Get marketing ready for 2019
in 6 easy steps
'A
nd so this is Christmas…. and what have you done…?’ goes the familiar John Lennon festive melody. It’s that time of year where we take stock and question what we have achieved and what could have worked better. This is no different for your business, by analysing your end of year wins and losses you’ll be able to plan ahead for a bright and shining New Year that’s just around the corner.
What should you be asking yourself?
1. Did you achieve your marketing goals?
If you did, fantastic and job well done, however if you didn’t you might want to ask yourself if your goals were aligned with your company vision. If they weren’t, it’s likely that you’re working towards different things and that is never a good recipe for success. If your goals were not set to get you closer to your vision, why were they your goals in the first place?
2. Is it time to get more answers?
Markets are always changing and your target audience could have changed, subtly or dramatically. This is the one thing you need to know for sure: Who is your target market, what makes them tick, where do they hang out and what motivates them to buy. If you’ve lost your way, then it’s time to get your target audience together and start asking questions. There’s no need to go very far to get direction. Your audience will provide the answers – all you need to do is ask.
Look here for tips on how to do that.3. Should I make changes to my offer?
If you are sure you know your target audience, great. If you don’t we recommend that you consider undertaking a market research exercise. What do you do with all the information you get back from it - you might ask? You can use it to see if it aligns with your vision. If it doesn’t, you may have to make changes to your offer, your product or your vision itself.
Market research results can be a fantastic guide for your future endeavours. However, be sure not to just extract from it the information you need to justify carrying on with things exactly as they always were. Change is good and, in many cases, crucial to business success.
4. Are you definitely solving a problem?
What you do should solve a problem for your customers. If it doesn’t, then you should question why not. Market research will help you investigate and allow you to apply some serious thinking to your offer or product. If you are confident that your offer is spot on, your core message needs to be clear and focused to encourage or motivate your target audience to act.
5. Are the channels you’re using doing what they are supposed to do?
So you’ve identified your product or service and your brand messaging is spot on. But are you communicating this across the right marketing channels? Ask yourself - Is your website up to scratch? Have you been analysing your Google Analytics results in the last 12 months to check how your website is performing?
We recommend that you review your results and plan any necessary changes for the year ahead. The same goes for your social media: Is your audience engaging with your content? If not, is your tone of voice right? Are you interacting on the right social media platforms? And how is your printed collateral working for you? There is no better time to review your marketing and content to determine what’s performing best in terms of ROI.
6. What should be my focus for the year ahead?
The basic rule is: do more of what has worked and less of what hasn’t. Add new marketing activity to the mix, be it to test or to explore new ways of getting your message across to your customer. Marketing tactics are forever evolving and your brand needs to adapt to the changes in the marketplace, however it should not be ruled by them.
Marketing tools are there to help you to communicate with your audience, the tricky bit is deciding where to focus your efforts. With a careful review of your previous year and a pinch of gut instinct, you have the recipe for making your brand grow and shine even brighter in the New Year.
Inspired by what you’ve just read? Why not follow us @happy_creative or you can always contact us on 01253 446933.
