10 Ways To Boost Your Marketing In 2019
As you enter 2019, now is the perfect time to reflect upon last year’s successes and challenges – both personal and professional. In crafting a vision for the new year, it’s important to identify short-term goals that support a long-term vision.
To help you get there, here are ten totally achievable marketing goals:
1. Reassess and build on your 2018 strategy.
Your marketing strategy should be a living, kinetic document. You can’t keep using your 2018 strategy and expect it to still be effective in 2019. Revisiting the strategies you tried and evaluating your return on investment is crucial for developing a stronger, smarter strategy for the new year.
2. Blog (even more!) in 2019.
Blogging is one of the most efficient ways to boost engagement and drive traffic to your website. In a study published by Orbit Media Studios, approximately 84 percent of participants said their blog delivered results in 2017. That trend is expected to continue in 2018 as more and more companies start creating original content. Last year, MCG blogged at least two or three times each month. But this year, we hope to publish a new post every week.
3. Start that webinar, YouTube channel, or podcast you’ve always wanted to create.
Stop focusing on how you don’t have time to try new things and start planning to have that time. Begin by spending 20 minutes every day on that special project until you can dedicate more time to it. The more your project develops, the easier it will be to prioritize and complete it.
4. Find a management system that declutters your workspace and your mind.
With so many client projects in motion at once, collaboration can get hectic – especially if you’re communicating exclusively through email. To cut down on inbox clutter and bring clarity to tasking, we recommend finding a project management system that fits your business.
Here are few platforms we use and love:
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- Slack is a cloud-based messaging app that is perfect for in-office communication, client communication, and file sharing.
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- Trello is an excellent tool for teams that love to brainstorm and plan using sticky notes, but want to make that process digital.
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- Asana does everything Trello does and more. In addition to creating and assigning tasks, you can plan your entire editorial calendar inside Asana.
- Hubspot CRM is an intuitively designed free app for managing your sales pipeline.
5. Recycle your best blog posts.
Don’t be afraid to recycle your best blog posts. Many major companies repackage and repost content from their archives. Try a post which reiterates the strong points of old articles, while growing upon how specific concepts and trends may or may not have changed. Doing so creates a consistent narrative of growth and learning for both you and the customer.
6. Give video marketing a try.
Stop postponing your pivot to video marketing. Video content is undeniably one of the best ways to invest your marketing bucks, as it can be distributed through your website and your social media channels. No need to hire a professional production team immediately- there are lots of affordable editing tools out there for amateurs. In fact, amateur and native content can be most efficient through Instagram Stories, Snapchat, and Facebook.
7. “Document, don’t create.”
This advice comes from media expert Gary Vaynerchuk, and it’s basically our staff motto at MCG. If you want to produce more content with less time, start documenting the work you’re already doing on the go. A good way to start would be sharing short clips from your meetings on social media to show off process and company culture. If you host weekly brainstorm sessions or happy hours, why not document those moments on social media, too?
8. Stay on top of trends and influencers.
Staying relevant is crucial in the digital age. An awareness of internet culture, current events, and other trending topics will help you capitalize on the many benefits of social media marketing. Keep an eye on hashtags that are relevant to your industry. Social listening is one of the easiest ways to conduct daily market research. We also recommend getting familiar with the social media influencers and thought leaders who are most popular with your followers. Through partnerships with influencers, you can target smaller communities by sponsoring branded content.
8. Establish rapport with customers through social media.
In 2018, the worlds of social media and e-commerce collided in new and exciting ways. Instagram, for example, released an in-app shopping feature for retail accounts. Meanwhile, Facebook and Twitter have optimized their messaging platforms such that companies can now provide even faster customer service through live chat and chat bots. Consider how these tools could help you better serve customers and create a more intimate digital community for your brand.
10. Track and measure your results.
Let’s make 2019 the year of the data-driven approach. Because what’s the point of tracking information if you’re not going to review and analyze it later? So many businesses monitor their website traffic and social media engagement. But many of them forget to make thoughtful use of the analytics they’re generating. The real value of social media marketing is the insight it provides.
If these goals resonated with you, join us in working toward them! If it’s truly time for a fresh start, check out this article on rebranding. Make 2019 the year your marketing efforts really pay off.
