The discipline of marketing can often be complex and confusing. We have seen countless marketers get tangled up in various aspects of marketing that have little bearing on actual marketing results. 

In our experience, there are four critical elements to an effective marketing campaign. Whether you want to improve the results of your search engine marketing, your Internet marketing, or your marketing in general, be sure to follow these simple guidelines, which we call the A.T.O.M. approach.

A.T.O.M - Audience, Timing, Offer, Message

1. Know your audience. No one can effectively market, communicate or sell without knowing their target audience or what motivates them to buy. Is your potential customer male or female? Young or old? A first-time buyer or a frequent buyer? Is he the final decision maker? Does he have preferences for a particular product, service, or delivery method? The more you know about your target group, the more targeted and relevant your marketing can be. 

2. Timing is everything. Even with the most compelling marketing campaign, potential customers will not be interested in your product or service if you do not communicate with them at the right time. Make sure your marketing message reaches potential customers when they are ready to buy. This could be at a certain time of year or before a certain life event.

3. Find the right offer. In direct marketing, experts say that results depend 40% on your list, 40% on the offer, and 20% on your creativity. The same goes for internet marketing, search engine marketing, and the like. Test your offers and find the one that outperforms all others. This offer should be constantly tested and refined to improve your results.

4. It's all about the message. If you know your target audience well enough, you should be able to craft a message that speaks to their needs and sets your product or service apart from the competition. Also, make sure you highlight the benefits over the features. This will give your target group a reason to read, try and buy.

The next time you run a marketing campaign, use the A.T.O.M. approach. You need to know your target audience, make sure you reach them when they are ready to buy, experiment to find the most productive offer, and communicate productively with them so that every marketing campaign delivers results. If you would like to learn more about effective marketing, please contact the experts at OneTeam.