6 Campaign timing factors to consider
6 campaign timing factors to consider
An enticing perk is essential, but campaign timing is arguably the most important piece. Learn about the important timing factors to consider when planning your campaign.
Give Ample Time for Hummingbirds to Plan
It’s important to remember that hummingbirds are real people with busy lives and schedules; it’s what makes them so effective for word-of-mouth marketing! When you start planning your campaign, consider timing for the hummingbirds to:
Express interest for the campaign
Plan a time to visit or try your product/service
Post on social media
The more time you give hummingbirds, the higher number of hummingbirds will be able to express interest and participate in the campaign. We recommend giving them two weeks to express interest. This gives either your team or our team a higher number of hummingbirds to choose from so you can have the best mix possible for a successful campaign.
Four types of campaigns & important factors to keep in mind
Events
Designing campaigns for a time-sensitive event, like a concert or festival, can be tricky. Having hummingbirds go to the event and post about it does not always allow enough time for amplification, unless it’s a 10+ day event.
One option is to find hummingbirds that went to the event in previous years and have photos or videos to share. They will need enough time to find those files and create organic posts.
Another option is to have them try a vendor that will be at the event. This requires enough time for them to try the vendor and post on social media, and enough time for their followers to plan to go to the event.
If the event is 10+ days long, you can have the Hummingbirds attend day one and post on social media ASAP. The downside of this option is that the pool of available birds will drop because not everyone will be able to attend on day one.
Visiting During a Timeframe
We recommend giving hummingbirds a two-week window to visit your brick-and-mortar storefront. Two weeks versus one means more birds can fit the visit into their schedules, allowing more birds to express interest in the campaign. Giving this much time also allows for some flexibility and a better experience for them. However, too much time reduces urgency for hummingbirds, so posts might be very spread out or be published all at the end.
Buying a Product
Some campaigns require hummingbirds to drive to a retail store, buy a specific product, and try it at home. Remember earlier when we talked about hummingbirds being real people? Well, have you ever driven home after a long day and forgotten to stop at the store? Or maybe you did stop but were too exhausted to make dinner with the ingredients you just purchased? This option is nice for the brands because they don't have to mail products, but it does add an additional step for the hummingbirds, so giving them ample time to try the product is important.
Mailing a Product
Weather delays, transit issues, and other problems can occur when you mail a product. Have you ever received a package that belongs to your neighbor? That happens, too! Calculate how much time your packages will take to arrive, and then add on a couple days just to be safe!
After the package arrives, give your Hummingbirds at least one week to try your product and create a dynamite post for social media. If you want an Instagram Reel, those take even longer, so keep that in mind, too.
Plan Time to Amplify and Share
Your experience doesn’t end after the hummingbirds post. They create fantastic UGC, but it’s up to you to share it on your own social media pages! Doing this takes a small time investment, so make sure your social media point person has 4-5 hours set aside throughout the campaign to monitor and share the content.
