7 Marketing Resolutions Your Business Should Make for 2017

Welcome to 2017. Many people like to say "New Year, New You!" Well, we say you can bring the same thinking to you brand... Every year brings new challenges for your marketing department. Walking the fine line between experimenting with new promotional channels and sticking what works isn't easy, especially when the chasm below can become a money pit for your marketing budget. That being said, there are some things you can commit to confidently. New ideas and strategies are the lifeblood of your marketing. Without them, your campaigns will eventually run out of fuel and stop delivering.

7 New Year's Resolutions Marketers Should Make

We recommend you use the New Year as a time to make some resolutions that everyone in your marketing department - and indeed the business as a whole - can agree to and set about sticking to them. Below you'll find seven suggestions that could benefit any business if applied over the next twelve months.  

1. Get Closer to Customers

Modern technology means brands can be more connected to customers than ever before. In 2017, work to turning casual followers into committed brand fans by learning where they need you and meeting them there. Listen to their questions, then provide relevant information and targeted content to help potential customers feel closer to your company.  

2. Pay Attention to Video Platforms

Just as mobile moved from"would like to try" to the "business critical" category last year, video marketing is the trend that marketers need to move on in 2017. With the major social networks encouraging video by expanding organic reach and promoting live streaming, at the same time as Snapchat and Instagram are rapidly gaining new users, this type of content holds the same potential for brand expansion that Facebook and Twitter did almost a decade ago. Don't miss the boat!  

3. Choose Your Primary Communication Channel

The flip side of adopting all these new channels is that your marketing message becomes diluted and customers get confused. Make sure you're there for them on key channels, but always pick the primary way you want to connect with people. If that's e-mail, make sure you have contact forms in all the high traffic areas of your site and a quick click away on your social platforms. If you want to encourage customers to call in 2017, make sure you have a memorable number out there at the front of your marketing materials, online and off. [search-tag]

4. Put Mobile-Friendly First

Providing your visitors with a positive user experience on mobile devices is no longer a development item, it should be a business priority. Google has informed the world that it is all in on mobile-first, which means that any business with an online presence must follow their lead. Use the company's mobile-friendliness test to understand how your site is positioned and the next steps you should take to get it up to speed in 2017.  

5. Conduct a Brand Review

If you don't know where your brand currently stands, it's tough to plan the next stage of its development. Take time out in January to step back with your marketing team and review your brand's unique value proposition. Where are you delivering exceptional service for customers? Are there any areas where you're falling down? Asking questions like these and considering the mistakes that many growing brands make puts you in a better place to align marketing tactics for the year ahead with your overall brand strategy.  

6. Set Monthly Marketing Reviews (or Review Those You Already Have)

A natural follow on from the overall brand review is to commit to monthly marketing reviews. If you already have these meetings, make sure that they're rooted in metrics that show where your brand is and how it can move forward. Get everyone on the same page at the start of the year so that your monthly meetings act as a roadmap for the year ahead, rather than a general review of what happened during the last month.  

7. Get Key Dates and Content on the Calendar

If you don't have a marketing calendar that knits together your content plan, social media publishing schedule, and key events in your industry, it's hard for your team to keep everything moving in the same direction. January is the perfect time to set out a calendar plan and assign responsibilities for keeping it up to date. As simple as it sounds, a comprehensive marketing calendar will tie all of these other ideas together and add momentum to your overall brand strategy.   Don't let your business be the one to let good habits slide by the time we hit February! Adopt the seven marketing resolutions above over the next twelve months and drive your brand above less committed competitors.