It may only be November, but with the holiday rush getting ready to overwhelm us all, 2013 will be here before we know it. That means that now is the time to start looking at the marketing strategies that did and didn’t work for your business in 2012, and plan for the changes you’ll need to make in the new year to continue moving forward.
Of course, it’s not all about assessing and correcting mistakes. Even if you did everything right this year, there’s no way to avoid the fact that the internet is a highly dynamic and quickly changing environment, and what works for you during one year may not be appropriate the following year. Think about how social media, for example, has taken center stage over the past couple of years – this is something that wasn’t so much of a factor five years ago, but now it’s essential to any online marketing effort.
And as we head into 2013, the place where visual and social cross over is becoming more and more important. Networks like Pinterest and Instagram became huge this year, and they’re not showing any signs of slowing down over the coming months. This means that when you’re starting to plan for next year, you’ll want to incorporate visual social media into your strategy more than ever before.
Mobile devices are also becoming increasingly integrated into the internet experience, and marketers who recognize this and act on it will have a great advantage. If your business does not have a mobile app already, think about whether having an app could help your customers and benefit you in some way. Likewise, it may be time to consider a mobile version of your website, so that visitors on phones and tablets will have as good an experience as possible.
Most businesses modify their marketing as necessary throughout the year, but the end of the year is a great time to make more major overhauls and adjust your company’s trajectory. Don’t wait until the last minute – December is always a crazy month in terms of personal obligations, so now may be the last opportunity to sit down and really give your marketing plan the attention it deserves.
Have you given any thought yet to the changes you’ll make to your marketing strategy in the new year? What are some of the ideas that you’ve come up with for 2013?
