Always Be Optimizing: The Key to Marketing Success

Alec Baldwin's outspoken character in Glengarry Glen Ross might have a few things to say about your marketing campaign.

While salesmen strive to “always be closing,” those in the marketing business would do well to “always be optimizing” their campaigns.

You might recognize “always be closing” as a common sales phrase popularized by Alec Baldwin’s character in the film Glengarry Glen Ross. Though somewhat controversial, the meaning of the phrase boils down to “always be selling.” That is, always be seeking new prospects and closing as many deals as possible.

A similar sensibility can be applied to marketing with the phrase “always be optimizing.” This is a goal that all marketing professionals who want to improve their campaign should keep in mind.

Why your campaign needs to evolve

If you’re not constantly improving your marketing strategy, the best you can hope for is maintenance. “What I’m doing now has worked fine in the past,” you might think to yourself, “so I’ll just keep at it and maintain the same level of effectiveness.”

This is a rather naive attitude because, to reference another popular phrase, “time changes all things.” The opinions, ideas, tastes, beliefs, and customs of society change every day. Although these changes are subtle, they quickly add up over time. Just look back a year or two ago and reflect on how you and the world around you have changed. Your marketing campaign must change with the times.

Know that I’m not suggesting you constantly test and change everything about your marketing plan every single day. That will annoy your prospects just as much as “always closing” will. Optimize too much, and you’ll eventually hit a point of diminishing returns.

Think of campaign optimization as planting seeds, as shown in this graph made by P.H. Moreno. The more seeds you plant, the higher your net yield... but only to a point.

Still, you should never stop reviewing your marketing on a reasonably regular basis. Your exact timetable will depend on the size of your budget and resources; monthly or bi-weekly is typically a good starting point.

The more time and planning you put into optimizing a campaign, the more successful it becomes. Consider following these three steps when developing a marketing strategy and budget.

1. Include a budget for testing new marketing channels
   This involves allocating money to specific advertising mediums, such as print ads, promotional products, TV commercials or internet banner ads. By testing each channel, you can determine which of them are ultimately effective and worth investing further resources.
2. Add a sub-budget to each channel for testing creative ideas
   Give yourself a little wiggle room in each channel. This sub-budget will allow you to experiment and find out what techniques and concepts work best.
3. Optimize, optimize, and optimize each campaign
   Study the current trends in your industry and in the culture at large. How might your ad campaign be improved? Continue to reevaluate each strategy on a regular basis, making changes as needed.

“Always be closing” isn’t always the best plan; Glengarry Glen Ross showed us that much. However, vigilantly optimizing your marketing campaign (within reason) is a crucial step in reaching out to your prospects. Quit optimizing your campaign, and it will rapidly lose its effectiveness.

Posted in Marketing, Marketing Ideas, Marketing Plans