How Long Should You Run a Marketing Campaign?

You’ve got something exciting to announce. Maybe it’s a new product launch. Or a new brick and mortar location. Or a limited time offer. Whatever it is, it’s BIG and you want to promote it in a way that captivates your audience. You know you need a marketing campaign, and you know what your ultimate goal is, but when it comes to next steps? That’s where things become less clear.

You have a ton of questions, like:

• What goes into planning a marketing campaign?

• What should I include in my digital marketing campaign plan?

• What’s the ideal length for marketing campaigns?

Ultimately, you don’t want to mess this up. You know you only get one chance to make your big announcement and advertise it the right way. You want to execute this campaign flawlessly from start to finish, but to do that you need to know the steps and best practices.

Timing is one of the most pivotal aspects of any marketing campaign. Get it right, and you’ll do more than just generate a buzz— you’ll generate high quality leads and strengthen your brand reputation. Make a mistake? You’ll be left knowing you missed out on a major opportunity.

So, how long should you run a marketing campaign? And how can you create a schedule that sets you up to be successful?

I’m about to unveil my top insider tips. Keep scrolling!

How to Determine Marketing Campaign Duration

Before you can conclude the time span of your next campaign, there are a few important points you’ll need to consider. The ideal length of your promotional efforts will vary depending on these factors. Let’s take a closer look at each one.

1. THE SIZE OF YOUR ASK

You need to take into account what you’re asking potential clients to do when deciding the most effective timeline for your campaign. If your goal requires minimal time, money, or effort (like asking your audience to book a free 15-minute consultation), you’ll be able to produce results in a shorter period of time. But if it’s a major commitment (like spending $5000 on an event planning package), you’re going to need to play the long game.

Remember, it takes 5-7 interactions on average to convince a consumer to make a purchase. This number increases for major buying decisions, like purchasing a vehicle or hiring a personal trainer. For best results, adjust the duration of your campaign to reflect this.

“It takes 5-7 interactions, on average, to convince a consumer to make a purchase.”

2. THE CURRENT LEVEL OF BRAND AWARENESS

How big is your existing audience? How many social media followers do you have? How many mentions does your brand receive on platforms like Twitter or Tiktok? How many active email subscribers do you have? You’ll need the answers to these questions before deciding how many months or weeks to run your campaign. 

If your current customer base is big enough that selling to 25% of your loyal customers would mean meeting your campaign objective, you may not need to run your campaign as long. But if your goal is to increase your market share and generate new leads, you’ll likely need an extended campaign to make money and achieve your desired outcome.

3. THE CHANNELS YOU PLAN TO UTILIZE

Are you planning to run your campaign on TikTok and Instagram only? Or are you taking an omnichannel approach with multiple channels, like email marketing, Youtube ads, mobile ads, podcast appearances, and influencer marketing? You’ll want to decide this sooner rather than later, since it’ll significantly alter your marketing campaign timeline. To start, you’ll need more time to produce all of the content you’ll need to effectively advertise across multiple channels. You’ll also need more advertising dollars to deliver your messaging via each platform. If either of these requirements is an issue, a smaller, shorter, and more platform-specific campaign might be best.

What’s the Ideal Length for Marketing Campaigns?

As a general rule of thumb, you should plan to run your marketing campaign for 3 months. Why? Because it takes consumers anywhere from 4 weeks to 6 months to familiarize themselves with a brand and fully trust it. Additionally, we must remember the average person sees 6,000-10,000 ads every single day. It takes consistency to break through the sheer amount of noise consumers are exposed to on a regular basis.

The Final Verdict: How Long Should You Run a Marketing Campaign?

It’s difficult to say concretely how much time you should dedicate to running a campaign. My best advice? Consider the results you want, the resources you have at your disposal to create and fund your campaign, and the level of commitment you’re seeking from your audience— then adjust the recommended 3 months accordingly. 

Achieve Shining Results Without All The Stress

You’re busy preparing your business for the exciting next steps you’re about to take. Do you really have the time or energy to dedicate to planning and executing a marketing campaign too?

I created the Campaign Copy Intensive for CEOs, coaches, and consultants just like you. It’s a full-service package that provides ALL THE CONTENT you’ll need to run a high-performance promotional campaign. Together we’ll map out your online sales funnel, identify the content pieces needed to advertise effectively, and even set up your campaign so it's ready to launch at the push of a button.

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