Marketing lessons we have learned for 2017
As we wave goodbye to 2016 and think of the year that we are leaving behind; the highs, the lows, the completed projects and incomplete tasks, our minds naturally turn to the future. So what did we learn in 2016 that we plan to take into 2017?
This is what we learned:
Raise brand awareness - don’t assume people know what you do and who you are. A new website with a great structure and good content is a great start, but a well thought out marketing plan is an important step forward. One without the other doesn’t make any sense at all.
Be prepared - plan content based around what you know now. Keep a few steps ahead, lead the conversation don’t be two steps behind. But also be prepared to react based on what is actually happening. No one foresaw Brexit being a reality until it happened in June, but avoid the changed landscape at your peril. November brought its own surprise over in the USA, which wasn’t so shocking after Brexit in my view. But this has meant that plans needed to be adapted and changed accordingly. Ignoring what is going on around you is not a strategy worth recommending.
Create your niche – life in a crowd might be safe and anonymous, but standing out makes life more exciting and rewarding. Think about what makes you stand out, own this space. Can you create a niche within a niche? Marketing is a competitive field, but we excel in providing strategically focused marketing and PR with lasting impact. What’s your niche?
ROI matters –Marketing is a cost, but it is also an asset that you can invest in, at least it should be. When uncertainties abound, being aware of the facts – what you are spending and what the rewards have been - makes future marketing investment decisions much easier. If you are finding that marketing is just a cost, and you cannot see a financial benefit, perhaps you need to rethink what you are purchasing…
Look back, but plan forward – every month we look at where clients have been to inform us where they should be going. We aim to mimic success and minimise failures. It’s important to know what worked so that we can repeat it. But our look back is momentary, not navel gazing for navel gazing sake. Trying to work out why things didn’t work should not stop great performance in the future. All athletes know this, you missed the 2nd putt? Ok, 16 more to go….so focus on the path ahead, not the path you have travelled.
So that’s what NYLON will be taking into the New Year.
Wishing everyone a happy New Year, let’s make 2017 a great one.