The Pareto principle: how 20% of effort gives 80% of the result

The Pareto principle in marketing helps focus on the actions that bring the main result. The 20/80 method assumes that about 20% of effort can provide 80% of the effect. This is not a universal proportion but a guideline for analyzing effectiveness.

How the Pareto principle works in digital marketing

The 20/80 method, or the Pareto principle, can be applied to different marketing tasks — from creating content to advertising and SEO.

The main thing is to determine which actions bring the greatest return and concentrate resources on them.

How to apply the Pareto method in content and advertising

1. Content — 20% of posts give 80% of reach

Posts in social networks get different numbers of views and reactions. Sometimes a small part of the content brings the main share of reach.

How to apply it:

• Analyze engagement. Determine which posts get more likes, reposts and comments.
• Find the most effective formats: Reels, carousels, stories. Increase their share in the content plan.
• Rework popular materials into other formats: an article into an infographic, a Reel into a carousel.

2. Advertising — 20% of ads give 80% of sales

In advertising campaigns some ads can bring significantly more traffic and conversions than others.

How to apply it:

• Test different creatives and compare their conversion.
• Switch off weak ads and redistribute the budget in favor of effective ones.
• Use retargeting. It can help bring back interested users and raise the effectiveness of advertising.

The Pareto method in SEO and email marketing

3. SEO — 20% of pages give 80% of traffic

On a website, individual pages can generate the main part of the search traffic, while the rest attract significantly fewer visitors.

How to apply it:

• Study analytics in Google Search Console and Yandex Metrica. Find the pages that bring the most traffic.
• Improve these pages: update materials, optimize key queries, add links.
• Create new articles on similar topics that have already shown good results.

4. Email marketing — 20% of subscribers give 80% of conversions

Not all subscribers are equally active. Part of the audience opens emails and follows links more often.

How to apply it:

• Segment the base into active and inactive subscribers.
• Focus on the interested audience. Offer it personalized promotions and materials.
• Remove inactive addresses that may worsen mailing statistics.

Applying the Pareto principle in social networks and sales

5. Social networks — 20% of followers give 80% of activity

A noticeable share of likes, comments and reposts may come from a small group of active followers.

How to apply it:

• Identify the most active users and involve them in communication: run polls, reply personally in stories.
• Create content that this part of the audience finds interesting.
• Run referral promotions. Active followers can attract new people.

6. Digital sales — 20% of clients bring 80% of income

Regular clients can bring a business more income than one-time buyers.

How to apply it:

• Create loyalty programs.
• Offer additional and related goods to the most loyal clients.
• Focus advertising on key audience segments.

Conclusion: how to use the Pareto principle in marketing

The Pareto method helps determine which actions to focus effort on.

For this:

• Single out the most effective content formats.
• Optimize advertising campaigns.
• Improve the website pages that bring the main traffic.
• Work with active followers.
• Pay attention to key clients.

Instead of spreading resources evenly across all tasks, try to determine the actions with the greatest return.

And which 20% of your effort brings the main part of the result?