The holidays have come and gone, and all that’s left is to look into what the new year holds for you. You’ve made all the personal resolutions you can handle—lose 10 pounds, learn a new language and read more books, maybe—but did you make any resolutions for your business? January is a great time to examine what worked well for your business in the previous year and what could use tweaking. So while you’re gearing up for your exercise plan, include the following five resolutions to focus on your digital marketing strategy too.
Resolution #1: I Will Streamline My Social Media Marketing
Hey, we love social media as much as anyone, but when you’re a business owner you have limited hours to do everything. So rather than being on every social media channel, choose the platforms your customers use and focus your efforts there. Check out this Pew Research Center study, which outlines which demographics use which channels. And once you’ve selected your platforms, make sure you use automated tools like Hootsuite and Tweetdeck that can help you become more efficient with your online posting. Then follow Connectivity’s social media guide to ensure smooth sailing.
Resolution #2: I Will Try a New Digital Marketing Tactic
Digital marketing is great, but it’s one of those areas where it’s easy to fall into a pattern and repeat things you’ve done in the past. That makes sense, because when you’re already busy, figuring out how to embed a video on your blog takes up valuable time. But unless you try something new, you’ll never know if it works. So resolve this year to try a new digital marketing tactic. Maybe you learned that your customers love Instagram but you don’t have an Instagram account. Learn about it and then set up an account. Maybe you love writing blog posts but haven’t ever posted a video or graphics. You could be missing out—photos get a high engagement rate. You don’t have to try every new fad that comes along, but try at least one new thing.
Resolution #3: I Will Find out if My Marketing Campaigns Actually Work
Many business owners become so busy, they forget to look at the analytics. Have you ever actually sat down to find out if your digital marketing outreach is bringing in new business? You could be putting a lot of effort into something that isn’t working. Determine your goals and analyze their outcomes to find out if the time you’ve put into digital marketing is worth it.
If it’s not generating the numbers you need to see, change your strategy. For example, if you’re looking to engage your customers, try Connectivity’s Customer Insights product, which lists every interaction a customer has with you. Or if you’re looking to spread brand awareness online, go with Connectivity’s Reviews and Social Media Monitoring tool, which tracks online mentions of your company (both positive and negative) so you can understand what you’re doing right and what you need to work on. (Check out our guide to responding to online reviews.)
Resolution #4: I Will Keep a Consistent Marketing Schedule
One of the most difficult aspects of digital marketing is consistency. It’s easy on Sunday night to say you’ll post a blog article every morning next week, but then life (and business) get in the way. The next thing you know it’s Friday afternoon and no new posts have gone up. This year, resolve to be consistent. Use tools to help you schedule and promote your blog and social media content. Set up a content calendar to plan blog posts, and then make those your priority. And when it comes to email, Connectivity has you covered with our Automated Marketing Campaigns, which help you stay in touch with customers easily.
Resolution #5: I Will Hire Talented Staff
You don’t have to do it all alone. Hire skilled employees (or choose existing ones) to help you manage your online marketing campaigns. When you’re working with a team, everything will go much more smoothly.
Your New Year’s resolutions don’t have to be all about losing weight and reading more. January is a great time to start making positive changes to your digital marketing strategy. And that can make all the difference this coming year.
Top image credit: Viktor Hanacek
