Marketing moves fast. Strategies that worked five years ago may seem outdated today. So how about “spray and pray” marketing? You know, when brands push out as much content as possible across all channels hoping something sticks? Does it still deserve a place in the modern marketer’s toolkit?

In this post, we’ll take an in-depth look at spray and pray marketing in 2024. You’ll discover:

Let’s dive in!

What Exactly is Spray and Pray Marketing?

First things first – what is spray and pray marketing?

This approach means pumping out large volumes of content frequently, across multiple channels and formats. The goal is to “blanket” your audience with messaging to increase brand awareness and visibility. It’s a numbers game – spray out enough content and some of it is bound to resonate, right?

Spray and pray typically involves tactics like:

• Publishing blog posts frequently (e.g. multiple times per week)
• Posting daily on social media channels
• Running lots of different ad campaigns with varied messaging
• Participating in online forums and communities
• Guest posting on other websites
• Sending out email newsletters often

The key hallmark is volume – spray and pray is all about creating and distributing heaps of content to saturate your audience. It’s a shotgun approach instead of a sniper’s rifle targeting a specific segment.

This strategy rose to prominence with the social media explosion. Brands rushed to produce content for the major new platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. It seemed the more they posted and tweeted, the better to get attention.

But does this hold true today? Or has the marketing landscape evolved? Let’s weigh up the pros and cons.

The Pros: Why Spray and Pray Marketing Still Has Merit

There are valid reasons Spray and Pray retains devotees in 2024. Benefits include:

1. Low Cost Per Interaction

Blanketing audiences with messaging across channels is relatively cheap. Creating yet another blog post or social post costs little. The more content pushed out, the lower the cost per engagement.

Compare this to high-production campaigns across TV or billboards. Spray and pray is a budget-friendly route to get in front of audiences.

2. Raise Brand Awareness

Frequently posting content on social media and other platforms boosts brand visibility. Even if your messages don’t convert readers, they will become more familiar with your business.

Research shows it takes people multiple touchpoints before recognizing and trusting a brand. Spray and pray may only provide superficial impressions, but these accumulate over time.

3. Content Experiments

When rapidly producing lots of content, you can test different messaging, angles, and formats. See what resonates best with your audience.

The lessons learned can inform future content efforts. Spray and pray provides a “safe” environment to quickly experiment.

4. Appear Active & Engaged

Regularly posting content across channels shows audiences your brand is alive and keen to engage. This cultivates a dynamic, passionate image.

Competing brands that only post sporadically may seem lethargic and indifferent by comparison.

5. Opportunity for Viral Content

If you publish 1,000 posts a year, one of them may strike a chord and “go viral” (get shared widely on social media). Viral content can hugely boost brand awareness and generate leads.

More content = more chances at creating something audiences LOVE enough to share with others.

So spray and pray retains merits in the digital age. It can complement other marketing tactics in your toolkit. However, there are downsides…

The Cons: Dangers of Relying Too Heavily on Spray & Pray

Spray and pray marketing carries risks, including:

1. Content Dilution

When churning out content rapidly, it’s unlikely every piece will be high quality and engaging. The more you post, the more your feed gets “watered down” with mediocre content.

This trains audiences to ignore your message instead of anticipating your next post.

2. Resources Spread Thinly

Creating tons of content spreads your resources and talent thinly. Instead of focused, strategic campaigns, spray and pray have your team rushing to produce generic, low-impact content.

With limited budgets and people, this prevents deploying resources into higher ROI activities.

3. Weakens Brand Identity

Brands that rely heavily on spray and pray rarely cultivate a sharp, identifiable brand identity. Their inconsistent content doesn’t educate audiences on what makes them unique.

This causes audiences to perceive the brand as generic or forgettable. Brand affinity suffers without showcasing your differentiators.

4. Poor User Experience

Spray and pray essentially “spams” audiences by forcing them to sift through torrents of content. This provides a poor user experience, even if they like your brand.

Frustrated users may unfollow or opt out of receiving your content.

5. Algorithm Penalties

Posting low-quality content regularly contravenes best practices for most social media and search engine algorithms now. You risk platforms like Google and Facebook burying your content.

