9 Resolutions to Improve Your Marketing in the New Year

9 Resolutions to Improve Your Marketing in the New Year

Like most people, you’re probably making resolutions to improve your life in the year ahead.

The beginning of a new year is also an ideal time to make some resolutions to improve your marketing.

Here are nine resolutions that can help you produce better results from your marketing investment and develop a smarter marketing strategy in the coming year.

9 Ways to Improve Your Company’s Marketing in the New Year

1. Audit it. When was the last time you took a good, hard, top-to-bottom look at everything you’re doing in marketing? A marketing audit can help you objectively evaluate all your tactics, messages, and channels to see what’s working and what isn’t. Use my free guide to conducting a marketing audit to get started.
2. Upgrade it. If you’re limping along with outdated materials or using do-it-yourself tools to create marketing, it’s time to up your game_, especially if you’re in a competitive marketplace. Get professional help from a marketing agency or marketing consultant to create that new brand, website, sales presentation, social media campaign, or marketing plan. The expertise of a marketing pro can transform the impact of your efforts.
3. Integrate it. Do all your marketing materials and tactics look and sound like they come from the same company? Inconsistent messaging and branding confuses your audience. No more excuses: Develop key messages that communicate the unique value you deliver, create branding standards, and develop a fresh, distinctive design approach. Then commit to deploying this new creative framework consistently across all marketing initiatives and channels.
4. Measure it. Almost everything you do in marketing can be measured and now is the time to get started. There are free and inexpensive ways to measure the performance of your website or track your activity on social media. Use your own sales and marketing database to measure lead generation and conversion. Use market research to gauge customer satisfaction and prospect awareness. Start the New Year by establishing a baseline for where you are now, set objectives for where you want to go, and track your results.
5. Target it. Chances are, at least some of your marketing is being wasted on people who will never buy your products and services due to lack of interest, budget, or buying authority. Talk to your sales team and analyze your customer database to profile the characteristics of your very best customers. Then target your marketing to prospects who match this profile.
6. Experiment with it. Resolve to test new approaches in the New Year, such as a new trade show, new social media channel, new content marketing tactic, or new offer. Brainstorm with your marketing agency and internal team to come up with ideas. Then prioritize ideas by their potential impact on sales and test the top three.
7. Invest in it. Marketing is a fundamental function of operating a successful business. Starving your marketing budget can save money now but it will cost you in the long run. Look at marketing as an investment in customer acquisition and retention and commit the resources to achieve success.
8. Plan it. With the daily challenges of meeting your next deadline, it can be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. Every business needs a marketing plan. The most important resolution you can make is to outline why you’re doing marketing, what you want to achieve, who you want to reach, what you want to communicate, and how you’ll deliver your messages.
9. Enjoy it. Marketing is serious business but it also should be fun. There’s nothing more exciting than finding new, creative ways to engage your audience with messages that demonstrate the value of your products and services – and there’s nothing more rewarding than producing measurable results that impact the bottom line. If you’re not having fun with marketing, figure out why and fix it now so the year ahead will be one of your best.