It’s been another crazy year, hasn’t it? About this time of year is when we all get to sit back, take a deep breath, and marvel at what a wild ride the year has been. While it’s good for small business owners to enjoy the fruits of their labor by taking it easy during the holidays, don’t mistake a relaxed schedule for inactivity. With the last weeks of December being a bit quiet, it’s a good time to get your 2022 marketing efforts in order.
Consider having a marketing strategy in place
December is a great time of year to consider updating your marketing strategy. Many small businesses never invest in a true marketing plan, which means your efforts may not be getting you the results that they could be. The investment in a marketing strategy will more than pay off over time. Having a clear idea of who your competitors are, who your target audience is, what their pain points are, and which marketing tactics will return the best results can significantly improve your lead flow and overall sales. Consider creating a marketing strategy so you’re ready to take on 2022.
Revisit your email marketing lists
Over the course of the year, your email marketing list may have grown. Hopefully, the list grew organically through tried-and-true tactics to grow your list, such as promoting signups on your website, social media, your email signature link, etc. There are several ways to effectively grow your email list to make sure you’re actually marketing to people who want to hear from you. You should also get rid of emails that are no longer valid. Look at the undeliverable emails from your email marketing to help clean up your email addresses. Make it a priority to clean up those marketing lists before the new year to get the best return on your email marketing efforts. If you’re not sure how to best position your email marketing lists for future efforts, work with an email marketing professional that can help.
Commit to measuring your marketing
To get the most out of your marketing, you need to measure what you’re doing. There are several ways to do this. Take the time to dig deep into your marketing to see what worked. Did you gain followers on your social channels? How engaged were they? How many visited your site? You can glean this information from the analytics on your social platforms as well as by reviewing your Google Analytics. How about your email marketing? What was your bounce rate? Your open rate? Your click-through rate? Email marketing platforms like Constant Contact provide this information, so you know what’s working and what isn’t when it comes to your email marketing. And look at your marketing spend vs. leads generated and closed. Look at your cost per lead to see if what you’re spending on your marketing in different areas gives you the business that justifies the spend. It may be worth the investment to have a marketing professional help map this out for you, so you know where you stand.
Review your website
Your website is the most visible component of your brand. Does it still represent who you are and who you’re trying to attract as customers? Are there new services or products that you need to add, or old ones that need to be removed? Is it responsive? How well have you kept on your onsite SEO throughout the year? It might be a good time to look at your website with fresh eyes and do a little updating. Is it time to redesign your website, or just freshen it up a bit?
Re-evaluate your social media efforts
It’s no secret that social media can be a time-consuming endeavor. However, it’s one of the best ways to have ongoing engagement with your target audience. Unfortunately, not every platform makes sense for every small business. If you’re spread thin trying to post on multiple social platforms but are only seeing meager results, it may be time to re-evaluate your efforts and which platforms you should be on. In addition to analytics provided by each platform, look at Google Analytics to help you see which platforms are driving traffic to your site and how well that traffic has converted to leads. Not every social media platform is a good fit for every business, so you should invest your time and skills in the platforms where you’re most likely to reach and engage with your target audience.
Recommit to content marketing efforts
Content marketing remains one of the strongest marketing efforts in which you can engage. If you haven’t started blogging or otherwise adding new, fresh content to your website on a regular basis, 2022 is the year to start! If blogging isn’t where you want to invest your efforts, then consider video marketing so you have relevant content on your site that you can share via social channels and email to engage your target audience. Ideally, investing in a variety of content marketing efforts is your best bet. Here are a few types of content you should consider for 2022 marketing efforts:
- Blogs
- Videos
- Podcasts
- Infographics
- Lists
- Guides
Need help getting your 2022 marketing efforts mapped out? Work with Strategic Marketing Services to help you get ready to put your best foot forward for the new year!
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