So while spray and pray was effective when algorithms rewarded quantity, the tide has changed. Low ROI beckons brands that don’t adapt.

When Should You Embrace Spray & Pray Marketing?

Given the pros and cons, when should deploying spray and pray tactics? Here are key considerations:

For New Brands Needing Exposure

For unknown brands, spray and pray can be justified to build basic familiarity and follower bases on social media, blogs, etc. The risks around content dilution are outweighed by needing exposure.

To Test Content Ideas

As discussed earlier, spray and Pray provide a framework for testing content formats rapidly. The goal is to learn over definitive ROI.

To Increase Share of Voice Against Competitors

If competitors are outproducing your content volume, spray and pray allow a rapidly increasing share of voice. Matching rivals’ output can be preferable to leaving audiences underserved.

To Promote Time-Sensitive Offers/Campaigns

Blanketing channels with messaging around sales, special offers, and promotions can work, provided the campaign is short-term. Longer durations risk fatigue.

Across High Volume Channels Like Twitter

Twitter users are accustomed to frequent posting from brands, so spray and pray aligns with platform norms. But assess each channel – this approach may jar audiences on lower-volume sites.

When to Avoid Spray & Pray Marketing

Some contexts clearly unsuitable for spray and pray tactics include:

For Established Brands

Once brand awareness has grown, shift to quality over quantity. Spraying audiences that already know you waste a budget better spent elsewhere.

With Production-Heavy Content

Don’t rapidly create resource-intensive content types, like videos or podcasts. Spray and pray works best for simpler, text-based content.

Without Analyzing Performance

Don’t get stuck in an “output for output’s sake” cycle. If data shows low ROI content, stop without assessing insights.

On Channels Rewarding Quality

Avoid on platforms increasingly focused on content quality, like LinkedIn. Poor content gets ignored instead of going viral.

When Targeting Niche Audiences

For niche audiences, tailored content outperforms mass spray and pray. Take time crafting value-added content specifically for your niche.

When Resources Are Already Stretched

Don’t overextend budgets and teams with spray and pray on top of existing efforts. Find efficiencies first before ramping up volume.

Optimizing a Spray & Pray Approach

If spray and pray aligns with your strategy, how do you optimize implementation? Here are tips:

Set Specific Goals

Define what success looks like. This may be follower growth, social shares, leads generated, etc. Track efforts against these KPIs.

Spend Time on Pillars of Great Content

Rushing leads to subpar content. So invest sufficient time on research, drafting, editing, and promotion planning.

Vary Content Types & Topics

Avoid repetitive posts. Experiment across blogs, videos, visual formats, advice, etc. Broad topics keep audiences engaged versus narrow angles.

Closely Monitor Performance

Analyze metrics by content type and channel. Double down on what proves most popular; change or cease underperforming efforts.

Use Automation Tools

Leverage automation tools to ease the production of high-volume content, like AI writing software or social scheduling tools. But ensure outputs remain engaging.

Commit For a Short Period

Try spray and pray over a defined timeline, like 2-3 months. Set goals to achieve within this period to hold yourself accountable.

Sprinkle in High-Value Content

Balance broadly distributed content with “hero” pieces showcasing your best work. Audiences appreciate both frequency and quality.

The Verdict: Spray and Pray Has its Place, But Avoid Going Overboard

So what’s the verdict? There’s still a place for spray and pray marketing in 2024, but avoid overreliance.

For new brands needing exposure or testing ideas, spray and pray provides cost-efficient reach. It allows a rapidly increasing share of voice against competitors.

But too much focus on quantity over quality poses risks. You may get short-term boosts in visibility, but weaken your positioning longer-term through content dilution and poor user experience.

Align your efforts to channel norms – frequent posting on Twitter may work, but jar audiences on platforms favoring value over volume. And keep assessing performance: double down on what resonates, and cut back on what falls flat.

Getting the balance right means spray and pray can complement smart digital marketing strategies focused on audience value. But use it judiciously to avoid diminishing returns. Give your audiences a healthy diet of quality and frequency across channels.

So be selective with spray and pray, not reckless. Monitor data closely and adjust efforts based on learnings. With the right balance, it can enhance results without dominating your approach.

What’s your experience using spray and pray marketing?