Four Tips to Get Your Business Ready for the New Year
As the end of the year approaches, businesses are starting to reflect on the successes achieved and lessons learned from this year. Planning for the new year is a great and opportune time to rethink business strategy and figure out ways to get your business ready for yet another year. It is also a time to consider different ways of doing sales and marketing for your business so that you can cultivate and ignite brand awareness within your customer base. Here are some ways you could energize your business as you prepare for the new year.
Focus on your current customers It is important to focus on growing a consistent customer base to maintain the flow of revenue in your business. You can achieve this by developing a marketing plan outline based on the needs of current customers such that they remain satisfied. Many businesses tend to focus on attracting new customers whose needs and preferences they might not fully understand. The cost of acquiring a new customer can be seven times more expensive than retaining your current customer base. Focusing on growing a base of current customers can also present more reliable opportunities for business growth. For example, some customers might tend to spend more during major holidays while others might be drawn more to new product release or big sales events. It is important to learn what excites your current customers and tailor marketing towards them.
Focus on your brand voice With the marketing of different brands all over email and social media, it’s important o have a unique brand voice. By finding your brand voice, you can stand out from the crowd of companies in your industry and convince your current and new customers to keep purchasing your products. As customers scroll through their emails or social media each day, they are constantly seeing different types of advertising throughout their feeds. However, a unique brand voice that is tailored to customers and emphasizes why your business and products are important will be differentiating. Take a minute to go through your content from 2020. Does it feel uniform? Is it aligned with your brand?
Update your website copy, start a blog, vlog or podcast It is also important to keep your website updated with the latest information on your business and its products. A copy refresh on your website improves SEO. Did you know search engines LOVE updated website copy? If your copy is done right, not only will your rank with search engines improve, but you will attract a wider audience, which results in more conversions. You can even make your website feel more personal and SEO friendly by starting a blog, vlog, or even a podcast about your products or service. For example, if you have a business in health care, you can start positing vlog tips on your website or social media that speak to your audience and their needs The more value you can provide; the more you can present your self as a subject matter expert, the more your audience will begin to trust you and your brand.
Use promotional products to spread your brand message Another way to connect with customers is by using promotional products, which gets your brand name in front of a wide range of customers. With many events now going virtual, has your business researched how you can reach your audience without seeing them face to face? Are you planning a webinar or virtual trade show? Sending a
gift bag with branded merchandise, prior to the event, shows your audience that they are important to you, while also providing brand recognition and a personal touch before your event begins. It is also a great way to have new customers remember your products or services. Add another layer to marketing your virtual event, by asking the recipients to share their gift on social media and to tag your business page in their post. Regardless of your business model, revamping your marketing plan each year is vital in staying fresh and staying top of mind. Be sure to review your marketing activity from the past year so you can determine which campaigns performed well and those that did not.
