Below you’ll find our 2019 Marketing Resolutions! Take a look to learn how you can start the New Year off right — Marketing Actually style.
Remove Stress
Worry less about brand awareness and generating leads — let someone else do it for you.
From hiring top talent to developing products and rolling out services, you’re probably stretched pretty thin. “Marketing” covers everything from web design to event management and social media — you don’t have time for it all. Keep the things you’re really good at, and find a way to outsource the rest.
Reconnect with Old Friends
Don’t let internal communications fall by the wayside. Find new strategies to get you back on track.
So often we’re our own worst clients. Communicating within your organization can help your team function more smoothly, generate new ideas from every direction and empower your biggest brand advocates. Have an important event coming up? Unveiling a new product or service? Let everyone know! This year, resolve to find creative ways to keep in touch with your team. Whether it’s organizing a town hall or implementing newsletters, make sure communication a priority.
Try Something New
See if your brand needs a refresh or launch a new product.
Brands are like bread: they get stale when they’re left on their own for too long. It may be time to switch things up. When was the last time you thought about a brand refresh? Maybe it’s just adding a new secondary color into your palette, getting a new logo altogether or finding a different voice for your communications. If Bank of America can do it, you can too. If you’re not taking chances, you’re getting left behind. In 2019, don’t be afraid to spice things up.
Put Yourself Out There
Show off your expertise by sharing what you know.
In a recent survey, 47% of c-suite executives said they thought leadership content had a direct impact on awarding business. You can’t afford to not be producing quality content. Find your voice in 2019 and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry — someone who spots the trends before they appear and tackles your industry’s biggest questions.
Less Screen Time, More Face Time
Find ways to connect with your customers offline
With technology making face-to-face interaction a rare occurrence, events are a way to stand out above the noise of email. There’s no better way to show off your brand than by hosting a memorable event. Find a venue and create an immersive experience for employees, customers and partners. Talk to them, listen to them: you’ll cover more in a few hours than in 20 emails, and forge a real connection.
Lose Weight
Trim the fat from your email marketing efforts by targeting contacts and personas that are the best match for you.
If you’ve been marketing your business for a few years, you’ve probably built a decent prospect email database over that time. But maybe you’ve seen your open rates drop over time, your deliverability decline, spam complaints and bounces increase.
It’s time to reassess your entire email marketing program approach. Through list management, segmentation, content creation and curation, strategy and marketing automation, trim the fat in 2019.
Be More Active
Take the time to engage with customers via social media.
We’re sure you set up that Instagram account for your organization a few years ago. Maybe you even post once or twice a week. But when’s the last time you’ve engaged? Pick one or two platforms that work best for your business and do those really well – post relevant content, comment and like posts, find new people and organizations to follow. Active engagement is much more like to translate into new connections and new business.
Be Proactive
Don’t wait for breaking news to reach out to key media contacts.
You have a press release – you send it out to a guy named Steve whose latest byline seemed to fit. That’s not a strategy, that’s desperation. Make a list of key media contacts in your industry and reach out to them when you don’t have breaking news. Share what expertise and sources you have access to, so when he’s under deadline he calls you first. Then when you do have breaking news, you’ve already developed a mutually beneficial relationship that can earn you the headlines you want.
Get a Makeover
Overhaul or touch up your website with responsive design.
Did you know the average lifespan of a website is roughly three years? If you’re thinking “yikes!”, then it’s definitely time for a touch up – or complete overhaul. With mobile accounting for 63% of all web traffic, consider taking a mobile-first approach to design. Starting with the smallest screen will let you home in on what’s most important – then you can add the bells, whistles and fancy hovers to your desktop version.
Spend Time Wisely
Identify areas of your marketing approach that need more resources.
When it comes to time, you’re working with a limited supply. Have you examined where you’re spending yours? Imagine a new year where your time is spent on the people and projects that matter most. This year, make an effort to analyze your marketing strategy and execution. Look at your data – what’s not working? Does it need to be fixed, or can you eliminate that tactic to focus on what’s driving results? Or, do you just need more resources to get it done well? Look to see where extra help and resources can help you free up time, time that can be spent on driving results.