AS THE YEAR WINDS DOWN, chances are your business is either bracing for the frantic holiday season or entering the lull created by utter consumer preoccupation with the holiday season. Whichever category you fall in, now is the time to take stock of your marketing activities and finish up your 2017 plan.
What? Haven’t started it yet, you say? While the time to gear up for 2017 marketing planning has come and gone, fear not—you can still get it done. Here are some pointers to guide you:
- Set goals for the year. This directs the entire process. In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.”
- Set a budget. If you look at marketing spending comprehensively for the year, you can allocate resources where they’ll have the most impact.
- Take stock of 2016 activities. Although it’s sometimes tough to figure out what worked and what didn’t, you’ll be a step ahead if you give it a shot. Talk to customers and to employees for insight.
- Identify new initiatives to test. What haven’t you done yet that holds promise in your industry? Are there new customer groups or new markets to tap? Take a look at industry trends and competitor activities for direction.
- Review current marketing assets. Are your visual and verbal brand communications on target? Objectively appraise your website, social media pages, business listings, and printed and video materials. Is all information up-to date? Does it accurately reflect your image, goods and/or services?
- Determine what constitutes marketing success. You’ll be in better shape next year at this time if you’ve defined metrics and measured against them all year long.
Happy planning!
