You might be extremely busy with your holiday marketing campaigns these days, but 2020 is approaching and the time has come for another annual marketing plan. Reviewing 2019 results and building new strategies is time consuming. However, there is no short-cut if you want to start 2020 on the right foot. Here are some tactics and actions that will make the planning process more fruitful.
Where to start?
The marketing plan of 2019 is your starting point:
- Review how each marketing objective was reached, and how each initiative performed.
- Use performance metrics for all the campaigns and channels you employed.
- Based on the results, confirm the actions that can be replicated or improved in 2020.
Never settle for a simple replication of the prior marketing plan. The digital marketing field is crazy dynamic, and one marketing tactic that previously worked might no longer be the most effective option.
Generate new ideas
You know your industry and your customers, so bravely come up with new marketing tactics or channels and don’t be afraid to experiment. Find new ways to engage your customers, while focusing on the final goal – increase sales! Make sure that the new marketing channels you plan to use, such as AR or VR, really fit your products or services, and that your customers are ready to embrace them!
In 2020, invest in digital marketing
Review your online presence, and add those components that are really necessary for boosting your marketing results.
Correlate your effort of freshening up the digital marketing strategy by revamping your website design. Make sure your new website’s look and functionalities serve the marketing goals of your business.
Optimize your website and make it mobile-friendly, so that it can be easily found and used by your prospects and customers. Select the best online marketing strategies for your business, such as social media engagement, blogging and article writing, newsletters, email marketing, search advertising, etc. Develop your editorial calendar. Decide when and how you send the email newsletters, launch new products or services, run specific promotions or sales campaigns.
Budgeting
If your business has a structured budgeting process, then decide on the budget available for marketing before you start working on the plan. You need to understand what you can afford in order to make your marketing plan cost-effective. Focus your budget on the big marketing campaigns you have in mind, and fit other smaller projects in afterward. Include a discretionary amount in the marketing budget, which you can allocate for new unexpected marketing opportunities that might arise during the year.
If you feel overwhelmed with your annual marketing plan, or you need to revamp your plan, we can help – contact us today!