How did this year turn out for you and your business? Did your
marketing accomplish what you wanted it to?
December and January are the perfect time to pause, review, and plan for the upcoming year. Here are
three benefits to taking time to engage in a marketing review and strategic
planning event…
1. Improve Existing Marketing
Activities
We can always improve on our results, even if they are favorable. In
fact, we have to, or our efforts lose
their edge and effectiveness. Refocus,
Refine, and Redirect are constant watchwords that keep us fresh and viable in
today’s noisy marketplace.
2. Discontinue Ineffective Marketing
Activities
Altogether too often, I see less-than-optimal (or completely
ineffective) marketing activities remain on companies’ action lists. Why? In
some cases, it’s fear that
discontinuing that activity may prove detrimental because there was some
unknown benefit lurking under the surface (I see this a lot with the “black box”
of digital marketing). In other situations, it’s a lack of awareness of what is working and could replace these
failing marketing efforts.
There are certainly other reasons as well. Bottom line: If it isn’t
working, reallocate the time and
money being poorly invested into something that will (or, at least, may)
outperform the dead marketing activity. Which brings us to our third benefit…
3. Identify and Implement New
Marketing Opportunities
Marketing vehicles are changing at an ever-increasing rate. While the principles, and even over-arching strategies, may remain the same, the
way we carry those out tactically may change regularly.
Unfortunately, far too many would-be marketing gurus choose to focus on
these tactical vehicles and tools as if they are the essence of marketing. They
are not. And chasing the latest fad in marketing tools can prove
costly, and maybe even deadly, to your company.
Properly engaged, however, most wisely employed marketing tools,
vehicles, and activities have their place in a successful marketing picture.
So, how do we know what to do, when to do it, and how the results should look? That’s where our marketing team comes
in.
If you have an established team, you have people who understand the
principles that reside at the foundation of marketing. Others are specialists
in areas of marketing that impact your business. And you have a leader with
vision and an intimate knowledge of marketing directing those efforts.
Share the three benefits above
with your team so their review and planning activities yield these results.
Their awareness of these three desirable benefits will help them see how to improve, what to cut out, and where
new opportunities exist as they apply their various areas of marketing
expertise in the review and planning process for your company.
If you don’t have a marketing team, I can show you how to fix that. And it doesn’t have to cost a lot,
either. Watch for my upcoming installment of “Marketing Demystified” on building and leading an effective marketing team to find out
how. (Not getting my training notifications? Join my community at bwpope.com.)
Stay tuned… I have much more to share that will help you and your team
find the greatest possible marketing success in the New Year!
