How do you balance campaign evaluation?

1 Define your objectives and metrics

Before you launch any campaign, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. This will help you to focus your efforts, align your team, and set realistic expectations. You should also choose the most relevant and reliable metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) for your campaign objectives. For example, if your goal is to increase brand awareness, you might use metrics like reach, impressions, and social media mentions. If your goal is to generate leads, you might use metrics like conversions, click-through rate, and cost per lead.

2 Use a mix of quantitative and qualitative data

Quantitative data is the numerical and statistical information that you can collect from your campaign tools, platforms, and analytics. It can help you to track and compare your campaign performance, identify trends and patterns, and calculate your return on investment (ROI). Qualitative data is the descriptive and subjective information that you can gather from your audience feedback, surveys, interviews, and testimonials. It can help you to understand your audience's perceptions, preferences, motivations, and emotions. You should use a mix of both types of data to get a comprehensive and balanced view of your campaign results.

3 Evaluate your campaign at different stages

Campaign evaluation is not a one-time activity that you do at the end of your campaign. It is an ongoing process that you should do at different stages of your campaign lifecycle. For example, you can do a pre-campaign evaluation to establish a baseline and a benchmark for your campaign. You can do a mid-campaign evaluation to monitor your progress and make any necessary adjustments. You can do a post-campaign evaluation to measure your outcomes and learn from your successes and failures.

4 Use a framework or a model to guide your evaluation

To make your campaign evaluation more systematic and consistent, you can use a framework or a model to guide your evaluation. A framework or a model can help you to structure your evaluation, define your criteria, and organize your data. There are many frameworks and models that you can use for campaign evaluation, depending on your needs and preferences. For example, you can use the SMART framework to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives. You can use the RACE model to plan, execute, and evaluate your campaign across four stages: reach, act, convert, and engage.

5 Learn from your evaluation and apply your insights

The ultimate goal of campaign evaluation is not to produce a report or a presentation, but to learn from your evaluation and apply your insights. You should use your evaluation findings to inform your decisions, actions, and strategies for your current and future campaigns. You should also share your evaluation results with your team, stakeholders, and clients, and solicit their feedback and suggestions. You should celebrate your achievements, acknowledge your challenges, and identify your opportunities for improvement.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?