-
Help your brand and business grow with digital marketing.
Hitting the ground running
Planning your marketing year ahead
After all the preparations before Christmas it goes by in a blur and we arrive in January and life seems to calm down a bit. For small businesses this is no time to be sitting on your laurels. In this quieter time you need to be thinking about your marketing plan for the year to boost your sales and business.
Now is the time to nurture those contacts - those on your database (which will of course be GDPR compliant) and social media. Communicating well with the people who are interested in you, your service or product is a valuable way to keep your brand in their minds. If you can, give loyalty discounts. If you can't, give them some of your expertise or your view on something relevant.
For the smaller start-up business, keep your tone friendly and upbeat, which always helps engage audiences. People stay on board with your emails and follow you if you talk to them effectively, keep in touch regularly and respect the relationship.
In the case of selling a product, the online retail year has times that will influence buying behaviour. In particular, days such as Valentine's day, Mother's Day etc, the seasons and events in the social calendar such as festivals. As these times are fixed, you can plan the year ahead easily with your product in mind. For businesses in different sectors, the year plan may be influenced by other stimuli but the same idea applies.
Being re-active to changes in the market is important too. So keep switched on to national and international news and events which can influence people's views and thinking. Being on top of what's going on in the wider world can reap rewards if you do so.
Using social media channels with links to your website will extend your reach, with followers sharing. This in turn brings people to your website and the possibility of them buying/registering. Emailing registered people via your site keeps them interested in your news and alert for offers you may give. It isn't so much of a marketing cycle but a marketing spiral that grows.
On top of that, contacting publications (in print and online) that would be interested to feature your product or service is a good way to widen that audience further. Each time you are trying to get your message and web address out there to attract visitors to your site.
Over the year with regular planned marketing communications will get easier and your effort will pay off, it will give brand awareness and help your brand and business grow.
See more about marketing in our News post The power of Christmas marketing.
Learn more about RLB Design or contact us here.
RLB Design develops and delivers outstanding design and marketing for businesses, big or small. We have creative minds, but also clear heads for commerce. We know just how design and marketing can help brands and businesses grow.
