How do you test and experiment with different field marketing tactics and channels?

1 Define your objectives and metrics

Before you start testing and experimenting, it is important to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve with your field marketing efforts and how you will measure your results. Depending on your objectives, different metrics can be used to track performance, such as reach, engagement, leads, conversion, retention, and ROI. Additionally, realistic and specific benchmarks and targets should be set for each metric based on previous data, industry standards, or best practices.

2 Choose your tactics and channels

When you have your objectives and metrics in place, you can select field marketing tactics and channels to test and experiment with. Events such as webinars, workshops, seminars, demos, or networking sessions are a great option. You can also use guerilla marketing to attract attention and generate buzz around your brand by employing unconventional and creative methods, such as street art, flash mobs, stunts, or giveaways. Pop-up shops can create temporary retail spaces to showcase your products or services in high-traffic locations. Sampling is another option to offer free samples of your products or services to potential customers in strategic locations. Direct mail can be used to send physical mailings to prospects or customers. When making your choices, consider the tactics and channels that match your objectives, budget, resources, and audience preferences. Timing, location, and frequency of the activities should also be taken into account.

3 Design your experiments

After you have chosen your tactics and channels, you need to design experiments to test and compare their effectiveness. A/B testing allows you to compare two variants of the same field marketing tactic or channel, such as different headlines, images, offers, or calls to action. With multivariate testing, you can test multiple variants of different elements of the same field marketing tactic or channel. Split testing enables you to test two or more different field marketing tactics or channels. For each experiment, you should have a clear hypothesis, a control group, a test group, and a sample size that is large enough to produce reliable results. Additionally, make sure to run your experiments for a sufficient period of time to account for external factors.

4 Analyze your data and optimize your strategy

Finally, you need to analyze your data and optimize your strategy based on your findings. Using the metrics that you have defined, evaluate the performance of each field marketing tactic or channel that you tested and experimented with. Look for patterns, trends, insights, or anomalies that can help you understand what worked and what didn't. Based on your analysis, you can scale up tactics or channels that delivered the best results and met objectives, modify those with potential but need improvement or adjustment, and drop those that performed poorly. Additionally, keep testing and experimenting with new or different field marketing tactics or channels to optimize your strategy and stay ahead of the competition.

5 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?