If you want to create a marketing plan for 2020 that positions your business to be even better than this year, reflect on what has happened so far in 2019. What will your marketing strategy look like in 2020? With 2019 coming to an end, it’s time to start developing your 2020 marketing plan. To help you get started, we’ve listed some useful tips to help you get ready and be prepared to make 2020 a successful year!
Marketing without data is like driving with your eyes closed. – Dan Zarrella
1. Review Your Successes and Set Backs
The best way to predict the future is to learn from the past. What worked better than you had expected, and what failed to work the way you had hoped? By evaluating what happened in 2019, you will be able to approach 2020 with the wisdom of hindsight.
Start by asking yourself some questions to reflect on this year:
- How well do you know your audience?
- Did you develop your product line?
- Is your product or service prices properly
- Who are your competitors? What are they doing?
- Did you underestimate the reach of your potential market?
2. Review Your Collateral Marketing Materials
Many types of printed marketing material are invaluable. For instance, when you meet a new prospect, offer them a business card so they can keep in contact with you.
It’s good practice to take an inventory of your printed marketing materials to see what may need updating and what you may need more of for 2020.
Print media continues to be valuable as a recent study found that 56% of customers find print marketing to be the most trustworthy type of marketing.
3. Define Your New Business Goals
Based on your evaluation of 2019, rethink and redefine your marketing goals.
Create overarching goals and then subdivide them into sub-goals. Next, break your sub-goals into tasks. Finally, schedule your tasks and assign them to the right people or teams.
Track your goals each month to make sure you are staying on track.
Pro tip: Make sure your goals align with your company’s values.
4. Learn From Your Target Audience
The best way to understand your customers better is to talk to them. Find out what they like and don’t like about your company, its products, and services. Be open to any suggestions. Use the feedback to adapt your processes and marketing message to meet the needs, wants, and desires of your target audience.
After doing your research, create a custom avatar. Russ Henneberry discusses building a customer avatar, also known as a buyer persona in his blog The Customer Avatar Worksheet: Finally, Get Clear on WHO You Are Selling To. Knowing what your customers want and need from you empowers you to build a better business.
Following these simple steps will boost your retention rates and attract new and potential customers.
5. Schedule Your Milestones
Make a list of your most important objectives. These could be anything– product launches, announcements, marketing initiatives, or trade show events you want to attend.
When setting up your milestones, review your resources, ranging from people to assets. Decide on your budget, what teams to create, and your marketing initiatives.
6. Craft your Marketing Message
Finally, it’s time to craft your marketing message and create your content calendar.
Before creating any new content, review what you created in 2019. See what depth and clarity you can add to your marketing message. What was well received, and what was overlooked? By auditing your current content, you can identify where you can strengthen your content. Think about what you can improve, refine, or upgrade.
After learning about your target audience, you should have a good idea of how they prefer to engage with your brand. Between digital and print marketing, there is no shortage of way for you to deliver your message to your customers: social media, a postcard in their mailbox, YouTube, your companies blog, and email marketing, to name a few. Invest your resources in the methods that yield the best results.
Create a publishing schedule to deliver the best content. Your goal is to continuously educate your readers about what your business has to offer them.
Have you ever heard of an owner who regretted having a marketing strategy plan? We haven’t either. Take the time now to develop your marketing strategy, so 2020 can be your most successful year yet!
