A Little Planning Goes a Long Way for Marketing Success

Okay, so if you fail to plan, you should plan to fail, right? We all know there’s something to this cliché.

There are few better times to put your marketing plan in motion than fall – the unofficial start of a “new” business season. Here are basic tips to get you on the right track:

Even in the age of email overload, email blasts are still an effective and economical way to deliver your message. Create a monthly calendar of focused blasts extending at least six months. Plan to email one strong blast each month that addresses a key topic of direct and timely interest to your customers and prospects.

Your blasts should deliver punchy, relevant information that connects to your website. Make sure you ask for permission and have an opt out option. In turn, your website should have a sign up area for organic growth.

New content is the lifeblood of your website – and your brand credibility. Case studies, thought-leadership reports, newsletters – these are all content examples that must be updated on a regular basis. This will keep your site fresh and compelling.

If you’ve committed to sending out a monthly email/linked in/twitter blast, it can connect to your blog or another section to drive traffic to your website.

To grow your following, blogs should be conversational and deliver truly useful insights to your customer base and prospects. And don’t let blogs become stale dated, update regularly according to a set schedule and, for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) purposes, build links into your blog content that point to areas of your website.

If your website is not mobile-friendly, it’s time for a “responsive” overhaul. This will make your site viewable across all devices, including smart phones – by far the fastest growing area of communications.

We can help transform your website into one that looks great across all platforms.

SEO has evolved and there are many factors that the major search engines consider when returning a search result. Things such as duplicate or improper meta tags can actually penalize you. There are many online tools out there that will give you a free report.

We like Moz, formally SEO Moz, or Hubspot. Not only will these companies give a health assessment of your site, but they will also make recommendations on what issues to fix.

There are many things you can do yourself, but marketing and communications is its own dynamic discipline and probably not your knitting. Don't waste time: bring in the pros to get better, quicker, and more efficient results. You can’t lose by setting up a meeting to explore options.

Just like website content and email blasts, when it comes to social media such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, you need a plan that includes regular posts, written and designed in a way that makes your brand stand out. A good online resource to help you manage all of your social media posts is Hootsuite. One Hootsuite entry posts to all of your accounts effortlessly.

Hey, heard of the telephone? That’s right – that old fashioned way of reaching customers. Pick it up; it’s easy to use. Call an old client or an existing one to say hi or see if you can take him or her for lunch or coffee to catch up in person. We forget that sometimes nothing works better than hearing another person’s voice or meeting with him or her in person.