Strategy 101: Starting Fresh with a WOW Marketing Plan in the New Year

Compiling an annual marketing plan that reflects your company’s goals is no walk in the park, and putting it into practice can prove to be an even greater challenge. However, when you get it right and hit the mark, it can prove to be the most powerful catalyst for your business growth.  

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As the general relationship between brands and consumers evolves, the traditional “funnel” marketing approach that views customers as an afterthought fades further off into the past. To see serious results, customers should always be at the center of your strategy. This is where the flywheel comes in. After all, a wheel can build much greater momentum and forward acceleration than a funnel.  

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Our marketing experts share every step of the process to propel your business into 2023 with a tactical plan. Read on to rocket launch your way to success – we'll cover how to:  

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• Set Your Intentions with a Clear Vision of the Future
• Establish Clear Goals and Progress Indicators
• Specify Your Budget and Be Realistic
• Set Systems to Focus on Tactics that Align with Your Vision
• Stay Flexible and Ready to React

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1. Set Your Intentions with a Clear Vision of the Future

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Before getting into the details of daily goals, it’s crucial to visualize where you want your business to land.  

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Who is your ideal client and what problem of theirs will you solve?
What do your numbers look like at the end of the first quarter?
How large is your podcast following in six months?
Are you launching any new products or services this year?
What kind of engagement are you seeking from new and loyal clients?
Do you have more investors funding your projects?
Are you collaborating with any influencers?

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These are just a taste of the kinds of questions to reflect on. Get specific! Visualize what a typical work day looks like this coming May. Imagine clients sharing your content or even better, creating organic user-generated content. What does the energy around your brand feel like?

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If you don’t have answers to these questions, it’s time to go deep. Brainstorm with your team so everyone is heard and gets creative input. Setting these intentions with the big decision-makers in your company lays the framework for every other layer of your marketing plan.

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2. Establish Clear Goals and Progress Indicators

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The vision is important, but it will only take you so far. If you want to see any growth, you must take action to get you there. At the same time, you want as many people in your team as possible to feel onboard and excited about what’s on the horizon. Coming to a consensus on what goals should look like and how to reach them takes research, analysis, and thoughtful communication.  

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This presents a good opportunity to complete a marketing audit of your website and social media. Pinpoint what has been effective in the past and what has flopped. Additionally, look at yourself and your team. Be realistic.

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What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Are any of your team members comfortable on camera?
Does your brand have a “face?”
Do you need to hire any contractors to help?

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These answers can give some clues as to what will work best for your business when setting goals.

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Pinpoint which tactics have been effective in the past... and which have flopped.

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You also need a clear way of measuring your progress. Get into the nitty-gritty of key performance indicators (KPIs) for analysis of lead attraction and conversion, customer acquisition cost, engagement rates, organic traffic, and top 5 entry pages.

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Sound overwhelming? Luckily, Charisma Communications can help you stay on top of some of these KPIs! To better learn the effectiveness of your marketing and invest in more marketing support, contact our remote marketing agency!

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3. Specify Your Budget and Be Realistic

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In addition to setting goals and benchmarks, be realistic about the amount of money you have to spend. Determining this gross budget will help you handle the big picture on a day-to-day basis.

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Also, which tactics with money behind them will maximize your return on investment? Many businesses are currently seeing a huge impact from working with user-generated content creators and micro-influencers. These creators often have a small but mighty audience with whom they’ve cultivated a deep sense of trust.  

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Certain technologies and digital tools may additionally be worth the investment to maximize efficiency. Just be sure not cut corners, or you risk appearing inauthentic and disorganized to your audience.

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4. Set Systems to Focus on Tactics that Align with Your Vision

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Once you’ve set everything in place regarding the vision, goals, direction, budget, and benchmarks, it’s time to settle into the systems that will help you get to where you want to be. Inbound marketing is fueled by content, so you’ll need to identify the specific kinds of content you’re interested in developing.

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Quarterly content plans will effectively help you develop routines within your company and ensure you and your team are moving toward your goals.

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It may be helpful to identify content pillars for each platform that aim to educate, entertain, relate to, and inspire your audience. Beneath these pillars, you can branch off subtopics that get into the details of your offerings.  

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For instance, an interior design brand may build off of the following:

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• Progress updates to educate  
• Completed design photos to inspire
• The impact of design on our psychology to relate and educate
• Travel inspiration to entertain and inspire

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Progress updates can be broken down into focuses such as lighting schemes, color and material selection, contractor organization, and tips to overcome hurdles in the process. This information may come in the form of a blog, Reel, or Facebook caption and photo.

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In all cases, keep the focus on the user.

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5. Stay Flexible and Ready to React

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Unforeseen circumstances will come up. While marketing certainly benefits from having a concrete plan, it’s an endless dance with the current media landscape. The ability to react to events and trends will keep you on top of the wave instead of crashing beneath it and struggling for air.  

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When obstacles or industry news arises, there is no need to derail your plan. Simply take time to adjust your tactics, especially at the end of each quarter and always at year end.  

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Resolve to Strategize with Charisma Communications

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Creating an annual marketing strategy is essential for any business. Taking the time to plan an effective strategy will allow your business to maximize profits and reach new heights. With a well-thought-out plan, you’ll see measurable results in the success of your marketing efforts and overall growth.  

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Investing in an experienced consultant skilled in developing effective strategies can be invaluable for achieving optimal results. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, reach out to our experts at Charisma Communications.  

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Let your creativity run wild with Charisma, and you'll be sure to craft a winning strategy that yields outstanding results.

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