One thing I know for sure is that failing to plan is planning to fail.
I don’t know about you but I saw this a lot in 2020. Often there are things in our life and business that come up. Things we can’t or don’t plan for. When we have a plan in place, we are better prepared to make the necessary changes to our business that will continue to lead to success.
Without that plan, I think, people often give up because they don’t have any idea of what to do next.
Let’s start planning!
You may or may not be aware of some things that have made an impact on marketing this past year. Now is the time to really look at your overall marketing strategy and make sure that it’s going to align with these changes.
New Privacy Measures
We’re going to start with the privacy measures that are being put in place and how they can affect your business and your marketing.
A quick recap of what I mean by the privacy measures.
Earlier in 2021 (around March) Apple IOS generated an update that helped users control who tracked their data on the Apple devices. You might have noticed that Facebook had a bit of a meltdown about this. While it has tremendously affected Facebook Ads (and really all other platforms) in how they use and manage data, I honestly don’t think it was quite the end of the world that Facebook predicted.
It has definitely increased costs in the short term and it has required those of us who run ads to be more creative about how we are reaching our audiences. Also, we’ve had to figure out more creative ways to maximize our ad spend while still getting results.
New Data Collection Restrictions
What you may be unaware of is that Apple also came out with a new IOS update (15) that affects another aspect of your marketing, specifically your data.
The IOS 15 update has an impact on the email data and what you’re able to collect from your email marketing. The very long story short of it is this: Apple is controlling who can track your emails. This means information about open rates, clicks, and registrations via email is affected.
When we send out emails using CRMs, those platforms collect codes for us so that we know when our audience opens an email or takes any other action. This IOS 15 update has removed that ability. This means that most of that data will no longer be accurate. However, some of the stats like click-through rate might still be accurate.
What the IOS updates have done is give users more control over their data. Which, as a consumer myself, is actually a good thing. However, what it really means as a marketer and business owner is that we need to look at our overall marketing from a new perspective.
With these privacy changes being only the beginning, marketers will have to find ways to adapt their strategies to deal with these major changes. Let’s be honest, everyone wants to control their privacy. Be on the lookout for more and more measures like these to come.
What Can We Do as Business Owners and Marketers?
Here’s the short answer: as business owners and marketers, we get to find new ways to adapt our strategies to address these changes.
Rather than looking at just one aspect of my marketing, like FB ads or email marketing, I like to look at our marketing as a whole system, not just specific pieces of information.
In the past, many marketers would use Facebook ads to run a 5-day challenge in a Facebook group. Now, it’s a bit more difficult to target those exact people who would be interested in that challenge. Because of this, things have gotten a little more time-consuming and a little more costly.
It’s going to be more important than ever to focus on providing engaging content that connects with your audience. Spend more time on providing valuable content and creating a solid relationship with your audience.
When you are thinking about your next year, it’s super important that you have the foundational aspect of your business in place. Take a look at your business goals, then look at your marketing strategy and make sure that they align.
A successful marketing plan is not a standalone effort. It is meant to support and promote your vision for your company.
Remember that marketing is designed to attract your ideal customer. Marketing will not fix the overall bad foundation of your business. It will simply highlight the cracks.
Three Aspects of Your Marketing to Get Clear on:
- Know your ideal client inside and out. Know your customer better than anyone else.
- Create an angle or a hook or an offer that is specifically designed for that customer.
- Set your sales goals and define your metrics for success. How will you know if you’ve been successful if you haven’t defined it?
Planning for Your Next Year.
I have a few suggestions to help you get started:
- Invest time and money into building a strong brand. Work on a specific strategy that will provide long-term value to your audience
- Remember to give more than you receive. The reality is that people see ads every day, all day long. They often become immune to them. Begin focusing on educating your audience on why they need you, what can you do for them, and provide them with high-quality, valuable content.
- Understand where your ideal clients gather, whether that’s online or offline. Multi-channel marketing will give you the chance to personalize your message and come across it in a way that helps to connect with you.
- Make sure you are telling your story. There is nothing more authentic than hearing your personal story. Storytelling helps your ideal client to connect with you and begins to establish that relationship and connection we all need.
- Beyond planning marketing tactics, make sure you have your goals and objectives defined and that they are helping you to reach your overall vision. Break down your strategy into a weekly schedule that you can revisit throughout the year to ensure you stay on track.
Developing a plan for your business is a necessary way to break your goals into digestible, achievable actions to keep your business on track. Reaching your yearly objectives shouldn’t be a guessing game.
If you’re ready to start planning your marketing for 2022, contact me today! For more about Planning for the New Year, listen to the latest episode of the Marketing Matchmaker Podcast! And, if you want to grow and scale your business to 6-7 figures, take the Profitable Scaling Quiz today to make a difference in your tomorrow!