REFLECTION:  Thoughts on the Course

Most Important

Two elements stick out to me among the many important pieces of a successful marketing campaign, knowing your segment, and understanding your objectives. 

Objectives

           “Well established objectives and goals will form the foundation of full marketing plan strategies and tactics” (Seltzer, 2010). Setting objectives gives a marketer or team of marketers something to work towards and builds the cornerstone of the campaign upon. One of the best ways to ensure the objectives will be successful is by using the S.M.A.R.T. acronym. You can check out more about S.M.A.R.T. goals on my other post about the subject, but here is a quick summary:

· S-Specific: Exactly what does the firm wish to accomplish? 

· M-Measurable: How will the firm know when it has accomplished this goal? 

· A-Achievable: Is this something the firm can achieve?

· R-Relevant: Is the goal appropriate for the firm or department? 

· T-Time-bound: When does the firm wish to complete the goal?

           Set objectives help to direct actions to garner the desired result (Sexton, 2014). This “plan” also encourages firms to consider any legal or ethical concerns about its products or marketing activities and ensures that the firm’s actions align with the firm’s mission. 

Segmentation

           Barone, 2009 states “Put a face on them. Who are they and what are they interested in?” This is a key component of every campaign. Where does your segment hang out, what do they like, and what do they follow or watch? These are just a few of the many questions marketers must answer to create a successful campaign. Lastly, listen to your consumers, and then give them what they need and want! If the firm can solve a pain point for consumers, they will become loyal and trusting customers. 

Change of Opinion

I only feel slightly different in that I am more confident that I understand the psychology concepts of social media marketing more. I’m still somewhat unsure about analytics, but it appears that the field is ever-growing and changing. There isn’t a “one size fits all” approach to marketing campaigns, and each one is a breathing and evolving concept. The idea of constant evolution assures me that I am on the right track and reminds me I need to approach every campaign as a new and separate case. What works for one campaign may not work on another campaign, and one must approach each obstacle as they come about. Each hurdle is merely a new challenge to unravel. 

CITATION:  

References

Barone, L. (2009, July 11). Creating your social media plan: Using Social Media for Business. Outspoken Media. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://outspokenmedia.com/social-media/social-media-planning/.

Seltzer, D. (2010, December 17). Definition of marketing objectives, goals, strategies and Tactics. Suite101. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://web.archive.org/web/20130804174257/http://suite101.com/article/definition-of-marketing-objectives-goals-strategies-and-tactics-a321854.

Sexton, P. (2014, October). Narrow your focus: tackle no more than three measurable goals at a time to actually achieve them. Landscape Management, 53(10), 60+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A389509071/GRNR?u=nhc_main&sid=bookmark-GRNR&xid=2c567930