Many marketing campaigns fail because the outcome is not fully articulated. In fact, when I ask Managers what they are trying to accomplish with their marketing program, many still say, "branding" or "to generate leads." Although I applaud the quick response, it's simply not enough.

When planning a marketing campaign, get perfectly clear on what you want to accomplish by when. If it's leads your after, how many? what qualifies a lead? how will you measure? who will determine lead quality? by when?

The more you think about the type of outcome your looking for... with greater detail, the easier it is to define the marketing initiative, tactics, and budget for your marketing campaign. Keep these questions in mind when planning the next campaign:

1. What are you trying to create? (leads, sales, etc.)
2. How do you know when you've achieved your goal?
3. What qualifies as a lead, sales, etc.? (purchase w/o refund?)
4. How much time is associated with your campaign?
5. What are you looking for in terms of activity (2% open, 1% click, etc.)
6. How much do you want to generate (revenue, ROI, etc.)
7. How will you measure effectiveness?

By keeping these questions in mind, and focusing on the results you wish to achieve with detail, you will find that developing an effective marketing campaign is easier than you might think. Marketing requires attention to detail and specific outcomes to be defined. Happy marketing.