Are You Testing Boldly Enough?
Are your marketing tests playing it a little too safe?
In today’s marketing world, sometimes you can’t afford to play it safe. As content marketers, you must constantly innovate, adapt, and most importantly, test. Testing isn’t just about validating your ideas; it’s about challenging your assumptions and embracing the possibility of failure as a stepping stone to success. This is precisely what Erin Del Ponte, SVP of Marketing at Swanson Health Products, emphasizes in our latest podcast episode.
Here are some key takeaways from our conversation with Erin:
1. Embrace Bold Testing
2. Understand the Consumer’s Voice
3. Leadership’s Role in Testing
4. Measuring Success Across the Funnel
5. Segment and Tailor Your Approach
6. Learn and Adapt from Failures
7. Bring Leadership Along for the Ride
Embrace Bold Testing
“Be really bold in what you test because sometimes your most powerful pieces of content come from things you think for sure will not work.”
Erin Del Ponte highlights the critical importance of bold testing. As marketers, we often rely on tried-and-true methods, but true innovation comes from daring to test the unconventional. When you push boundaries, you uncover insights that can transform your strategy and yield exceptional results. Bold testing means taking risks, but those risks can lead to the most impactful discoveries.
Understand the Consumer’s Voice
“You don’t know all the answers. The consumer will tell you the answer, and it’s not always what you think it is.”
Listening to your audience is fundamental. Erin shares how Swanson Health Products leans into consumer insights to guide their marketing efforts. By continuously testing and iterating based on consumer feedback, they ensure their content resonates and meets the needs of their diverse audience. This approach allows them to pivot quickly and stay relevant in a rapidly changing market.
Leadership’s Role in Testing
“We have fantastic leadership that supports it. Our CEO’s words were, ‘Go ahead and break things.’”
Support from leadership is crucial for fostering a test-and-learn culture. Erin describes how her CEO’s encouragement to “go ahead and break things” empowers the team to experiment without fear of failure. This kind of support creates an environment where innovation thrives, and marketers can explore new ideas with confidence.
Measuring Success Across the Funnel
“We looked at unique site visitors, branded search increases, social metrics, and bottom-funnel metrics like ROAS and CPMs.”
Successful testing requires robust measurement. Erin explains how Swanson Health Products evaluates success across different stages of the marketing funnel. By analyzing a mix of awareness and conversion metrics, they gain a comprehensive understanding of their campaigns’ effectiveness. This holistic approach ensures that they can attribute success accurately and refine their strategies accordingly.
Segment and Tailor Your Approach
“We did a consumer insights survey to understand our audience and where they consume content.”
Understanding and segmenting your audience is essential for targeted marketing. Erin discusses the importance of consumer insights in shaping their content strategy. By identifying where different generations consume content, they can tailor their messaging to resonate with each segment effectively. This targeted approach maximizes engagement and ensures that marketing efforts are relevant and impactful.
Learn and Adapt from Failures
“We presented the case, it didn’t work as expected, but we learned and adjusted our approach.”
Failure is a part of the learning process. Erin shares a candid example of a campaign that didn’t perform as expected. Instead of viewing it as a setback, they analyzed the results, identified areas for improvement, and adjusted their approach. This iterative process is vital for growth and helps build a resilient and adaptive marketing strategy.
Bring Leadership Along for the Ride
“When you tell the story and bring leadership along for the ride, it helps.”
Getting buy-in from leadership is essential for securing the resources and support needed for bold testing. Erin emphasizes the importance of involving leadership in the decision-making process. By aligning on goals and expectations, you ensure that everyone is invested in the outcomes, making it easier to navigate challenges and celebrate successes together.
Conclusion
In marketing, bold testing and a test-and-learn mindset are essential for staying ahead. Erin Del Ponte’s insights underscore the importance of embracing risk, listening to consumers, and having strong leadership support. By applying these principles, you can create a dynamic and responsive marketing strategy that drives meaningful results.
