You know that if you want to see results, you have to review and analyze your marketing campaigns. But with so many campaigns and strategies floating around, it can be hard to keep track of the different ones. That's why we've put together this ultimate guide to auditing your email marketing and paid advertising campaigns.
By the end of this article, you'll understand how to successfully review and audit your email marketing and paid advertising campaigns—and be better equipped to achieve your goals.
Let's get started!
Collect Information: What You Need to Know Before You Begin
Before you start auditing your email marketing and paid advertising campaigns, the most important step is to gather all the relevant information. That means taking a closer look at your customer data, as well as any insights you’ve gathered from analytics.
This will tell you who your target audience is, what they’re interested in, and how likely they are to purchase. With this data in hand, you can start developing strategies for reaching them.
You should also make note of the content of past campaigns that have worked well or bombed completely. Take the time to really assess what went wrong (or right) and look for patterns or areas for improvement. Finally, make sure that any changes you plan to implement are in line with your brand’s overall message and style guide.
Identify Your Audience: Who Are You Targeting?
Now it's time to knuckle down and do a deep dive into your analytics. Start by taking a look at who you're targeting with your campaigns. Is it working? Are the correct people being reached?
If not, you should start by reviewing your target audience and make sure it meets the criteria of your campaigns. You can do this through surveys, interviews, or focus groups to get a better understanding of what appeals to your audience and what they expect from your business.
Once you have an idea of who you're targeting and what they want, look at what other types of content they respond well to. What messages have worked in the past? Do some A/B testing and create variations on successful campaigns to attract more attention.
Address Technical Issues: Troubleshooting Common Problems
As you’re troubleshooting, keep an eye out for common problems like:
Email deliverability issues: Are your emails getting through to your target audience? If not, try cleaning up and segmenting your email lists.
Broken links: Do all of your links lead to valid pages? Test them out and make sure they’re working correctly.
Browser compatibility issues: How do your campaigns look in different browsers? Some browsers may be less compatible with certain email marketing programs and plugins, so you may need to update or reconfigure them.
Landing page stats: Are people clicking on the links that lead to landing pages? If not, then consider making adjustments to your CTAs or consider adding more visuals or content to make it more appealing.
Once you’ve resolved these common issues, then you can move forward with confidence knowing that your campaigns will run smoothly.
Track Your Metrics: Making Use of Results-Oriented Tools
To get the most out of these metrics-tracking tools, consider making use of features like:
Heatmaps and scrollmaps to see where people are clicking or scrolling on web and mobile pages
Funnel tracking to measure where customers are dropping off along the conversion path
A/B testing and other types of experiments so you can gain a better understanding of how different elements affect customer engagement
By making use of these results-oriented tools, you can see which email marketing & paid advertising campaigns are performing best and make adjustments accordingly. This way, you'll be able to get superior ROI with every campaign.
Establishing Future Campaign Objectives
To create effective objectives for your strategies, make sure to:
Assign value to each goal—this will help you prioritize objectives over time
Put targets around total audience growth & quality, cost per acquisition & ROI
Segment audiences & look for opportunities there
Consider any emerging trends in the industry - do some research!
Don't be afraid to ask questions & experiment - campaigns don’t have to be cookie-cutter or “perfect” from the start
Listen to customer feedback and use it to refine objectives
Keep a close eye on costs - ensure any new objectives keep costs manageable
Conclusion
When it comes to auditing email marketing and paid advertising campaigns, there’s no doubt that it’s a complex process. It requires a combination of technical skills and strategic vision. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can make sure that nothing slips through the cracks and that your campaigns are successful.
Taking the time to audit your campaigns regularly will help you stay ahead of the competition and ensure that your campaigns are as effective as possible.