At the start of the new year, while we’re being plagued with ads promoting products and services that promise a ‘new you’ it can be tempting to feel pressured into making changes to your lifestyle that might not be the right choice for you.
The same applies to developing a marketing plan. There is an urge to go bigger and better every year, but this can result in going down the wrong path, and investing resources in the wrong areas.
Here are a few potential pitfalls when it comes to planning for the year ahead.
Spreading yourself too thin
You may return to the office bursting with good ideas, but to avoid being burnt out, or not being able to deliver to the best of your abilities, be selective.
Look at what’s worked well in the past, and focus on optimising that first before moving on to new things you might not have tried out before.
The same goes for managing marketing budgets. If you know Meta ads are performing well, consider increasing budgets there, before investing heavily in a new platform that you don’t have any prior knowledge of.
It can be easy to want to jump on a new trend, or want to try out the latest technologies to stay ahead of the curve, but this can distract from what really matters. Set time limits on how long you can realistically spend exploring new avenues without it impacting core activities.
Going with your gut
There will always be an element of guesswork involved in any decision you make, but never go into it blind.
Data should form the backbone of the vast majority of decision-making processes. Whether it’s creating new landing pages, expanding paid search to reach new audiences, deciding which events your brand should be attending, or selecting which influencers to partner with, it’s important to be able to demonstrate the reasoning behind every part of the strategy by conducting thorough research, instead of making assumptions.
Shaking things up for the sake of it
A go-hard or go-home attitude rarely pays off in marketing planning. For major projects, such as rebrands or website redesigns, you should always proceed with caution.
Of course, there will be times when a refresh is needed. Or perhaps there has been an acquisition, or a change in positioning where a total rebrand makes sense as a brand evolves over time.
But embarking on major projects such as these should not be treated as a frivolous decision to do something ‘big’.
Instead, focus on testing, and tweaking. If it’s a website overhaul, deploy smaller changes first, preferably after working with a conversion rate optimisation/user experience professional so you’re not just making assumptions about what your customers want. This applies to functionality, content, and design.
If a rebrand is on the cards, get feedback from current and prospective customers. Find out what they like and dislike about your current brand. Do very plenty of research into which other brands share the same, or similar names before settling on one. And don’t just consider the main jurisdictions you trade in, as some words may have a completely different meaning in other languages. Also, once a decision is reached, secure domain names and social profiles early on. There’s no point in kicking off a rebrand if you can’t secure the assets you need!
Most often, it’s best to stick with what you know works – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.