5,4,3,2,1…Happy New Year! As a new year starts, we all think of a time to start fresh and hit the restart button. Many businesses in 2020 were trying to keep up and stay afloat, reacting quickly and digging into Plan B-X. As we enter 2021, the pandemic will surely follow, let’s get you started to build a marketing strategy to position your business for long-term growth.
Start 2021 with these eight tips to get you thinking ahead.
-
Apply What You Learned in 2020 “PIVOT!!!”
Most likely you yelled the word “PIVOT” at some point in 2020 and that is ok. Maybe you had to change your marketing outlook to coincide with the pandemic feels/emotions or you launched a digital advertising presence for the first time. Whatever new ideas you tried, sit down and analyze those results. Look for what worked best, what was your audience’s reactions and was there any connection to one marketing campaign. Try to carry these through into your 2021 marketing plan.
-
It’s Time For a Refresh
It is normal in any year to go through a brand refresh and shift as your business grows. With everything that happened this year, your brand most likely evolved to meet those challenges. See if your branding still follows suit with your values, business and what you offer. If it does not, time to get that branding a refresh to better connect with your audience.
-
Update Your Target Audiences
If your branding needs a refresh, then your target audience might be something you look at as well. Our every day to day routines have changed and how we do business, which might have shifted your customer base. It’s time to take out that sales data from the past year and identify where changes might have happened; you might have promoted a new product line which sparked a different audience that drove sales through the roof. Keep that momentum going into 2021.
-
The Circle of Trust
You want to build that customer loyalty now more than ever. That trust is the foundation of every business’s success. Focus on the marketing efforts that build that trust and strengthening relationships with your customers. Give content marketing a whirl by giving your audience what they are looking for. It could be content on education, entertainment, demonstrations of products or blog posts. Try to give your customer a reason to return again and again.
5. Personalize!
Think about the marketing content you receive. The personalized pieces always seem to stand out from the non-personalized, don’t they? They strike interest with your customer and they most likely will want to engage with your brand and product. Data is very important here. Use it to create highly targeted content for both digital and print.
-
Try Brand Experiences
No more one-way conversations with your customers. Start including them with your marketing content and MAKE them engage. In 2021 try some of these fun tips:
- Have them interact with videos, quizzes, and games.
- Spark a conversation—ask for their opinions, get them to comment
- Share customer photos, testimonials, and reviews
- Take the extra step and send personalized packages to those customers that interacted
-
Bring Print Back Into the Picture
If all you plan on using is digital marketing in 2021, rethink that plan. Add some print campaigns into the marketing mix. Print grabs their attention and creates a memorable touchpoint and helps break up the digital fatigue by reaching your customer in a different medium. Here’s a hot tip-print can boost your digital marketing efforts to help drive traffic to your website, social media platforms and other online channels.
-
Don’t Forget About Your Online Presence
Your website is one your brand’s best marketing tool. This is where customers learn more about your business and make purchases. First step is to make sure your website is being optimized for search engines so people can find you. SEO is a ongoing process, so take time to regularly evaluate your content and address technical issues with your site so they don’t impact your rankings. Make sure you update if you added any new products or services. Did your hours change or your operating procedures. Can your customer find your contact information easily? Make those types of changes to start that new year on the right foot.
Be ready for 2021 Twist and Turns
While we all hope 2021 will bring us back to some what of a normal life, we still do not know what’s going to happen. Please make sure that any marketing plans you put in place are flexible, so your business can adapt to those unexpected changes.
We are currently setting up meetings for 2021 to help jump start your company's marketing plan. Book a ZOOM meeting with one of our sales reps, click here:
https://calendly.com/kschnell375/15min or email us kschnell@alphagraphics.com 708.482.4488