Lines are powerful, particularly in time. The idea of a fresh start is so appealing that every December 31, people commit to how the next year will be different from the one before despite the delineation between the two being entirely artificial. So how can you use New Year’s marketing?
The cynical response would be that artificial borders will do nothing to change the actual psychological blocks we’ve acquired, so we’re doomed to repeat ourselves, but I don’t share that view. Artificial or not, lines are powerful because we give them power, and what line is more powerful than the end of one year and the beginning of another?
So I say, while the time for New Year’s sales may be best, the time for you to use the New Year’s momentum to use New Year’s for your marketing is only just beginning. But don’t use it in your marketing. Instead, use it for your marketing.
Old Year’s Marketing Audit
Chances are, you’re no more immune to the idea of a new start than anyone else. So while you’re still feeling the boost of a successful year completed or the “good riddance” relief of a bad one behind you, let’s take a look at what you did right and wrong in 2022.
We’re talking about a 2022 marketing audit!
I’m not going to get extremely specific here. I’m going to help you ask some basic questions about yourself so you can decide how to improve and make some New Year’s marketing resolutions.
To really get down into the details, please contact me directly. I’d love to take on your marketing for your company or counsel you in developing a plan to do it on your own.
What Did You Do?
Let’s start with an easy question. What did you do for your business this year, marketing-wise? I will caution you to question that a bit further if your answer is nothing.
Have you talked to others about your business? Have you asked friends to spread the word? Did you ask customers for referrals or start a Facebook page?
All of those could be considered marketing. So if that’s all you’ve done, we’ll consider it a start, but you have room for improvement.
What Didn’t You Do?
Of course, the other side of what you’ve done for your marketing is what you haven’t done.
Where are you with your online representation? How’s your website? Is it easy for people to schedule with you from there?
Where do you have social media profiles? Not every platform works for every business. There are dozens! But you should be where your customers are.
Finally, have you created guidelines for how to interact with your company online, and is everyone who represents your company online following them?
What Worked & What Didn’t?
Now it’s time to look at specifics. Of what you did do, what worked the best?
From where is your new business coming? Marketing takes time to get off the ground, so if you just started a few months ago, don’t worry if you haven’t seen much of an effect yet. Instead, keep monitoring it, and you’ll be able to figure out what worked later.
Once you understand what worked in 2022, you can make informed decisions about where to devote your new year’s marketing energy. For example, you may want to go all in on what’s working or adjust your approach in places that aren’t.
What you do next largely depends on your budget of time and money.
New Year’s Marketing Challenges
After you’ve taken an honest look at how 2022 went (or didn’t) with your marketing, you can decide how you want your new year’s marketing to go.
What’s Your New Year’s Marketing Focus?
If you don’t have a destination in mind, you might not like where you end up.
That’s the point of new year’s resolutions. In my household, we take a slightly different approach. Every year my wife and I pick a focus word.
Last year, mine was pruning.
One thing I’ve learned about marketing for landscapers is pruning isn’t the same as trimming. Trimming is making everything a bit shorter, like a haircut. Pruning is cutting with purpose.
You prune away the sick parts of plants so the rest can thrive.
And in 2022, I was Edward Scissorhands.
I cut away clients, programs, processes, and more that were harming my life or business. Now that the year is over, I’m in a better place financially and mentally. It was a good word to pick!
This year, sticking with the landscaping theme, my word is seeding.
So for your business and marketing, what do you want your focus to be?
With marketing, you could benefit from something more specific than a word, but it’s an excellent place to start when picking a goal.
What Kind of Time Do You Have?
The next question to ask yourself when developing your strategy. Whatever the answer, figure out how much you can do with it. If you only have an hour a week for your marketing, make it count!
Generate posts and tweak them for your various platforms. You probably don’t have time to do a blog for an hour, but if you have a few hours a week, maybe you can!
Figure out the time you have so you can realistically know how to allocate it to reach your goals. I’m assuming in this blog, you have at least a rudimentary knowledge of marketing and social media. If not, your first step is taking the time to learn.
Know When to Ask for Help with New Year’s Marketing
Like everything, marketing takes time to learn, and the people who are best at it have devoted the most time to it. Therefore, I always recommend working with experts for all your business needs whenever possible.
A marketing company like Power Up Online Promotions is the best option if you can afford to work with one. If not, network with other businesses, enlist help from more savvy employees, keep reading my blog and other sources, and keep learning.
I’ve laid out a fairly basic plan for auditing your marketing and planning your new year marketing. It’s just a basic blueprint, but it will get you there if you devote time to it and study hard!
Be sure to read the rest of my blogs, especially the winning marketing formula and content generation.
Let me know if you have questions, and call me if I can help!