One of the biggest campaigns I ever worked on involved a series of 20 regional 30-second TV spots (it was for a large sporting event spanning multiple states).

The concept involved user-generated iPhone footage, motion graphics, and voiceover.

We wrote the scripts, developed storyboards, and had sample music to drive the overarching theme.

The client liked the idea.

But before the client would greenlight the entire project, they had to see a "test" version of one 30-second spot.

I was furious. Our team had spent a lot of time on the creative brief process. I knew it was a good concept.

But the client was right.

We needed to produce a pilot to get buy-in from all of the key stakeholders.

By producing a test version of a spot, we refined the campaign's main tagline, locked down the voiceover, and got a sense of the pacing.

The pilot process helped avoid cost overruns in post-production and ensured everyone was on the same page.

In the Hollywood Reporter, J.J. Abrams, Director and Producer, stated, "Pilots are a chance to test the waters with an idea that could become something much bigger. It’s a way to see if the concept resonates with the network and the audience before committing to a full season."​

Too many marketers try to produce a full season before they know if the pilot works.

Pilots work for TV. They work in Hollywood. And they're a smart move for B2B marketers.

If you're sick of spinning your wheels on strategy documents and plans without getting a green light from management...it's time to embrace the power of the pilot.

Think of a pilot as a mini-version of your grand marketing vision. It's a chance to experiment, gather data, and fine-tune your strategy or concept before committing to a larger investment.

You might think, "But I'm not producing a Netflix show or film."

And that's ok.

As a B2B marketer, here are a few ideas where a pilot can help you get a bigger marketing project rolling:

• Launch an internal interview series: Tap into the knowledge of your company's subject matter experts and share their insights with your company's audience. From these initial conversations, you might create a few blog posts or even short social posts.

• Produce a podcast pilot episode: Test the waters of podcasting without committing to a full season. You don't have to set up Spotify, develop cover art or create short social clips — do a dry run with someone on your team. Be the host, test the recording software, or edit the first episode. Use the pilot episode to see what works and what doesn't.

• Create a customer feedback video series: Highlight your satisfied customers and showcase the value of your product or service. Before you do extensive case studies, you can get short soundbites or text quotes from customers first. A tool like testimonial.to or senja.io is helpful for this use case.

• Ghostwrite social media content for an executive: Are your company's execs hesitant to post on social? Help your leaders establish a strong online presence and thought leadership by ghostwriting a few posts. Get them to release the posts, engage with your audience, and evaluate the results.

As a marketer and entrepreneur, I think I have good instincts.

But I don't really know what will work or not until I try.

And I believe one of the best ways to try is to do some work and pilot a project.

So don't let the fear of the unknown hold you back.

Embrace the power of the pilot.

Start small and iterate your way to a bigger, better project.

P.S. - Drop me a line and let me know if you've taken the pilot approach in the past.

— Tristan Pelligrino

Featured content

Two key components to building a personal brand on LinkedIn with Kirsti Lang from Buffer

Kirsti Lang, Senior Content Writer at Buffer, mentioned this recently on Tech Qualified. Her quote cuts to the heart of personal branding on LinkedIn. It's a reminder that to truly connect with your audience, you need to understand their pain points and offer solutions. This advice is essential for any marketer (and especially company executives) looking to build a strong personal brand and establish themselves as a thought leader in their industry.

This quote by Jonathan Kvarfordt (on Rep Matters) is a game-changer for sales professionals. It highlights the power of AI in elevating your communication skills, even if you're not a natural wordsmith. By leveraging AI tools and learning from the best, you can refine your own writing skills quickly.

Recent releases from Marketers in Demand

One last thing…

If you came across this newsletter outside of your inbox somehow, we’d love it if you’d subscribe. Click here to make sure you get each new issue delivered directly to your inbox. And if you know anyone who might like these emails, please forward it along!

Thanks for reading. See you for the next one.

— Tristan Pelligrino

Marketers in Demand is crafted by: