Do you want to see consistent results and continuously grow your brand awareness? A yearly marketing strategy can help create consistent growth for your business, allowing you to make steady progress toward your goals. You already know having an annual marketing strategy, rather than a short marketing campaign, will set you up for success.
Here are some tips to get ready to plan your annual marketing strategy.
Review The Previous Year's Marketing Performance
Take a look at how your marketing efforts performed last year. What worked for your company? What didn't work? Where could you have used additional funding? Last year's marketing performance can help you shape this year's marketing efforts. If your business is just getting started, you might not have a previous year of marketing to compare, so start by figuring out what you want your company to achieve and how your marketing plan may fit into it to get a start on your annual marketing strategy.
Define Your Target Audience
You need to understand your target audience to create a successful marketing strategy. Carefully consider who they are, their pain points, and what they need from your brand. The better you know your target audience, the better you can tailor your content to their needs.
Consider things such as:
- The age range of your target market
- What platforms the members of your target market use most
- Your target market's income level or how much they are generally willing to spend on the problem you can solve
- The type of content your audience will engage with
By clearly defining your target audience, you can ensure your annual marketing plan stays in line with them.
Set Goals and Objectives
As you craft your annual marketing plan, set clear goals and objectives to help govern your actions and decisions throughout the year. SMART goals (the goals which are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound) can help guide your marketing decisions and make it easier for you to decide on those essential next steps.
If this is your first year of marketing, having clear goals and objectives for the upcoming year is particularly important. A digital marketing strategist can paint the picture of realistic goals for your business and what you might like to accomplish.
Identify Your Budget
Your marketing budget may determine how much you should spend and what you can focus on next year. Before you dig into the details of your marketing plan, lay out your budget and resources
Knowing your budget upfront can help ensure you know what marketing tools are available to you within any constraints. It will also earmark the marketing funds you’ll need available at vital points during the year.
Choose Your Marketing Channels
Take the time to find the marketing channels that are most likely to reach your target audience. Your goals and objectives should match the audience you're trying to reach and the journey customers will take when engaging with your brand. Consider who your target audience is. Ask yourself:
- Where does my target audience spend their time?
- What platforms do the members of my target audience engage with regularly?
- How do members of my target audience prefer to interact with the brands they love?
Pay attention to the specific demographics of your target audience and the type of content they tend to prefer as you select the marketing channels you'll use to reach them.
Monitor And Measure Your Results
At every stage of your marketing journey, be sure to track and measure the results of your marketing strategy. When you design your annual campaign, be flexible and don’t stay the course with a plan that isn't working for you. Instead, measure your results throughout the year and adapt and adjust your campaign for better results.
That’s not to say you should flit from one tactic to the next shiny tool. Instead, keep your goals in mind and work toward them. Frequency and consistency are equally important. Be sure you give your plan enough time to develop, and don’t quit if your results aren't immediately as impressive as you hoped.
Partner with a Full-Funnel Media Partner
At Mid-West Family Madison, we can take some of the weight off your shoulders and handle many essential marketing processes. We help guide customers through the customer value journey and help increase awareness about your brand. Furthermore, we have a full-funnel marketing approach to help you develop your entire annual marketing strategy, from social media to broadcast radio and more.
Do you need help determining your goals for the coming year or developing an annual marketing plan? As part of our digital marketing services, we can connect you with a strategist who will help you build your annual marketing plan and design a comprehensive plan.
Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you develop your annual marketing strategy.
