People often use the new year as an opportunity for a fresh start, a way to begin new projects and renew a commitment to self-improvement. Businesses are no different; many companies set January as a time to start implementing the changes that will carry them through the year to come. But of course, as with personal resolutions, business resolutions often fall by the wayside as soon as the magic of the holidays fades and the realities of day-to-day life take over. If you want your business to reach new heights this year, here are some tips for realistic goal-setting.
1. Don’t try everything at once. Yes, you are going to encounter all kinds of advice on great marketing tactics for 2013. Unless you have a large staff and an even larger budget, you are not going to be able to try out every interesting idea you hear. So instead of giving partial effort to a lot of different things, choose one or two that you think will really work for you, and give those your full attention.
2. Pay attention to what works and what doesn’t. You’re probably already using some sort of analysis tools to measure how well your various marketing campaigns work. But it’s surprising how many people ignore key metrics and stay too long on a sinking ship. If something clearly isn’t working and you don’t see a realistic way to make it work, cut your losses and try something else. After all, metrics are there for a reason, to help you see where you can make improvements.
3. Don’t ignore mobile. It’s here to stay, end of story, and the mobile market is growing by leaps and bounds. If you’re not catering to mobile users in 2013, you’re going to be missing out on more and more potential customers with each passing month. Any new web design or updates to your existing design should be focused around making your site better for mobile visitors.
4. Consider packaging information in new ways. Sometimes the key to getting your message across to new people is not new information, but a new delivery system. If you’re not blogging, try it. If you are blogging but find it’s not enough, try incorporating video. If you find you have so much information to share that blog posts just aren’t cutting it, consider creating an ebook or other downloadable information product.
The new year is an exciting time, but it’s more important than ever to stay focused and keep your eye on your goals. What are your top marketing objectives for 2013?
