Reasons to run a Pilot Marketing Campaign

Neil Wilkins shares reasons to run a pilot campaign before going all in on the full project. Neil explores the steps you can take to keep the quality high and the evidence accurate and relevant for scaling up to a full campaign. If you find yourself chasing your tail with lots of people putting in multiple requests for your time and energy, this process could be the answer to give you back control and provide better value in your marketing outputs. Pilot Studies Started in Research “… two main types of pilot studies … are for the most part (1) smaller versions of studies, called feasibility studies, and (2) “the pre-testing or ‘trying out’” journals.sagepub.com “A pilot is the trial run, a dry run, or a small-scale test to make sure the the improvements will work as planned.” LinkedIn.com “Conducting a pilot study does not guarantee success in the main study, but it does increase the likelihood of success.” pubmed.nci.nlm.nih.gov “A pilot program allows marketers and sales teams to test their messages and target customers, and at the same time provides an understanding of the potential costs and expected results (leads generated, ROI) without the extensive financial investment needed for a full-blast campaign launch.” PureB2B.com “… narrow down specific bottlenecks or preliminary problems early on. By pinpointing potential problem areas in the pilot phase, it allows … necessary adjustments promptly before implementing the solution at scale.” abr.com “It permits a thorough check of the planned statistical and analytical procedures, giving you a chance to evaluate their usefulness for the data. You may then be able to make needed alterations in the data collecting methods, and therefore, analyze data in the main study more efficiently.” uis.edu ‘In simple terms, a pilot can be a very helpful way to manage marketing target expectations across the business … evidence-based, not just wished for’ The Pilot Mindset “Adopt an experimentation mindset. Too many businesses are afraid to fail, so they don't put themselves in the position to do so. Often, this looks like either avoidance of pursuing new ideas or failure to properly test a product idea before launching it. By adopting an experimentation mindset, you'll be more willing to make mistakes and test a variety of different ideas. Your business model will unlock more long-term value, as you'll give more ideas a chance to come to fruition. In this case, failure is also seen as a success, as it allows you to better understand what works and what doesn't in this ever-changing business world.” businessnewsdaily.com Key Elements to Test in a Pilot Campaign Target Audiences Timing Marketing Channels Creative Design Messages Calls To Action KPIs and Targets Methods of Measurement How Much is Enough? “A solid 10% is enough so you can make an impact on your brand, but it’s not so much that you’ll regret spending it if the pilot doesn’t go according to plan.” ignitevisibility.com