It’s a new year and a new opportunity to crush your marketing goals. But to make 2016 a year of success, you need to make sure your marketing plan, company culture, and team are in place (and in a good place at that!). Sound intimidating? It's not when you have an action plan to help you! We’ve compiled a list of tips to ensure your 2016 is all kinds of awesome.
Review Your Marketing Plan
You should have finalized your 2016 marketing plan by Q4 of 2015, but if you didn’t have the chance (or if - gasp - you don’t actually have one), now’s the time to do it. Your marketing plan is the backbone of your marketing strategy. Without one, you’re not only flying blind, but you don’t even have a destination to which you're flying. No marketing plan means you don’t have methodologies in place to measure the success of and refine your marketing initiatives, and no defined goals to strive toward. And there are SO many things not okay with that scenario.
If your 2016 marketing plan is already established, now’s a good time to give it a final review to ensure it includes the necessities. What necessities, you ask? Great question! Things like…
1. Create an editorial calendar for your blogs
If you aren’t blogging, you should be. Blogs are an excellent avenue for establishing thought leadership, and a goldmine of keywords and topics that search engines love. Blogs are also the leading driver of website traffic and if you're blogging with a strategy, that traffic is highly likely to be qualified. But just like all good things in life, blogging needs to be done responsibly or you’re at risk of alienating (or missing entirely) your target audience and inviting the wrath of Google. Establish an editorial calendar for your blogs so that you know what blog topics you have in the pipeline, and when they’ll be going live. Editorial preparation makes blogging a routine part of your marketing plan and not an initiative that gets pushed to the side amongst the laundry list of other priorities.
2. Update your website
All too often, companies launch new websites never to update or enhance them until the next redesign comes around (on average a website is redesigned every 2-3 years). Imagine shelling out $30-50K for a new car and then never giving it gas, taking it for an oil change or washing it for 2-3 years. Seems downright stupid right? Website maintenance should be an ongoing part of your marketing plan, as it ensures all content, imagery, UX etc. is relevant, accurate, and timely. Even better, search engines love when a site is continuously updated - all the more content to index.
3. Update your product demo or flagship company video
Just like a website, many companies struggle to update their pre-recorded and live demos and videos. Your demo should reflect the most recent version of your product, and when possible, personalized to your prospects’ specific needs. If you have a company video, how old is it? Does your now bald CEO have a full head of thick brown hair in the homepage video clip? Yikes! Make sure any assets that represent your company or its offerings are updated - neglecting this step is a surefire way to destroy your brand credibility.
Want some more tips? Check out our recently compiled 2016 Marketing Checklist, which includes a list of 20 marketing plan necessities.
Examine Your Company Culture
If you know anything about Stratus, then you likely know we’re big advocates of a purposeful and strong company culture. We’re also believers that your company culture is the basis for a great marketing plan, so if you’re going to be reviewing your marketing plan, you should be examining your company culture, too.
Different company cultures work for different companies, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. But there are some common traits found in many of the standout company cultures, such as at Zappos and Facebook. Three of the big ones are that:
1. Employees like to feel appreciated
This doesn’t mean your employees need to be praised for every success, but making your team feel welcome and appreciated can go a long way towards employee satisfaction.
2. And empowered
Employees that feel empowered are often more responsible for their work and, therefore, more engaged. Obviously, not every employee can have the final say when making a decision, but employees should feel comfortable enough to speak up in a meeting and share their thoughts.
3. But they also like direction
Appreciation and empowerment are great, but without direction, employees are likely to grow confused, concerned, and frustrated. Know what a great source of direction is? Your marketing plan.
And what’s your company culture have to do with your company's success? A lot. Happy employees means higher retention rates and greater dedication, leading to more positive interactions with prospects and customers and a resulting uplift in sales.
Are you ready to give your company culture a kickstart? Take a look at our How-to Guide for Creating a Company Culture That Can Win You New, Better Business.
Evaluate Your Team
Your marketing plan is all set, and your company culture has surpassed even the highest levels of magnificent. What’s next? Make sure you have the right people in the right seats so that your marketing plan can be successful and your company culture can maintain its magnificence. And how do you do that? You guessed it - it’s time for another list.
1. Hire cultural home runs
The most talented employees can fail miserably if they can’t adapt to a company’s culture. Make sure your current and future staff agree with your corporate mission statement and can thrive in whatever culture you have established.
2. Align your team to your marketing plan
Take a look at your marketing plan - do you have the team in place to successfully implement it? If you’re going to revamp your website, do you have the design, usability, and SEO expertise in-house? While some skills are easy to train, others require lengthy amounts of study and practice and may require a new hire. To supplement your current staff, consider bringing on a marketing agency which. The right agency can do the job of several full time employees, often for the cost of just one full time hire.
3. Ensure the individual matches the role
There’s more to successfully performing a job than skillset - a successful employee is an amalgam of skill, experience, personality, and work ethic. Just because someone is an amazing salesperson does not mean that he or she will be an amazing sales manager. Ensure your employees have the right combination of attributes necessary for their roles.
4. Stack your bench
Your batter’s been injured - do you have someone on deck that can step up to the plate? Even if you’re fully staffed, continue to interview for potentially outstanding employees. You never know when you’ll lose an employee, and having a stack of resumes and interview notes for individuals you already like will significantly expedite the hiring process.
Your marketing plan, company culture, and quality of your team are all dependent on one another. Without a marketing plan, you’ll likely find your company culture deteriorating as your employees become frustrated with the lack of direction. Poor company culture will result in low morale and a team that isn’t willing to dedicate themselves to the success of the marketing plan. And with a team that isn’t built for success, your business will suffer.
Stratus Interactive has helped many companies build marketing plans, company cultures, and teams designed for business growth. Want to learn more? Contact us today for a no obligation 30-minute problem solving session, and let's talk about the right next steps to help you reach your business goals for 2016.
