Embarking on a new marketing campaign can be a lot like deep-sea fishing. Should you go trawling for

anything and everything, or should you be more selective, taking a deep dive into the most promising vertical markets where opportunities to deliver niche solutions are bountiful? The second option requires a bit more advance planning and skill, but it can produce much better results. However, before you launch your campaign, the best advice I can give you is to find an experienced crew that can set you on the right course and help you keep your bearings once you're at sea.

As with most business-building endeavors, you need to start with a realistic budget and then spend the dollars where they're most likely to produce the highest ROI. It's at this point that you should engage Tech Data's full-service marketing arm, TDAgency. We can help you build a marketing campaign budget and find the dollars to fuel it using vendor marketing subsidies or Market Development Funds (MDFs). In fact, these funds may already be available to you, having accrued based on past purchases.

Unfortunately, a lot of resellers are under the misconception that using these vendor-supplied dollars limits you to "one-size fits all" direct mail templates or other cookie-cutter approaches to marketing. This is an urban myth. TDAgency can build a custom, integrated marketing campaign for you with funds from one or more vendors whose non-competing products make up the solution you want to sell. You just need to be able to articulate a measurable objective and expected ROI for the campaign, which, again, is something we can help you do.

Go Where The Fish Are Biting

Most smart fishermen know where the fish are biting. The same reasoning applies to marketing. Focus on a relatively narrow audience so you can address their specific needs. This is a good way to ensure the success and measurability of your marketing campaign. For example, if you decide to target the healthcare market with an Electronic Health Records (EHR) solution, TDAgency can identify small clinics and doctor's offices in the specific geography you cover. TDAgency's telemarketing team can then qualify the target list by cold calling the prospects to ensure they're likely to buy a solution from you.

Doing this work before the first word of a marketing campaign is ever penned helps to ensure the message can be honed to the needs of the audience. After all, the best marketing campaign in the world won't succeed if the message doesn't resonate; so why even bother?

Bait The Hook With Something Shiny

That said, never underestimate the impact of good creative. TDAgency has a staff of award-winning writers and graphic designers who can create integrated campaigns that include any combination of e-mail, direct mail, informational pieces like newsletters and case studies, webinars and even events-essentially any type of marketing vehicle necessary to communicate the message you need to achieve your goals.

Our team will work with you to understand your unique

value add so the campaign clearly differentiates you from your competition and addresses the needs of the vertical market you're targeting. An example of an integrated campaign might include an e-mail blast inviting recipients to a free webinar that explains the cost-savings and compliance benefits of a particular EHR solution. The follow-up activity might be a postcard thanking the attendees and offering an incentive for them to participate in a hands-on demo in their office. This offer could then be followed up with telemarketing to book the date. In the meantime, TDAgency could produce case studies and other informational collateral that further educates the prospects on the benefits of working with your company. Then, during the demo, you could leave these items behind to further reinforce your expertise.

Reel In The Catch

Once the campaign has been executed, you still have to reel in the catch, which is more than just closing a deal or two. It's important to track new customer sales as well as any increases or decreases in purchase histories. If you leverage TDAgency's post-campaign telemarketing services, we can create call-tracking reports that gauge the campaign's success and provide comprehensive reporting that will enable you to measure your ROI.

Marketing is a lot like deep sea fishing. There's a bit of luck involved, but you can dramatically increase your odds of success if you have a seasoned crew that can guide you to where the fish are biting and know the best bait to use to hook your catch. To begin your own vertical marketing campaign, contact the fishing experts at TDAgency by calling 727-571-9302, or send an e-mail to TDAgency@techdata.com.