It’s a new year and individuals and businesses around the world are looking to 2021 for a fresh start. Chances are you’ve already set personal goals and made resolutions. But now is the perfect time to do the same for your business. To get your new year off to a great and rewarding start, here are eight marketing resolutions you should make (and keep):
1. Identify what worked and what didn’t.
Look back at your 2020 marketing strategies and identify what was successful and which ones produced less than stellar results. To boost your success in 2021, look for trends as well as opportunities to fine-tune high-performing initiatives. For example, maybe your blog content generated a good response rate, but users weren’t as engaged with other areas of your website. Or perhaps you are seeing more activity with your LinkedIn posts. Think about what you should do more or less of in the year ahead.
2. Re-evaluate your target markets.
If your company is like most businesses, you underwent some big changes last year. If so, it’s a good idea to make sure that you’re still marketing to the right target audience. Did you introduce new products or services last year? Are you seeing more business from a new industry sector? Which clients performed best last year? Use these insights to refine your ideal customer personas.
3. Define your competitive advantage.
Depending on your business category, your company could be facing either less or more competition in the coming year. While some businesses have been forced to close, others have embraced the pivot and emerged stronger than before. Take a look at the competition and determine what it is you do better than anyone else. Be sure your employees, customers and target audiences understand what sets your brand apart and then capitalize on it.
4. Get your marketing strategy down on paper—and use it all year long.
We know we sound like a broken record, but we can’t say it enough: businesses can’t achieve success without a written marketing plan. In a perfect world, you finalized your marketing plan before the end of the year. But if your plan still needs attention, or if you don’t have a plan in place, carve out the time to create a marketing plan for 2021. We know this can be a daunting task, so follow our eight-step process to create a plan that will help you achieve critical goals. Writing down your marketing plan isn’t enough. Share it with stakeholders, review it monthly and make changes throughout the year as conditions change and opportunities emerge.
5. Try something new.
If we learned anything from 2020, it’s that we can’t keep doing what we’ve always done simply because we’ve always done it that way. Whether you introduce a new product or service, explore video or podcast marketing, try a new marketing channel or implement a new technology, 2021 is the time to try something new. When experimenting with a novel approach, be sure you define what success looks like. It’s important that your new strategy drives actual results.
6. Reduce, reuse and recycle.
Apply this “green” corporate initiative to your marketing content and retire outdated content, refresh your best-performing content and repurpose existing content into new formats. Take the time to conduct a content audit and determine what content is working, what needs to be refreshed, and what can be transformed into something new.
7. Ask for help when you need it.
Unfortunately, many people believe that asking for help is a sign of weakness. But bringing in the insights and expertise of others can lead to new and more effective solutions, strengthen relationships and support business growth. Whether you collaborate with peers or turn to outside resources, think of asking for help as giving others an opportunity to contribute to your collective success.
8. Communicate and connect.
The last year has deeply demonstrated our powerful need for human connection. This applies both to colleagues in the workplace and with prospects and customers. With co-workers, a sense of connection can enhance morale, drive innovation and increase productivity. With prospects and customers, marketing content and outreach that is consistent and meaningful demonstrate that you care more about just their business—you care about their success. Make connecting with others a daily priority.
How to keep your resolutions
Setting goals is a hallmark of successful businesses and there’s no better time than the new year to establish critical personal and business objectives. But all too often, excitement and determination begin to fizzle after a few short weeks or months. Experts agree when people write down their goals, they dramatically improve their chance of success. When they communicate those goals to others, it really lights a fire. Establishing goals together and openly discussing them create mutual encouragement, shared accountability and a greater likelihood for success. Do you need help putting your 2021 resolutions into effect? Contact Trade Press Services for a complimentary consultation on your marketing plan.
