Digital marketing can be defined as the customer journey, aided by algorithms, and supported by your outreach. A digital marketing campaign then can be defined as a collection of content, algorithmic and outreach touchpoints positioned to guide a customer’s journey. How those touchpoints lead to each other becomes the architecture of a digital marketing campaign.
The architecture of a marketing campaign is best presented visually to illustrate the touchpoints along that journey. The BASE3 model provides a visual chart that can be used for this purpose.
The marketing campaign architecture diagram below illustrates a campaign that includes a LinkedIn event that is co-branded and promoted by Wilder, in partnership with Skoop, a personalized video app available on Google Apps. Each number on the channel grid represents a specific touchpoint. In the implementation document, detailed instructions can be organized numerically by these touchpoints.
Steps For Determining A Marketing Campaign’s Architecture
A marketing campaign can incorporate many tactics such as running an ad, and an email blast, both linking to a sales page, all working together to achieve a particular goal. Following are typical steps needed to plan a marketing campaign.
- Determine your SMART Objective for the campaign
- Identify the starting position of your customer’s decision making journey in the campaign – Discovering, Considering, Deciding, Validating, Promoting.
- Decide on the topic that your content will focus on
- Create the list of channels you will use – website, email, ads, social platforms, etc.
- Identify the tactics you will use for each channel – such as send an email that leads to a landing page, and run a retargeting ad to those who visited
- Determine the actions you would like your customer to take so that you are leading them to a sale.
Step 1: Identify Your Campaign Objective
Before planning a campaign, it is important that you are clear about what you want to accomplish with your campaign. A campaign should have just one main objective, with a possible secondary objective. This will prevent you from spreading your messaging and budget too thin. It is better to have three separate campaigns running with narrow objectives than one giant campaign trying to achieve all three.
Using the S.M.A.R.T. objective method is one way to ensure that you are being efficient and disciplined in your campaign planning. Rather than think of this as a constraint, remember that the more specific you are, the more creative you can be. The acronym SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
The most important consideration in determining the architecture of a marketing campaign is what are the touchpoints in a customer’s journey. Once you have identified which touchpoints are critical in guiding your customer to a sale, you can then begin to plan a campaign that guides them along that journey.
Step 2: Identify Campaign’s Starting Point In Your Customer’s Decision Journey
It is important to deeply study how humans make decisions, and what kind of information they are looking for along the decision making process. This process is commonly called “The Customer Journey” and should be integrated into your “Lead Funnel”, which is represented by a funnel shape. We have created a quick-guide to help you understand what a campaign architecture should look like, and determine what tactics will work best based on where your customers are in their journey.
The Customer Journey & Human Decision Making Process:
Discover– are aware of the problem or desire, may not know what the solution is.
Consider – have become aware of a solution and are looking at options.
Decide – have made a decision, and are ready to make a purchase
Validate – seek support from friends and and solution source that they made the right decision
Promote – create a community around the decision by promoting their decision to others
Step 3: Determine Content Theme Your Customers Need
Customers will be needing different information as they move through making a decision. Based on a quote by famed copywriter Edward Schwartz, following is a description of what information customers generally are looking for as they move to making a decision:
Content To Prepare For Your Customers
Discovering Level: About their desire, the problem, and what it would be like if their problem was solved.
Consideration Level: Educate them, talk about all of the options even your competitors, show your expertise in the subject matter.
Decision Level: Differentiate yourself from your competitors, talk about the details and benefits of your solution, and offer proof.
Validation Level: Create a relationship with your customer. Give special offers, insider information, and news.
Promoting Level: Emphasize your brand values. Share client success stories, provide referral rewards and affiliate agreements, and opportunities to be in a community around your brand.
Step 4: List Communication Channels To Use
Your customers will engage with your brand at different touchpoints along their journey. Ensuring that you are guiding that journey by strategically placing the right content in front of them is an important part of your digital strategy.
What channels to use and when
The below chart is the full BASE3 model chart highlighting the channels that you will likely be using to engage your customer along their journey.
Communication Channels
Discovery – get found
- Articles using appropriate keywords for searches
- Social posts using hash tags for discovery, & engaging with others
- Awareness Ads (expensive)
- Events, talks, podcast guest, etc.
- Work with partners to get the word out (influencers, etc.)
