res·o·lu·tion
rezəˈlo͞oSH(ə)n/
noun
a firm decision to do or not to do something.
"she kept her resolution not to see Anne anymore"
synonyms: intention, resolve, decision, intent, aim, plan
And I’ll add that the typical goal of a resolution is to bring about positive change. If you are ready to make 2019 the year that your business grows into its fullest potential, here are some impactful resolutions worth considering!
1. Review and Refresh Your Marketing Strategy
Within this resolution lies a commitment to utilize analytics to understand the performance of your marketing strategies over the past year and project your next best steps. A strategic marketing review will consider all elements of your efforts from your website, to print, to social media, to email campaigns as well as the performance metrics related to each. Many of these digital components are cost-effective and easy to manage to get the most you can from your technology-driven marketing efforts.
2. Recognize the True Worth of Your Talents
More directly, charge what you are worth. If you run your own business, the only one to blame for feeling underpaid and undervalued is yourself. Market to the correct audience who will easily pay for your skills and talents and raise your rates to reflect the value you bring to those business relationships.
3. Social Media NOW
Social media platforms offer an amazing wealth of marketing opportunities, both paid and organic. By establishing and maintaining profiles on relevant social networks, you gain the ability to reach thousands of potential customers and increase your brand awareness.
4. Be Engaging
Notice in the above item we said establish and maintain. By “maintaining” your social media profiles we mean building a following and engaging with that audience. Your customers are more likely to tell their friends about humanistic social interactions with you than they are likely to tell about a simple purchase. If you feel like you are spending all of your social media dedicated time on creating and sharing content, utilize a resource like Buffer or Hootsuite to handle some of the mechanics so you can dedicate your live time on the platform to engaging with your audience.
5. Ask for Feedback
As you are engaging with your loyal following, ask for their feedback about products, services, and processes. Understanding consumers’ opinions will help you improve all you do instead of relying on gut instincts and in-house assumptions. Set up a “Year End Survey” on your website. Push that out through your social media profiles. Ask questions like “What was the best part about…?” or “What would you like to see next?” or offer fill in the blanks like “That was a great experience EXCEPT for…” and so on. You certainly don’t have to reorganize or rebrand based on comments but it helps to know public perception both good and bad.
6. Revamp Your Website
When was the last time you examined your website from a visitor’s point of view? Does your content load quickly? How fresh is your content? How updated are your SEO strategies? Is the navigation on your site intuitive and flawless (no broken links)? Is your site mobile friendly? Does the content look the way it is intended regardless of the device being used? If this list of questions is overwhelming, consider contracting with a company like SDM to make sure your website is putting your best foot forward.
7. Grow Your Team as Your Business Grows
Growing your team doesn’t always mean hiring full-time employees. Don’t be afraid to outsource those tasks that lie outside your own wheelhouse or that might free up your time to do more pressing things. Whether you engage in an agency partnership, use freelance talent, or actually bring on more staff to your in-house team, learn to delegate in a manner that allows you to grow your business while staying fiscally responsible. Remember – your time IS money.
2019 will be here before you know it and regardless of the professional resolutions you set for yourself, you should always be looking to grow and improve what it is you do. Get serious about your resolutions and create a plan to transform them into action. Turn them into business goals with related benchmarks and metrics that will help you understand your progress and stay on track throughout the next year.
The experts at Strategy Driven Marketing know what it’s like to launch and grow a business because we’ve done it for ourselves and we’ve helped businesses across a number of industries do it, too. We’d love to assist you with your 2019 marketing resolutions and goals. Let us utilize our experience and expertise to help you navigate the marketing waters and to make smart choices that will help you meet and even exceed your goals. Contact us today to get started!