As the festive TV schedules fill with end of year reviews, rants and topical quizzes, we ask – how was 2017 for your business?
The end of one year or beginning of a new one is a great time to review your marketing output. However, it doesn’t really matter when you review your marketing output – what is important is that you do it. Here are some of our suggestions for deciding where to invest in 2018:
Keep it simple
Whilst there are a lot of tools and apps that can help you (see below), evaluating your marketing output doesn’t have to be complicated or even technical. For smaller businesses, simply looking at 2017’s client list and identifying where each client came from can be a really effective way to decide whether, say, print or digital marketing are working best for you. If most of your clients come from networking, perhaps 2018 is the time step-up your networking activity in the new year by investing in items such as a banner stand, better business cards and brochures or a website refresh?
Tricks of your tech
There are many free analytical tools which can help you track your progress. Mailchimp and Hootsuite being two of the most popular. In addition, not only reviewing the amount of traffic to your website, but how users interact with your web pages can also be a good indicator of which of your products or services are catching the attention of the public. We will be more than happy to help you review your digital marketing should you need support in this area.
Take it to the streets
Success doesn’t have to be measured in terms of lead generation or even website traffic. Some of the best campaigns aim to create better brand engagement, change behaviours or capture the imagination of the public. Certainly this is often the case in the public sector, but increasingly in the commercial sector these campaigns generate word of mouth and subtly influence future purchasing decisions. In these cases, good old-fashioned market research can be a great way to identify what’s working for you. You could do this via focus groups, social media polls, or email surveys – and these in themselves can generate brand buy-in and engagement.
Whilst regular longer-term reviews are crucial for all businesses and the old adage ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ remains true, it’s important to continue to try new things. We have many years’ experience of reviewing marketing campaigns having worked in both the public and commercial sectors. But we also have plenty of inspiration for new trends and the next big things in the new year. Call our friendly experienced team on 0208 590 0922 or email us at info@marcomedia.co.uk