Up Your Marketing Game in 2016
But the good news is that very soon, you get a brand new opportunity to commit to doing better next year. And while you’re at it, we suggest turning your mind to your business goals as well as your personal ones…
Your company’s marketing efforts should always be changing and improving to stay current and reach new potential customers. So we came up with a few simple ideas for New Year’s resolutions you can make to help you do just that.
1. Get Your Company on Another Social Network
Your company has a Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn account – congratulations, you’re doing the bare minimum! All joking aside, having just a couple of social media accounts on the biggest platforms doesn’t cut it anymore, especially if you’re trying to reach a younger or more diverse audience. If you haven’t already, resolve to create an account (and actually participate actively) on one of these other massive social media platforms: Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr or YouTube.
2. Commit to Writing 1 Great Blog Post per Month
You probably already know that your company’s blog should be a hustling, bustling place that’s frequently being updated. But as the owner of the company, you might not be very involved in the action. Why not though? As the person with the most know-how and experience, you have the most value to offer visitors to your blog.
Before you start getting nervous, keep in mind that this doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment; block off an hour or two a month to sit down and write 500 words about something that’s on your mind that might benefit your customers.
3. Make One Personal Connection on Social Media Every Day
In our efforts to keep our social media accounts active, we sometimes lose sight of the bigger purpose. The whole point of your company using social media is to foster authentic relationships with your customers.
Make a point to actually do that at least once a day: follow one of your followers, Retweet or repost a follower’s update or post a nice comment on someone’s photo. It will take you less than 2 minutes to do one of these things and over time, all of these little interactions will have a big impact on your followers’ perception of your company.
4. Give Your Site a Mobile Makeover
This is a slightly bigger resolution to make but it’s well worth any time, effort or money you may put in to make it happen. Consider the fact that for the first time in internet history, mobile internet usage now exceeds computer internet usage. That’s a huge shift with major implications for all website owners. If your company’s site is not optimized for mobile use, doing so should be one of your top priorities for 2016.
5. Test Something & Use the Results
The whole crux of effective marketing is testing. Good marketers know that their opinion means nothing if it’s not backed up by data. So instead of continuing to let your marketing efforts be guided by what you think will work, commit to testing and using the results you get to improve your work. It doesn’t have to be too complex either. Send out an e-mail blast with two different subject lines and see which one gets opened more, and then use that knowledge to make future e-mails more effective.
6. Try Social Media Advertising
The world of Google ads can be a little overwhelming to someone who’s not experienced. Social media advertising, on the other hand, is pretty approachable in comparison. This year, resolve to learn how to place ads on at least one social media platform and experiment by spending small amounts until you learn what works best.
7. Dive Into Video Marketing
Even as a casual Facebook user you’ve surely noticed the rising popularity of videos on social media and the internet in general. Not convinced? Here are a few crazy powerful statistics…
- 50% of all mobile internet traffic comes from online videos.
- 65% of people watch more than ¾ of a video.
- 78% of people watch online videos every week (55% everyday!)
- Sites that feature video keep users on site for an average of 2 extra minutes.
- 73% of B2B marketers say that video positively affects their marketing results.
It’s high time that your company jumps on the bandwagon and at least dips a toe into the video marketing pool. And before you say you don’t have the budget, keep in mind that you can make an effective marketing video with an iPhone and a cheap tripod.
It’s a new year and a new chance to commit yourself to marketing your business effectively with up-to-date strategies that reach your audience right where they live. Take on just a couple of these resolutions and enjoy the happy returns.
