Happy new year! 2017 is out the door and 2018 is officially here, and brings with it new ideas, new innovations and of course new business tactics. You’ve already heard about new marketing trends coming in 2018, but how can you put those trends into place? How can you make sure your marketing efforts will be successful in 2018?
The new year brings with it a new business quarter and a blank page full of opportunity for marketers. If you want to make sure 2018 is successful, there are a few things to put in place now. We’ve compiled a list of a few ways to start off a new year for marketing.
1. Set your goals.
First and foremost, set your marketing goals for 2018. What is it you want to accomplish? The best type of goals are S.M.A.R.T.—specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. For example, maybe a small business wants to be on the first page of relevant search results within their area by June 1st. A goal like this is S.M.A.R.T. Establishing your goals early-on in 2018 will make building and developing your marketing strategy even more successful, because you have something the team is working toward accomplishing.
2. Identify your target audience.
Next, identify your target audience. Is it the same as last year? Maybe this year you hope to bring in a new target audience. For example, last year a business focused primarily on middle-aged adults, but this year they hope to expand into young adults. Map out who your target audience is and how they’re the same or different from years before. Then, consider how best to reach that audience. If it’s the same as 2017, what are new techniques you could try to reach them? If it’s slightly different from last year, what techniques are most applicable to this audience? When you identify your audience and how to reach them, steps will become easier to take throughout the year.
3. Build a strategy.
Next, build your marketing strategy. Of course, this strategy can change and adapt as the year goes on, but it is beneficial to start out with one from the very beginning. Whether you choose to do your marketing in-house or outsource it is up to you, but having a comprehensive strategy to start working from is a great way to get your marketing off to a good start for the year. What is your SEO marketing strategy? Or, perhaps your social media marketing strategy? All of these various components become part of a bigger picture marketing strategy for you or your small business in 2018, and guide you toward growth.
4. Generate new content.
Content marketing is a vital piece of any comprehensive marketing strategy. Put together a calendar and strategy for the new year for the type of content you plan on creating. Perhaps you’ll build a new blog for your business. Or, create a video marketing campaign. While you definitely don’t need to generate all of your content for the year right at the beginning, having a strategy in mind for what content you want to produce and when is a great first step in generating new content for 2018.
5. Create or clean up your profiles.
Social media marketing is projected to be a massive trend in 2018, so make sure you’re on top of it. If you don’t already have professional social media profiles, create them. If you do have them, clean them up and make sure they properly display your brand. Create a social media marketing strategy for 2018, and then maintain it throughout the year. Starting off on a good foot now with social media will be extremely valuable later on as it continues to grow and expand.
2018 is here, so make sure you and your professional brand are ready for it. Try some of these tips to start off the new year of marketing on a high note and continue to grow your brand.
