This article is about discovering how marketing pillars work to enhance your marketing response.

Marketing Pillars Explained

Marketing Pillars or the “Parthenon Strategy” is when you undertake any marketing campaign that will experience a synergistic effect by promoting it via a variety of media. So, if you’re promoting a seminar in the newspaper and you also utilise direct mail, you'll get more responses than you would by running two campaigns promoting separate services. Also, pillar promotion is very important in maximising your reach. For instance, certain people simply won't read local papers, but they may listen to the radio or read direct mail.

Repetition and frequency are important in advertising. Various media outlets will tell you to repeat the same ad again and again on the premise that people are more likely to respond after they hear or see an ad a few times. This IS true but what works even more powerfully is repeating the same message in different media.

Uniquely, when people see your promotional message promoted in one medium (hearing a radio ad, for instance) then see your promotional message in print, they feel they have known your business for longer.

The same effect DOESN'T occur to anywhere near the same extent if that same promotional message is repeated in the same media e.g. lf they hear your radio ad several times. The more pillars you have, the stronger your business is. lf you have less than four pillars, your business is vulnerable or at the very least, you're wasting sales opportunities.

In other words, whenever you run a campaign don’t just stick with one form of marketing. Use a variety of methods. For instance, if you run an ad and you also send out a direct mail campaign you'll get more responses than you would by running two campaigns promoting separate services.
The reason for this is two-fold:

1. Credibility When they see your marketing efforts in two places (or more) prospects are less skeptical of you. They feel you have a large, reputable organisation.

2. Reminder People may glance at your ad and think, “No, that's not for me.” But then they may also receive a direct mail invitation. Because they saw the ad in the paper first, they're more likely to read the letter and vice versa.

So — which medium do you choose?

There are dozens of different media you can advertise in. Some will be effective for your business and some will be a massive waste of time. 

Also, consider that your “pillar strategy” doesn't just apply to the marketing media you use. It also applies to the combination of lead generation and conversion vehicles you use e.g. seminars vs. consultations etc.