Don’t Make Marketing Resolutions. Make Good Habits.

Every year it's the same old thing. A bunch of people standing around on December 31st and promising that this year is going to be different. This year they're going to go to the gym, eat healthy, and really get in shape. And for a while, that's the case. But then the enthusiasm drops off, their results backslide, and before long they look and act the same way they always have. Sounds painfully familiar, right?

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When it comes to your business's marketing resolutions, you need to treat them not like a fad diet, but a real and substantial lifestyle change. Short-term fads may let you fit into your Valentine’s dress, but if you want to see long-term changes, then you need to establish new, positive habits.

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When trying to figure out how to provide better marketing solutions, you should look at your business's habits instead. Then, once you've taken an honest look at them, ask what you're doing that needs to change. Not what you need to do to slim five pounds down by next month, but what you need to do to be healthier, and better, for life. Here are some habits you should strive to make permanent actions in 2017:

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1. Prioritize Personalization

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Make sure your customers feel that you are engaged with and care about them, and that they have a personal rapport with you. Make your marketing data easily viewable and actionable, so that you can prioritize trends to maximize engagement. The goal is to reach customers across multiple channels and make every interaction a potential opportunity to delight. Design your campaigns for the channels that your customers prefer, digital, mobile, and social media, and make your services accessible to customers wherever they may be. Give them convenience and control over how and when they engage with you. Before you start any marketing project, map out how you can personalize it to the persona you targeting. Then at the end of the project, review it again from their perspective. Does the campaign use language that speaks directly to them? Will they find value in this?

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2. Simplify Brand Messaging

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Your brand needs to be sharp, and strike hard. Don't weigh it down with qualifiers and confusion, trim all the fat you can. Simplify your positioning and messaging so that prospective customers don’t have to question what you do, how you do it or who you are.

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3. Constant Customer Experience Improvement

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Anything less than five stars means there's room for improvement. Always put the customer first. When people leave reviews of your company online, respond to them and make them feel that their opinions matter (because they do!). Offer incentives such as discounts or other promotions for customers who fill out satisfaction surveys. Don’t let these tasks slip like your “no sweets” promise; make these efforts continuous habits so that your customer experience improvement never hits a plateau.

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4. Success Based On What Worked in 2016

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Look at your results from 2016, and do more of what’s working, improve what’s not meeting expectations, and stop activities that haven’t contributed to your goals. With so many new ideas and possibilities that naturally come with the new year, don’t waste time and resources on items that didn’t work out in the past. Aim to make sure that your sales and marketing teams are aligned and working together to accelerate success this year. 

These are just a few, basic habits you can make a part of your new, improved company that out-live all the shiny and bright marketing trends you are sure to see this year. It's important to remember, though, that you should make changes gradually and permanently, rather than trying to transform yourself overnight. Make sure you have a system in place to make these items habits so that they don’t fall off. If you have any questions or want further direction on how to create permanent and positive change, please contact us!

Image by Jdmoar via Flickr CC