Your annual marketing plan goes beyond helping you keep on track of your business goals and objectives – it also helps you spot opportunities for growth and make sure your budget is maximized.
But before you can develop a foolproof strategy, you must first develop a deep understanding of your industry, company, customers, and even your competition.
Here at Sievers Creative, as a Minnesota-based digital marketing agency that specializes in SEO services, we work with you to help you identify the steps you need to take, and the elements that need to be in your annual marketing plan.
When building your year-long marketing plans, it pays to:
Evaluate Your Previous Plans
To create a solid marketing plan, it pays to identify where you currently stand and where you want to be. Begin your annual marketing strategy by evaluating the previous year’s marketing plans and activities, as well as their actual results.
Identify Your Goals
Next, outline your goals. When you have a clear idea about where you want to go, it’s easier to get there.
List what you look to accomplish, which may include the following:
- Developing a solid brand identity
- Building brand awareness
- Improving brand loyalty and affinity
- Reaching new customers
- Increasing sales and profit
- Expanding into a new market
- Launching new products
Improve Your Branding and Messaging
Are your branding and messaging still in line with your business’ projected path? Develop a brand guide or revise your existing one so it includes the following:
- Unique Selling Propositions (USP)
- Key Terms
- Tone and Voice
- Brand Promise
Make sure to tie all these elements together, to create a consistent brand experience for your customers.
In addition, when writing or revising your brand guide, consider the perspectives that matter to your brand:
Customer Perspective: What potential buyers and clients see
Internal perspective: What your internal team sees that keeps them motivated
Market Perspective: What sets your offering apart and makes your brand stand out in the industry
Identify the Right Marketing Channels
If you have always relied on offline and traditional marketing methods, it may be high time to channel some of your efforts to digital. You may also consider dividing your marketing budget between areas that need the most attention, to come up with a strategy that works best for your business.
If you’re in retail, for example, you may want to look into your current package design. Conduct research to find out if your current packaging still appeals to your audiences. Doing competitor analysis, meanwhile, can help you gauge how well your product performs against similar products on the market. If need be, you can allocate some of your budget to revamping your packaging, so it reflects current trends.
Your consumers are going digital, and so should you. Look at the previous year’s digital marketing trends and identify what you lack or need to improve. Some of the digital marketing elements you should look into include:
- Website and Online Presence
- SEO
- Content Marketing
- Social Media
- Paid Search
- Retargeting
- Email Marketing
Do these terms sound unfamiliar to you?
Planning your annual calendar may seem overwhelming, but not with help from our marketing experts here at Sievers Creative. We can help you create a solid annual marketing calendar that considers everything, from your branding to your website design, SEO, and more.
Talk to our team! Call us at 651.300.4932 or fill out our form today.
