As we head into the last few months of the year, the countdown is on to develop your marketing strategy for the new year. No pressure or anything, but this is important stuff! Here are some do's and don'ts to help you build and execute a winning marketing strategy — next year and beyond.
Do review your website. It is a good practice to review your website every year, so now is a great time to go through it page by page. If there are housekeeping items that need to be done or major updates you're thinking of implementing, make a wish list for your website management company.
Don't rely on your website alone for lead generation. So many companies build a website, then turn it loose in the world — only to wonder where all the leads are. Now is the time to consider additional tools such as SEO, Google Adwords, or social media to drive traffic to your website — and leads to your phones.
Do evaluate your target audience and plan your strategy around them. If your audience is mostly business owners/key decision-makers, you may want to consider a strategy around LinkedIn and email marketing. Likewise, a younger audience would respond better to social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat.
Don't underestimate the power of content marketing. Video marketing and blogging are great ways to reach and engage with your audience. Keeping your content fresh and up-to-date is so important in our ever-evolving world.
Do consider aesthetic changes. In the case of your business' brand, looks do matter. Is all of your branding consistent across all platforms: digital and print? How long as your logo been around — is it time to update it or perhaps recreate it altogether? These are just some questions to ask as you consider your marketing strategy and spend for the next year.
Don't do something if you can't feasibly keep up with it. It's easy to see all of the awesome marketing tools out there and want to adopt them all for your business. However, we would not recommend this approach. Choosing the right marketing concepts and strategy and doing them well is the most effective way to get your best ROI.
