How to Launch a Mini-Campaign
2.05.2016
Content marketing really works, even on a small scale!
I had a couple of slow weeks in my consulting business in March so I decided to invest that time in writing three white papers to use for marketing purposes. After Easter, I emailed links for the articles to pastors and other organizational leaders who might be interested in them. A month later, I have received four times as many hits as emails I sent out. I sent X emails and I’ve gotten 4X response. My website has never seen this much traffic in a decade.
What happened? I offered something of value for free. I emailed people who would have an interest in the information. I encouraged them to share the link with their friends. They forwarded it to a few people who then forwarded it to a few more people.
Bam! Effective word of mouth on a small scale. (If you are curious, you can check it out the three white papers here: www.galvinandassociates.com/white-papers.)
Building a relationship with potential clients by offering free information is called content marketing. It can work on a small scale for you just as well as large marketing campaigns. Here are seven steps for launching a mini-campaign.
1. Decide what you want to accomplish
If you already offer a product or service for sale, this can be straightforward. Let’s say that you have a full-time job but wanted to offer tutoring in your free time to help people learn advanced features on Microsoft Word. It could be anything.
2. Identify a need
Determine who you want to reach and how you can help them. You can touch on an existing need or create a need by offering a new opportunity. The stronger they feel the need the better. With tutoring, you could focus on beginners struggling with the basic features or advanced users wanting help learning to write macros.
3. Create useful content
You can offer a free e-book, white paper, special report, tool, tip sheet, or checklist. The content should deliver real value in order for people to want to share it with others. With word processing tutoring, you could offer a pdf with 25 of the most useful keyboard shortcuts.
4. Email to people you know
You don’t need a big list for a mini-campaign. I recommend personally emailing the link for your free download to individuals. Personalize each email so they know it is coming from you.
5. Encourage them to share
In the free piece you are giving away, give specific permission for readers to pass along the link to others who might also want a free copy.
6. Describe how you can help
Briefly tell others what else you can do for them. For example, “By the way, I am now offering individualized tutoring for those who want to take their word processing skills to the next level.”
7. Invite them to respond
Include a clear call to action, whether that would be emailing you for a more detailed report or scheduling a phone call to discuss in more detail what they need.
Seriously, this will work with an email list of ten people, if they are the right people and you have a compelling offer. What kind of mini-campaign would benefit you?
