The first half of the year has flown by. As we move into the final quarters of the year July is all about reviewing and tweaking your plans for the year ahead. Here are five areas to get you started in looking objectively at your campaigns so far and make your final months of 2021 more successul.
Review what’s worked (and what’s not)
The obvious starting point is your insights and other measures you have in place and your financials. However, some metrics cannot be measured and it’s worth getting feedback from your team that are customer-facing.
Go through each activity and focus on what has worked well to look to repeat. Note down what has not worked so well too. Dig deeper in your analytics to consider the reasons why your activities have performed well, also less than expected. For example, maybe your pre-scheduled email timing could not compete with England’s World Cup watching. Let’s face it the nation’s focus was elsewhere and you had no chance! However, that impromptu team singalong to Vindaloo went down well.
If you can’t quite figure out why or need a fresh set of eyes on your marketing activities, we can help audit to explain and analyse your data and offer suggestions to tweak your plans for Q3 & 4 to get your objectives back on track.
Keep asking questions
Use client surveys to really understand what your clients really need now, with the world-changing again. What do they love, what would make their life easier, what are the pain points you need to overcome?
Emails are a great way of doing this off the back of a recent purchase or send to your entire database or just select clients. Read our previous blog How to use your email marketing without selling for some more tips.
Short easy questions then try social media story polls for a good indication.
Sometimes they confirm what you already thought. Occasionally, there is a suggestion that can spark a change in how you work or even for a new product. Don’t forget to share the news that the change is a result of listening to client feedback.
Time to Deep Clean
Find your inner Marie Kondo and spark joy into your marketing. Here are a few areas to look at:
- Your social profiles, about us sections including opening hours
- Header images on social and maybe a theme for your stream based on the seasons
- Check your Highlights, Galleries, and archive old posts. This could give you ideas what you need more of too.
- Website amends that have been on the back burner from new images, latest blogs, and any team changes that need noting
- Website maintenance is key to a secure site, so make sure your site is updated, with no broken links. If this is at the bottom of your ToDo list, then maybe check out our monthly package here to help keep your site performing well.
- Google My Business – when was the last time you looked at that? Check all the key details and add some new images.
- Refresh your email layout refresh with links to new content. Maybe you need to do a push for more sign-ups. Review your data to create segments to improve your targetting or cleanse your complete database.
- Update your link in bio’s and reduce the number of links to make it easy to get to the latest info
Look forward
Ever heard of Christmas in July? It is real. Consumer magazines are looking at their Christmas Gift Guides on long leads so you have to be organised with new product releases and your gift sets. With so many changes of journalists at magazines, it’s worth getting to know the right contacts and reaching out to new publications and audiences you have not tried before.
Then there’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday as the biggest online sales days to consider. Review the last few year’s figures and plan ahead to make this year even better ensuring your website, email and social are all in sync.
Depending on your industry, there are plenty of other key dates to make the most of too and hopefully getting back to events and exhibitions.
Invest in your marketing
Times are tight times, we understand this. But investing both your time and finances in combined marketing activities will help to drive sales and communicate effectively with existing and new clients. Good internal communication is essential too with your team spreading the word and reaching a larger audience.
Maybe consider outsourcing your marketing to make sure it is consistently shouting about your business and free up your time for the day-to-day running of your business. Want to chat through how Hype Marketing could help, then just give us a get in touch.
Keeping an eye on your overall marketing objectives is essential but plans can change. Taking this time to review will help breathe new life into your marketing for the remaining months this year.