Campaign outcomes are difficult to predict. There are so many variables which affect any campaign’s final result:

• The quality of the campaign concept
• The list quality or audience targeting
• The value of the offer
• The impact of the message and the creative
• The quality of the fulfillment
• The timing
• Sales follow-up and conversion

And then there’s the cost – can you nail all the above elements and stay within budget?

Sophisticated marketers gain an understanding of how all these work together through experience and have a good feel for how to design a high-performing campaign.

To gain this experience, create a detailed campaign plan BEFORE running any marketing campaign. Thinking through all these key elements, and putting numbers into spreadsheets to project campaign success, or ROI.