Consideration – educate them, show your expertise
- Articles showing comparison
- Social posts displaying your knowledge, expertise, skill
- Ads – they know about you, so engagement ads
Decision – give them the differentiate, details, benefits & proof
- Landing pages
- Supporting emails
- Video
- Social Posts
- Retargeting Ads
Validation – create relationship, support their decision
- Email updates with insider info
- Video
- Social posts
- Special Events
Promote – create a sense of community
- Email Updates
- Social Posts
- Special Events & invitations
- Affiliate/Referral
- Rewards
- Special Partner Perks
Step 5: Determine Tactics To Use
It is useful to write out in brief the content you are planning to write, and what action or engagement you are wanting to inspire. Below is a sample table that can be used for this purpose based on BASE3. This can be used for the creation of a more detailed campaign production plan.
Step 6: Calls To Action
When you have determined what action you would like your customer to take at each touchpoint, this is when the architecture of your campaign begins to take form.
You can use the BASE3 Model Chart to diagram out your customer’s journey from channel to channel along their decision-making process.
How should a digital marketing campaign work?
Goal:
Get your product or service into the hands of someone who needs it.
The story:
Chelsea is in a sticky situation. She has a new line of clothing that she wants to launch. She asks for help on NextDoor. You have been leaving small tips and commenting helpfully when appropriate, and as a result are known in the community as an expert on the subject. Someone recommends your business. Chelsea does a search for you on Google, and your Google My Business listing pops up so she visits your website. She has landed on your home page where you have clearly shown your professionalism and expertise, plus how she can immediately reach out to you. She suddenly gets an alert from another app, gets distracted, and leaves your site without making a purchase. Frustration!
But it’s o.k.! You made a good impression, she knows you have what she needs, AND…you have a Facebook and LinkedIn pixel installed on your website. Brilliant!
Later, as she is checking in with her friends on Instagram, your ad pops up reminding her that you have the solution to her problem. She clicks on your ad which takes her to a special page on your website designed especially for returning visitors. You welcome her back! She wonders how she had gotten distracted into leaving your site, and where the past four hours have gone! Relieved to be back where she started, and that you can solve the problem she was temporarily distracted from, she finally takes your offer! Yay!
When she makes that purchase, she is automatically added to your monthly mailing list, and receives an automated but personalized welcome email from your Customer Relationship Management tool. The email tells Chelsea the next steps, a link to a short onboarding questionnaire, and a link for her to schedule a call with you which she does right away in order to receive the bonus you promised if she schedules within 24 hours!
This all happens while you are sleeping, having gone to bed early. No more working late nights doing tasks that you suspect smart people automate, because now YOU are the smart one! Chelsea has had a seamless experience with your business, is already in love with you, and is excited to get started!
Insider Tip
After a website, the most important thing you need to have is a Google My Business profile that is completely filled out. Learn more in our article How To Create A Google My Business Profile
Digital marketing campaign architecture examples
Campaign A
OBJECTIVE: Build Profiles Of Your Target Audience
Ad campaign on Facebook and Instagram with A/B testing leading to your website and an opt-in. Testing results provide a profile of your target audience, and you can upload your opt-in list to create a “look-alike” custom audience.
Digital Tools To Use:
Facebook Ad Manager | Facebook Events Manager | Facebook Pixel | Canva Image Design | Your Website | Your CRM | Google Analytics
Campaign B
OBJECTIVE: Sales
Newsletter campaign to mailing list of new products.
Digital Tools To Use:
Newsletter (like MailChimp) | Canva Image Design | Your Website | Your CRM
Campaign C
OBJECTIVE: Repeat Customers
Offer upgrade, discount, or new services to existing clients and customers.
Digital Tools To Use:
Newsletter (like MailChimp) | Canva Image Design | Your Website | Your CRM
Campaign D
OBJECTIVE: Brand Awareness
Influencer partnership on Instagram or Facebook.
Campaign E
OBJECTIVE: Website Traffic (collected by Facebook Pixel)
Article Publishing with relevant keywords, shared and boosted on social & Google My Business.
Digital Tools To Use:
Keywoods Tool | Content Scheduler | Facebook Ad Manager | Facebook Events Manager | Facebook Pixel | Canva Image Design | Your Website | Your CRM | Google Analytics
Campaign F
OBJECTIVE: Increase Engagement On Social
Behind The Scenes photo campaign on Instagram.
Must Haves For Digital Marketing Success
Where To Start: The Absolute List
- A Website that is mobile friendly
- Google My Business Page that is completely filled out
- Facebook Page with Facebook Pixel installed on your website
- Business Listing/links to your website on other websites
- Content Marketing Strategy – keyword & goal based
- Tool for communicating with your clients
- Tool for measuring engagement