The new year is fast approaching, and we all know what that means: new year’s resolutions. It’s a time to reflect on the last 12 months and make new goals. But it doesn’t all have to be about more gym time and fewer carbs — this is the perfect opportunity to step back and assess your marketing efforts.
As you take stock of your company’s marketing practices, be honest. What’s holding you back from improving your customer attraction, engagement, and conversion? What could you be doing better?
We have a few ideas for marketing goals to set in 2020.
1. Leverage Your Data
Data-driven marketing is everything these days. From your audience’s online buying habits to your email click-through rates, you need to have a firm understanding of your customers and their behavior. But according to a 2018 Consulting/IBM Watson Marketing Study, 88% of marketers aren’t using data to its fullest potential. That’s why you need to take data collection and analysis seriously — and even have a data analytics strategy. The more you know about the ROI on your marketing efforts, the more you can tailor your communications across the board to drive more business.
2. Embrace Technology
There’s no getting around it: Technology is critical. If you’re not using basic marketing technology, you’re missing out on customer engagement and conversion. A few of the most important tools include:
- Marketing automation: As your content marketing strategies grow, the more you’ll need to streamline and properly organize your outreach and engagement efforts (such as email marketing and social posts). Some popular platforms to do this include HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, Marketo, and Prospect.io.
- Content management: You should have a robust Content Management System (CMS) to not only have a stellar website but also provide quality customer experiences. Some popular platforms include Wordpress, Squarespace, Wix, Magnolia, and Weebly.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM): This is a tool that allows you to manage your interactions and relationships with potential and current customers (including data like contact information, purchase history, and communications received). Some popular platforms include SalesForce, Agile, Zoho, and Pipedrive.
Remember that it’s not enough just to have the technology — you should know all the ins and outs so that you’re fully leveraging its power.
3. Set Good Priorities
You may want to have it all: increased online engagement, more sales, better click-through-rates. But that doesn’t mean your goals should be numerous and generic. Instead, try to make your marketing priorities specific and based on your business goals. For example, if you want to increase online sales by 10% this year, which marketing efforts will help you get there? It’s also important to make sure your entire team is on the same page — you don’t want some people focused on email open rates while ignoring what that means for sales.
4. Round Out Your Team’s Skills
It takes a diverse team to run a successful marketing department. You’ve got your creatives, your data sleuths, your master coders, and so many more. But are there areas where you’re missing some talent? Perhaps you’re still trying to master marketing tools — so maybe you need some employees who live and breathe technology to get you on your way. If you’re able to expand your team in the new year — great! If not, seriously consider investing in some professional training for your current employees so they can expand their skill sets and help your marketing efforts soar.
5. Develop Campaigns That Resonate
Many people have learned to discern marketing speak from a message that’s genuine. To put it a bit more crudely, they have sharp BS detectors when it comes to ads and content. We’re in an age where authenticity is essential when establishing trust and loyalty with customers. So as you head into the new year, take a look at your marketing and communications and ask yourself if it sounds like a real person wrote it and if it accurately reflects the values of your company. If it doesn’t, don’t be afraid to get a little more “real” with your marketing in 2020 – unleash that authentic voice and see how it impacts your engagement and sales.
Working on these resolutions will help get your marketing efforts into tip-top shape – helping you gain a competitive edge over your competition. And hey, there’s no low-carb diet required.
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