This article explores the core principles of RACE and learn how each stage of this framework can help brands build an audience, convert leads, and increase customer loyalty.
Whether you’re a startup or an established business, having a well-defined marketing approach is a must for your digital growth.
Navigating the complexities of digital marketing is impossible without a clear roadmap, and that’s where the RACE planning framework can serve you. In this article, you’ll explore what RACE is and how it contributes to building a robust online presence, attracting and retaining customers, and ultimately driving business growth.
The RACE framework is a four-step marketing model. RACE stands for Reach, Act, Convert, Engage, and is tied to different marketing funnel stages. It’s aimed at helping businesses implement a more structured, planned approach to digital marketing and can be applied by B2B and B2C companies of all sizes.
To be more precise, RACE consists of five steps rather than four. The fifth step is Plan, which is added at the top of the funnel and plays a vital role. This step implies creating the overall digital marketing strategy and defining goals. Some people even call the framework “PRACE” including the initial planning phase into the name. Another version of the name — “RACCE” — implies that the Convert stage matters so much that it is divided into two sub-stages: Convert 1 and Convert 2.
But we prefer “RACE” for simplicity, sticking to the idea that all stages are equally important. The framework is structured following the traditional marketing funnel, with each stage having its objectives as outlined in this diagram.
The RACE framework is a comparatively new concept. It was created in 2010 by Dave Chaffey, a digital strategist and co-founder of Smart Insights.
Chaffey developed the framework after his research showed that 47% of businesses didn’t have a digital marketing plan. At the same time, he found that marketers were keen to develop a plan but were unsure how to start and structure it. Therefore, he invented the RACE model as a planning strategy that is now used by marketers and other professionals around the world.
We created the RACE planning framework to help businesses plan and manage their activities in a more structured way.
Dave Chaffey
Each component of the RACE model is aimed at helping brands guide their customers through their buying journey, from initial awareness to post-purchase engagement. Let us demonstrate this with an example of a corporate website and some actions your marketing team can implement as part of the RACE model.
R: Reach
The first phase is all about expanding the visibility and accessibility of your site to a wider audience. To create multiple interactions, a digital marketer can use different paid, owned, and earned media touchpoints.
Activities that fall into this phase might include:
These tactics are important for raising awareness about your brand and increasing the reach of your site over time. The RACE framework emphasizes setting clear objectives and key performance indicators at each stage.
KPIs which need to be observed in the first phase are:
A: Act
The third phase is converting leads into customers. During this phase, the ultimate step towards sales occurs, transforming your visitors into paying clients. The payment can be done online, for example, through ecommerce transactions, or offline by using invoices.
As a marketer or a business owner, put yourself in the shoes of your lead. What’s stopping them from making that final step to purchase? How can you convince them that they need your product or service?
Here are some measures that you can use to convert leads on your website:
A/B testing: Testing different CTA copies, their placement across the web page, size, and color scheme to understand which variation has the potential to get the most conversions.
KPIs to observe in this phase are:
C: Convert
The second phase is “Act”, which is short for “Interact” as the creators of the RACE framework suggest. Once you have successfully driven traffic towards your website or another online channel it’s time to present how these future customers engage with your product or brand.
What you should watch out for at this stage:
Responsive design: Optimizing your website for mobile devices, ensuring that CTAs and other interactive elements are easily clickable and accessible on mobile devices without the need for excessive scrolling or zooming.
KPIs that are key for measurement in the Act phase are:
E: Engage
The final phase focuses on building long-lasting relationships with your first-time customers which will guarantee you long-term profit. The goal of the Engage phase is to accelerate repeat purchases and brand advocacy.
What can be utilized at this stage to engage and retain customers:
Community building: Creating communities for customers to connect, share experiences, and get involved in the life of your brand, offering topics for discussion, and rewarding the most active users.
The KPIs of this stage include:
As you can see, the RACE framework was created as a structured approach for small and large businesses to help them attract, engage, convert, and retain customers.
It’s particularly valuable for those seeking to maximize their online marketing effectiveness but don’t know how. Amongst its many advantages, there are:
RACE encompasses a wide array of inbound marketing methods, including paid, owned, and earned strategies. Additionally, the framework incorporates traditional offline marketing tactics.
RACE focuses on practical and actionable steps you can take right away without having deep technical expertise.
Each phase within the RACE marketing model corresponds to a stage of the customer lifecycle or marketing funnel, starting from building awareness to lead generation, conversion, and customer loyalty.
The framework clearly defines KPIs that digital marketers should monitor at each stage for setting targets and improving performance.
When done correctly, RACE can improve the effectiveness of your marketing strategy and ultimately increase sales.
At Attico, we believe that the RACE model can serve as a tool for your website growth, driving conversions, and improving user acquisition. Therefore, our project management office has recently adapted it to their processes. Stay in touch to know more about how we use RACE for our internal and external projects and which results it helped us achieve.
