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Why the most important piece of your ad campaign isn’t an ad type at all

Strategy

Whether you’re launching a comprehensive, fully integrated campaign; creating an online-only campaign; or developing an informational brochure, communication doesn’t end with that material. If you reached your target audience effectively, there’s going to be additional action taken, and it’s likely going to happen online.

If you developed a campaign anchored with traditional media, you may have listed a phone number as the primary CTA. But right or wrong, emailing and social media messaging are preferred methods of communication over placing a phone call. Your audience may call you, but it’s more likely that they’re going online first.

If you chose an online-only campaign, it’s inevitable that you need a click-through URL.

So where do you want your audience to go online? Where are they clicking through to?

The answer should not be the homepage of your website. The correct answer is the most important piece of your ad campaign: the campaign’s landing page.

A campaign-specific landing page (or microsite – depending on the size of your campaign) makes all the difference when measuring your campaign’s impact. Through the landing page or microsite, you can continue to develop your campaign’s message, and most importantly, you can capture leads through sign-up forms for sample requests, consultations—you name it.

And to ensure that your campaign’s landing page or microsite makes an impact, these three components must be accounted for:

1.) Consistent Creative. The landing page or microsite should feel like an extension of your campaign’s materials. It’s not enough to build a new webpage on your existing site without designing it to align with the campaign creative. In order for a campaign to have maximum recall with consumers, there shouldn’t be a disconnect from one piece of campaign creative to another. 
2.) Actionable Form. So you successfully moved a user from your brochure, online ad or TV spot to your landing page or microsite. Now it’s important to capture that lead. Without a form that allows someone to request more information and provides you with his or her contact information, you won’t be able to track leads or measure ROI. But, don’t ask for more information than you need. If a consumer feels their privacy is compromised, they won’t fill out your form anyway.
3.) Compelling Copy. Once someone visits your landing page or microsite, you need to give him or her a reason to fill out the form. Your site is the perfect opportunity to provide them with information that you can’t include in your 780×90 online ad or 30-second TV spot.

At B&Y, everyone is ROI focused. It’s a part of our culture. And that focus is a primary reason why we place such an emphasis on building campaign landing pages and microsites. How many unique page views and form submittals you receive are important benchmarks to set and utilize as gauges for ROI.

If you’d like to see one of our more recent campaigns that employs a campaign microsite, check out our work on Parkview GO. Or, if you’re interested in how to elevate your next campaign, drop us a line at digital@b-y.net, and we’ll develop a custom solution for you.