There are many models, tools and witty ideas we use when creating a marketing strategy of any kind. Some stick to the good old “4Ps” rules: Product, Place, Price, Promotion; other incline towards the more recent “4Cs” ones: Clients, Costs, Communication, Convenience; however, no one has a recipe and model that always works.

Nevertheless, there are three key things that are always and in every situation a basic and starting point for setting up the foundations of a good campaign:

1. Target group

At the very beginning, it’s crucial to consider whom you address, what your message is and how you measure your success. In any case, you can never completely know your target group – a larger number of factors are variable and it’s impossible to always and in every situation anticipate them. That is why constant monitoring and insight into the market, as well as learning, are important factors. Timely and detailed planning of each step is the basic thing for an effective campaign.

2. Product/campaign placement

Clearly specify a budget you’ll allocate for a product or campaign promotion. Define in detail where and how you will place it, to which target group, which tools you will use and what a budget for it is, and then follow the instructions and don’t deviate from the plan – wait for a while to evaluate results more accurately. If a campaign doesn’t produce the best results in two or three days, it doesn’t mean that it will not pick up a day or two later. According to experts, four days is a minimal period for summing up some results. Then, if the campaign goes much better than you’ve expected or planned – don’t cut the budget; just leave everything as it is and pick the fruits of a job well done.

3. Measuring results

It’s best to pack these processes in a briefing report – a short analysis of everything that’s been done, item by item and with every single detail. The report contains all the specifics, from the initial steps to the final execution, and presents effects of the overall efforts. An analysis of results will teach you something new and next time you’ll launch a campaign and/or project with more knowledge and information.