What Would Don Draper Do?

 If you are in the advertising world and the name Don Draper does not ring a bell, I suggest you stop what you are doing, and binge watch AMC’s hit Mad Men. Jon Hamm’s character knew a thing or two about successful advertising campaigns, even back in the 60’s. He was aware that before starting any advertising campaign, one must use their creative angle: “If you do not like what’s being said, change the conversation.” Draper once said. 

Even more so, if no one has said it, it is your job to say it. Here are some helpful tips and practices to keep in mind when starting an online advertising campaign. After all, we have graduated from the days of solely relying on print, and the world is continuously changing. 

Know Your Ultimate Goal

    Be sure to know the direction you want your advertising to go.  Whether it is increasing your social media presence, gaining more traffic on your eCommerce website, having a detailed plan of action is crucial. Once you have set your path, you should set up conversion tracking to better measure how each aspect of your campaign is performing against that particular goal. Whatever isn’t working, change it, and make it happen. 

Budget and Schedule 

When it comes to scheduling and budgeting, there are a myriad of questions to ask:

how much do you want to spend on this campaign?

Will your budget be renewed?

If so, monthly?

If it is limited, when will the end date be?

The list can go on forever. Be sure to learn how to create and set your campaign budget. 

Know Your Audience 

    Seems like common sense, right? Key aspects to focus on when it comes to targeting an audience are the following: who will see the ad? What demographic are you targeting? What social networks identify with the type of persona we are looking to attract? Be sure to focus using appropriate keywords so that searches can easily find you.     

Say It Right

   Know what exactly you want to say and how to say it. Questions to ask when creating ad content:

What will your ads promote (a product, service, etc.)?

What are the main advantages you want to emphasize?

What material can you use with your ad (video, image, etc.)?

What hook (headline, copy, call to action) will attract your potential audience to click on your ad?
    

Structure then Build It 

    Once you have thought out these checkpoints, you are ready to take the structure that has been outlined above and create your campaign. Remember to think innovatively, be smart in how you put your ads to use and watch the results fly.