HubSpot Dentally Case Study
• ParkHub Case Studies
• Wild Audience Article How To Replicate Tony Robbin’s Million-Dollar Coaching Sales Funnel Template 

Tip: Leverage tools like AI to help identify what questions customers may have in your industry or niche. 

3. Solution-Aware Stage

Customers in the Solution-Aware Stage are researching and comparing their options. They need clarity so they can efficiently and effectively choose the best option for them. 

Types of clarifying content for the solution-aware stage: 

1. Demos
2. Tricks & Hacks
3. Comparisons

Examples: 

• Dr. Squatch Demo
• Comparison of Thinkific to Kajabi 
• L’Oreal How To Highlight Trick
• Tony Robins Event Demo 

Tip: Spend some time researching your competition to understand exactly what your customer is comparing you to so you can address their concerns.

4. Offer Aware Stage

Customers in the Offer Aware Stage are getting ready to make their decision but want to confirm that their choice is going to deliver the outcome they want. They need assurance that you are the right choice

Types of assuring content for the offer aware stage: 

1. Testimonials
2. Social Proof
3. Behind-The-Scenes

Examples: 

• Romeo Athletics Nina’s Story
• Golf Galaxy Customer Testimonial 
• Mel Robbins Public Speaking Story
• Amazon Web Services and Capital One
• Shopify Year In Review

Tip: Ask existing customers about the main objections they had before buying and create content that overcomes those objections.    

5. The Most Aware Stage

Customers in the Most Aware Stage know you are the best solution for them, but they need a reason to buy now instead of waiting for a better time. The best way to motivate action is with novelty. 

Types of novel content for the most aware stage: 

1. Scarcity & Urgency
2. Feature Release
3. Product Launch
4. Promotion, Sale, Bonus

Examples: 

• DigitalMarketer New Ecommerce Certification Launch
• New Releases on Netflix
• Peleton Promotion
• Graham Cochrane New Feature on Kajabi

Tip: There are many ways to create a sense of urgency, scarcity or loss aversion in your customers without sales, including bonus stacking and limited-time offers. 

6. Disengaged Stage

Customers in the Disengaged Stage need to be reminded of their connection to your brand and why you are an important part of their life. They need to be romanced so they can feel the ‘warm and fuzzies’ beyond what you are selling.  

Types of romance content for the disengaged stage: 

1. Origin Stories
2. Behind-The-Scenes
3. Bloopers
4. Mission Statements

Examples: 

• HM Massage Origin Story
• Graham Conn Bloopers
• Patagonia Don’t Buy This Jacket

Tip: Think about your experience as a consumer and reflect on times when you became disengaged with a brand. What caught your attention and brought you back? 

The 90-Day Campaign Framework

The purpose of the 90-day campaign is to leverage your organic content to move prospects through the levels of customer awareness and lead them to a promotional period.

This ensures that more prospects are offer informed and ready to buy while giving your content an overall strategy and consistency across platforms. Most businesses have a significant promotional period, sale, launch or event each quarter, making this an ideal timeline. 

Evergreen Content

One of the biggest benefits of this framework is that your content is evergreen, meaning it will continue to drive traffic and conversions long after it’s published. You can easily drive ads to your pillar content, leverage remarketing ads to those who visit your pillar content, repurpose content for future campaigns, and make simple updates to keep the content relevant. 

Campaign Offer & Theme

The 90-day campaign is used to promote one offer, and each piece of content created should be directly tied to the offer and the ideal customer. Choosing a unifying theme beyond just your offer can help tie all content throughout the campaign together and increase its effectiveness.

Effective themes are taken directly from your customer avatar and can be a) a problem that your offer solves, b) a fear that your offer overcomes or c) a perspective shift that your ideal client needs to successfully achieve their desired outcome.

Campaign Timeline 

The 90-day campaign timeline starts with 8 weeks of pre-promotion, followed by a 2-week promotional period and finishes 2 weeks of post-promotion nurturing. 

Content Distribution

There are three primary distribution channels used in this content campaign. However, additional channels may be added. 

1. Website (Blog) 

The first channel is your website, where you will post pillar content pieces in the form of articles, videos or podcasts. These pillar pieces should include advertisements for your lead magnet to increase email subscribers, along with advertisements for the chosen offer you are promoting throughout the campaign. 

2. Email 

You will be splintering and distributing the pillar content to your email list to drive traffic to your website and increase engagement. During the promotional phase of this campaign, you’ll send a promotional email sequence to drive sales.  

3. Social Media 

You will also be splintering and distributing pillar content to social media channels with the goal of driving traffic to your website and delivering value to your audience in advance of the sale. 

Creating & Splintering Content 

Each piece of pillar content is splintered to create nurturing emails and social media content. This reduces the overall workload of the campaign because you are only creating the pillar pieces from scratch, and all other content is simply splintered from the existing content. This also allows you to move prospects on your social media channels and email list through the levels of customer awareness, increase email subscribers and drive traffic to your website.

Sequence Matters

As Ryan Deiss says, “sequence matters!” You don’t want to ‘propose on the first date,’ which is why this framework is so effective in nurturing relationships, warming up leads, and increasing conversions. It’s important not to alter the sequence of this framework; however, you can increase the amount of content used in a campaign. 

The Promotional Email Sequence

Each piece of pillar content should promote your lead magnet, and you should also promote your lead magnet on your marketing channels throughout the pre-promotion period.

Each week of the campaign, you send out nurturing emails to your list, and although some leads will join your list later in the campaign, you can leverage email analytics to identify the warmest leads on your list by their open rates and click-through rates.

The email promotional campaign is designed to continue moving prospects through the levels of awareness while driving sales or conversions. 

On all emails except the first and last email of the sequence, I recommend providing a “soft opt-out” option for subscribers to unsubscribe from the promotional email sequence without being removed from your list. This tactic decreases unsubscribes while allowing you to better segment your list for future campaigns. 

Romance After The Campaign

Prospects often need additional nurturing post-promotion, especially if they didn’t feel ready to buy. The post-promotion period is used to reconnect with your audience and nurture them with value before beginning another campaign. This can be a buffer period to strategize and plan your next campaign. 

Campaign Best Practices

Here are a few best practices to help you make the most of this 90-day campaign framework.

Campaign #3

This campaign framework is incredibly powerful, but like most marketing campaigns, consistency is critical. Often the first few campaigns will involve a lot of testing and learning and may not deliver instant results.

The most dramatic results come with consistency, and usually, the third campaign is when you’ll start noticing dramatic sales increases. Give yourself time and recognize that there are no silver bullets to success, but following this framework consistently will be about as close as possible. 

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Video Marketing

There’s no denying the power of video marketing, and showing up consistently on video is like adding a turbo boost to your relationship-building abilities. Whenever possible, leverage video marketing throughout the campaign. 

Overcome Objections & Answer Questions 

If you know the common objections and questions your ideal customers will ask, address them in your content. Use FAQ sections in your pillar content to tackle those common objections and questions, and distribute the information to your email and social channels.

AI & Execution 

You can leverage the power of AI throughout the campaign, from planning to execution. AI can be used for topic ideation and building your pillar content. You can also summarize and splinter your pillar content into emails and social media posts.

Optimizing the AI output is the key to successfully using AI in this process. You will not see success using this framework if you simply let AI do the work for you. You must add your brand voice and optimize the content to meet your ideal customers’ needs and wants. 

Conclusion 

With this 90-day content campaign framework, you can create content that moves prospects through the customer journey more efficiently and effectively while driving sales. The process is simple to understand and execute, helps you develop valuable evergreen content, works for any industry, and can be replicated time and time again.

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