To begin, we believe there is room for both: seasonal campaigns, as well as establishing activities that are always on and always available when your audience is seeking them. To us, this means generating an opportunity and material for always-on activities to have an influence on your business or brand daily.

Most significantly, if you currently have a content marketing plan or follow inbound marketing ideas, this is unlikely to be a dramatic move for you. Always-on activities are simply another method to use your data and insights to prioritise your customers and services.

Always-on marketing: what is it?

The term “always-on marketing” refers to a methodical strategy of planning, organising, and optimising ongoing marketing initiatives that support client acquisition and retention throughout the client lifecycle. To make it clear, take a look at the following comparison:

• Campaign – short-term, intense sales and promotion
• Always-on – continuously running marketing campaign.

In reality, you probably already do some always-on marketing, such as sponsored social media advertising that is constantly running.

Always-on activities frequently contain content or are a component of your content marketing strategy. In addition to traditional content such as written articles, advertisements, and social media, we are seeing an increasing number of companies include gamification in their marketing.

While some organisations employ gamification as part of timed marketing efforts (campaigns with an end date), we are witnessing an increase in the number of organizations who keep their game campaigns going permanently or for at least a year. This allows them to communicate with their audience and acquire critical data when the moment is optimal for them.

According to recent Think With Google research, 75% of smartphone users expect to receive instant information when using their smartphone. When combined with the fact that 51% of customers feel they should be able to contact a business at all times, this demonstrates that we (consumers) demand rapid responses, whether through our smartphones or a company’s customer service.

How does always-on marketing work?

The objective is to be as visible and persuasive as possible for each consumer by being present at any time.

Consider sponsored search, SEO, or social media; these channels do not require your marketing staff to be online at the same moment a client discovers you, and the chance for a new client to discover your brand is always present.

With the help of your internet advertisements or SEO efforts, you may advance a consumer into the relationship nurturing stage once they have achieved the height of the awareness stage.

All of this can and should be automated, so to succeed, you will need a lot of data.

Because always-on marketing is focused on the unique client experience, dynamic customization of marketing materials is essential and should always be analysed and improved upon.

There is no “one size fits all” solution to always-on marketing, and it often includes every element of your strategy, both in-store and online. It’s important to always be available to your consumers and to be able to reach them no matter where they are.

Is it only for B2C businesses?

It’s tempting to believe that some strategies, such as always-on marketing, are only for B2C (business-to-consumer) and not for B2B (business-to-business) (business-to-business). However, this is a mistake since, even in a B2B setting, your clients still want their demands met when seeking something particular.

We like how MarTech Advisor explains it: “The ‘always-on’ aspect of B2B marketing has become essential to reach and maintain your message in front of target prospects throughout the purchase process. If your message isn’t presented to them before they’re prepared to interact, you’ve probably lost the chance to enter their consideration set. ”

What does this imply? You may interact with prospects when they are in the consideration or search phases if you have always-on content or activities.

Questions to ask before introducing always-on marketing

1. Are we ready to experiment, make changes, and try again?
   As marketers, we must understand that our job includes testing, evaluating, and modifying. This is applicable for brand positioning, gamification initiatives, social media posts, and always-on activities. To be successful, you must be open to adjustment in order to deliver the kind of experience your clients demand.
2. Is first-party data available to us?
   Being closer to the client and collecting information directly from them has always been the aim. We also know that the method many advertisers obtain data via third-party cookies will shortly and permanently change.
   So how do you plan to get consumer or audience information? Gamifying your marketing initiatives is one approach to engage your audience more deeply (and collect first-party data). We have seen that when an experience is engaging and enjoyable, customers are eager to provide personal information since there is a significant value exchange taking place. The capacity to personalise while improving relevance for your audience is one of the main advantages of using first-party data.
3. Are we creating value from the very beginning?
   Customers decide when they connect with us and (obviously) when they are ready to make a purchase. If they only discover your company or brand during the acquisition phase, it is doubtful that you will succeed in getting the sale or the client.
   The answer is best explained by the following blog post from LinkedIn: “Ideally, you should be generating value for customers long before they are ready to make a purchase, while they are merely studying, investigating, and educating themselves. You need to be prepared anywhere they may be, not only on your own website and channels. All of it is a component of a marketing strategy that is focused on the consumer. ”
   Designing a customer experience with continuous, always-on activities or content can be an effective solution. By carefully crafting this experience, marketers can ensure that it aligns with their customers’ needs.

The significance of always-on for marketers

Always-on means being prepared to interact with your audience. Instead of beginning campaigns in the conventional sense when your company is prepared to announce something new, it implies having your campaigns and strategies in place beforehand. Our main conclusion from this is that it does not matter when we are prepared to promote a campaign; instead, it matters when our audience is seeking that particular good or service.

We believe that always-on activities are a wonderful business strategy because they enable you to create what your clients need or desire and make it available to them whenever it is convenient for them. Consider it to be similar to always-on lead generation initiatives. The activities can therefore be done in person, online, or a combination of both.

Being relevant while your audience is searching for the good or service your company provides is the secret to always-on activity. However, be sure to follow the data as a guide.