Danielle Ensley

Effective marketing campaigns capture consumers and create interest in a product or service. The most successful integrated campaigns strategically direct these interested consumers to a microsite devoted to the specific campaign messaging/content, rather than dumping consumers on their big and scary corporate site. But that doesn’t mean that you can just slap up a landing page or website and then pat yourself on the back for a job well done. A strategic microsite is the most important part of the marketing campaign because this is often the place where you actually capture leads. If you have a poor quality microsite, you’ll have poor quality leads and low conversion rates. If you have a weak microsite, you could actually drive people away from your brand. Here are a few content tips to make a GREAT microsite that will make for a GREAT campaign:

1. SIMPLE SIMPLE SIMPLE – The microsite should be so simple to use. If my little cousin in the 5th grade cannot find her way around, it’s too complicated!  People want to come and find what they are looking for right away, with no thinking involved (heaven forbid we use our brains, right?!). If they cannot find what they want in a matter of seconds – see you later, alligator.

2. Clear and Concise – Not only should your navigation be simple and intuitive, but the content on the site should be simple as well. Use short, snappy, easy-to-understand language to make everything clear and concise. Tell the consumer what they want to know without filler content. No one like to sift through big words and too much romance copy, nor do they like to scroll for hours (too much physcal activity for your pointer finger!).

3. Bullets and Graphics – If at all possible, use bullets and/or graphics as much as you can to clearly explain information or processes. If a pretty picture can explain something better than a chunk of copy, go with that instead. If the consumer has to sift through tons of information and words to find what they want – after a while, crocodile.

4. Call to Action – A clear call to action will allow you to finish the deal.  Now that the consumer has done their research and are ready for the next step, you need to show them the way.  Whether it is a simple online store or an easy to use contact form, a clear call to action on the site will help convert leads into actual sales. Don’t leave them hanging and wondering “Where do I go now?”

A solid microsite has ALL the information the consumer needs right there, easy to find and easy to understand. A pleasant experience on your website will turn your web traffic into leads. Of course beyond the content, there are design elements that make up a great microsite…(coming soon!)

Admittedly, I am in love with pencils and I’m not afraid to say it!

Here are the reasons I’m obsessed with my pencil:

1. I am a tad bit O.C.D.

2. Ugly “scratch outs” on my paper give me anxiety.  Pencils have these beautiful things called erasers. (Some people might call that O.C.D.)

3. They come in pretty styles and colors (…and I am O.C.D.)

As marketers, we are always conducting research to verify the perfect target audience for a product or service. We are experts at knowing the target audience – what they do and how they think. It is our knowledge of the demographics and psychographics of the target audience, that allow us to make strategic media placements in order to create the most effective, integrated campaigns. In a perfect world, all of these placements would fit like a glove and perform exactly as we expect them to, but of course we don’t live in a perfect world. There are no special formulas that tell us how a particular audience is going to respond to the campaign in each media and vehicle.

Until someone cracks that code (and makes millions of dollars) test campaigns are extremely important. Unless you are one of those companies who likes to toss your cash in the trash (yeah, that rhymes!), a test campaign is crucial in order to get that coveted ROI.

A properly tracked test marketing campaign will allow you to analyze the results and get a clear understanding of how your target audience responds to your campaign. Maybe Facebook ads don’t get through to your “social butterfly” target audience like you thought they were going to, but the placements on ad networks have created tons of leads. Instead of wasting money on Facebook advertising, after analyzing the results of your test campaign, you can now reapportion your budget to the vehicles that are giving you the biggest bang for your buck.

While it takes some investment (both in time and budget), test marketing will ensure a well optimized campaign, without wasting away your budget. Even if you don’t have the budget for formal test marketing, be ready and willing to change your original plans as the campaign results come in. The best research is taking your big ideas for a spin, while you still have time to tweak them and make them the best they can be.

TCA brought in the Holiday Season with our annual Holiday Decorating Party. Of course, there were tons of Holiday cookies, creative crafting, and broken ornaments but this year we decided to take our Cyphers decorating one step further.

We each brought a print out to the Holiday Bash of a project that we worked on this past year. There was everything from budget spreadsheets and creative briefs to website mocks and Facebook profiles. We each made our very own Holiday ornament but cutting up the projects and putting the pieces inside of the ornament ball to make our very own Holiday Decorations, TCA style.

Now all of our wonderful accomplishments are decorating the office and transforming it into a true Cyphers Wonderland.

What accomplishments are you proud of this year?

Oh the crazy things we say,

throughout our Cyphers work day.

You may think we are not okay.

But to us, this is just normal TCA.

Enjoy…

• Every time I laugh it’s so juicy.

• I want to tell you something disgusting now

• I’m going to ninja every bug in the universe

• Don’t come at me with your arms

• You don’t know where a hug has already been

• Excuse me, what are you doing over there…that sure is crinkly water

• I just rolled my eyes at twitter

• My neck balls really hurt right now

• Stop making me laugh because it hurts my sty

• I’m addicted to sexy font

• Everyone can be an artist if they drink

• I hiccuped in the middle of my yawn

• Sensei is sitting there

• “They” call it a pimp stick