Are you looking to grow your business in 2021? The new year is quickly approaching and it might be time to revitalize your marketing strategies to help your business thrive.
Creating a marketing plan that attracts and converts new customers isn’t easy. If what you’re doing isn’t working, you need a major refresher, but how do you make that happen?
After all, unless you’re a marketing expert, this might all be confusing and unknown to you. You’re a business owner, not a marketing strategist!
We’re here to help you get started on the right path. Keep reading to learn 7 keys to getting 2021’s marketing plan off the ground.
1. Analyze What You Already Have
The first step in developing a marketing strategy is knowing what you’re already working with (unless, of course, your business is brand new).
What are your primary demographics, and are they working for you? What’s your typical conversion rate and how would you like that to change?
It’s also important to remember what kinds of marketing you’re already doing and seeing how each of those is working. Some things may be great already while others are clearly going to need to be reassessed and refreshed.
Make a list of the things that don’t need work and the things that are already running like clockwork so you can focus your attention where you need it.
2. Figure Out Your Goals
So now that you know what you already have, what do you want from your marketing plan?
Some people want to expand their target demographic while others want to hone in on a specific (perhaps previously neglected) group with their next round of marketing strategies. What are you going for?
You want to have a general idea of what you want your conversion rate to be and how much revenue to intend to collect from this plan.
You want the goals to be measurable and actionable, so they shouldn’t be vague. Make a list of each goal and the individual plans that will feed that goal. Not every goal is going to fit every strategy.
3. Identify Your Competition
Who are you working against?
If you’re a brick and mortar business, your competition is the other businesses around you that fall within your niche. They want your customers (and vice versa). If you’re online, your competition is everyone worldwide within your niche. This makes things more complicated.
See what some of the top competitors are doing. You don’t want to mimic, but you do want to adopt some of their strategies in your own way. You also want to try new things that they’ve never done before.
If your competition has a strong brand and great SEO, you know that you have to work on these areas.
4. Don’t Neglect Traditional Marketing
Many people neglect traditional marketing when they’re considering their new strategies. We’re in the digital age, so why would you need things like promotional items and business cards?
In reality, people like these things. They still have a place in this world and they add a personal element to your marketing plan and they set you apart from the many businesses who opt to go all digital.
This is especially true if your business has a brick and mortar location. Traditional marketing is great for getting local customers.
5. Consider Rebranding
If you realize that nothing you’re doing is working, a rebrand may be in order. Your company’s brand is everything in 2021, and with so many businesses learning how to make their brands pop, you have stiff competition. You need to match up.
Rebuilding your brand from scratch might feel like an overwhelming task, but if you’re not getting any of the results you want, it’s important. You’re going to have to reconsider your brand image, your brand voice, and what you want customers to expect from you.
A professional marketing agency can help you get your branding up to snuff. It might seem unnecessary to hire someone for the task, but a good marketing team can strategize faster and more efficiently, meaning that you can start getting more conversions and revenue sooner.
6. Refresh Your Digital Marketing Plan
Everyone should have a digital marketing plan by now, but how much are you actually doing to support it?
It isn’t enough to be on social media or buy a few ads here and there (though these things are important). You need to build a plan from your website outwards. How are you showing up on search engines? How many people visit your website?
If you find that your Google rankings are low, developing a content marketing plan might be in order. Generating good content is helpful for SEO as it brings more people your way who are looking for the answers to questions related to your business and it organically boosts you up the ranks in search engines.
7. Always Track Results and Be Flexible
Once you have your marketing plan, make sure you have a strategy for tracking it. Go back to your list of goals and keep track of where you are with each one throughout the span of this round of marketing.
If you find that you’re lacking in the areas that you want to advance, you need to be flexible enough to re-route. There’s no shame in realizing that something isn’t working. You can come up with the best strategy and still end up with poor results.
Creating a Marketing Plan Isn’t Easy
You need to create a marketing plan that works if you want your business to thrive.
If creating a marketing plan isn’t your area of expertise, it’s wise to hire an agency to get you started and put you on the right track. Professionals know the ins and outs of marketing and branding so you don’t have to.
Whether you’re doing it alone or hiring a professional, start getting your 2021 marketing strategies in line!
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