Evaluating your Marketing Campaign: How to know for sure that you are reaching your target market (Offline)

In terms of marketing, practicality is key.  So while online tracking is important, offline tracking is also critical to ensure that those non-traditional marketing channels are working.  Offline tracking is also where you see the actual fruit of your labour in terms of increased sales and increased buzz around your product.

The following are the ways in which you will know for sure that your marketing campaign is reaching your target market offline: 

1.       Increased production: If there is little or no demand for your products, then production either remains the same or decreases.  An increase in production, no matter how slight is a sign that there is an increased need for what you are offering.  A well-defined marketing campaign reaches the targeted customer wherever he is and awakens the need for the product being sold.

2.       Customer Response: Have you seen an uptick in the number of customer purchases? Have you been getting consistent feedback from your customers about varying aspects of your product or the business in general? Then your marketing campaign is working.  A well-designed marketing campaign usually results in an increased awareness of your business, a re-awakening of latent customers and increased buzz around your business.

3.       Improved sales numbers: Improved sales numbers are the best indicator that a marketing campaign is working.  Improved numbers show that the product is at the very least reaching the target market.  It also possibly means that due to the increased notoriety of the product, new customers are influenced to make purchases as well.

4.       Competitor Response: If your competition has amped up its marketing strategy, then that is a sure fire response to the fact that your campaign is making an impact.  It could be that the competition feels threatened or it does not want to be left in your dust.  Use your 'first out of the gate' advantage to wow existing customers and win new customer loyalty.

The line between online and offline marketing almost blurred at this point because one feeds into the other.   However, as a startup with a small budget and a scaled marketing campaign, it is important that you know that your limited budget is not being wasted.