As we head into the final weeks of 2020, we are investing time in understanding our market and where we ended up. When looking ahead to 2021, it is not enough to simply refresh our 2020 plans; we need to take a deep dive into what changes are needed to realistically reflect the times, and how we can continue to grow.
So as we’re all busily writing our own plans and fine-tuning our budgets, we want to share six tips to consider:
- Do the research. Who has done well in your industry? Why? How? For example, my family’s hair stylist has been making house calls and cutting our hair on our deck (though we may move into the garage for winter). Would this have ever happened a year ago? A bridal shop has moved towards virtual dress shopping. And look at the work our schools had to do to reopen this fall — in a few short months, they retrained teachers for distanced learning, retrofitted facilities and so much more. It’s been nothing short of miraculous what we all have been able to achieve as a society this year. Have you determined ways to better serve your clients, keep your staff safe, continue to market your business and stay busy? If this is something you still need to work on, carve out some time to focus on it. Research new trends or innovative ways to best reach and serve your audience in your industry so your marketing reflects their current / changing needs. We are experts at uncovering opportunities and discovering creative solutions should you need some help or fresh ideas.
- Refocus your brand. This relates to #1 because as your business changes to meet current circumstances, take a minute to check-in with your brand and messaging to make sure they align. Pull back and take a look at the bigger picture and make any adjustments to your branding across all channels so they are in sync.
- Reset expectations. Let’s be honest, whatever goals we had for 2020 flew out the window the moment the pandemic hit — and that’s okay. But now is the time to hit reset and build realistic expectations for 2021. Normally we try to kick it up a notch with our goals year over year, but that’s not going work this time around. It may take another year before we are on terra firma once again, so think carefully about what you believe you can accomplish in the next six months. If that’s still unclear, then start with the next three months, or even just one month at a time until you can see where you’re headed. Start where you can and stay nimble. A big lesson this year was how quickly things can change monthly or even daily; plan a strategy that is fluid, but also with some solid targets you know you can reach no matter what. Are you thinking about refreshing your logo? Adding more content to your website? Maybe you wish to engage more online or grow your brand awareness. Define your goals and the steps to achieve them for both fluid goals (that have the potential to shift) and solid, realistic goals.
- Get real with your budget. I never understood why marketing budgets are historically the first thing cut when there’s a downturn in the economy. Business owners typically confess (when they’re open enough to admit it) that it was a mistake after it’s too late. I always remember when Kmart filed for bankruptcy, the CEO said that the worst mistake he made was cutting his marketing budget when Walmart and Target were increasing theirs. He blamed his cut in marketing on the ultimate failure of the company, and I still watch this error in judgement played out again and again. I understand that most businesses need to be mindful of every dollar — especially during a pandemic — but this may be the most important advice I give you here: don’t stop marketing! If you fail to continue to maintain a marketing presence during difficult times, two things will certainly happen: first, people will assume that you’re struggling or have closed your doors permanently and will take their business elsewhere (likely to your competitor who continued to market). Second: it will be much more difficult — and require an even greater effort and spend — to try to gain back the awareness and customers you lost. There are many tactics you can continue to do that are a smaller financial investment; if income is tight, focus on those to keep you top-of-mind. Find more on this topic here.
- Make a big impression. Focus intently on activities that will make the biggest impact, reach the most targeted audiences (not necessarily the largest) and have the potential to yield the greatest ROI for your investment of time, energy and budget. Discuss, scrutinize and question each activity and prioritize what will get you the greatest bang for your buck.
- Up your digital game. Tips 1 through 5 focus on considerations while planning, but this last tip is about a tactic: your digital presence. If there was ever a time to start social media marketing, overhaul your website, start an e-newsletter or any other digital marketing, this is it. This year, in-person events became webinars and online workshops. We hold virtual happy hours and have meals delivered to our doors. We shop online and visit relatives via Zoom. And many of us are virtually running our businesses — collaborating, making hiring and purchasing decisions and more — all remotely. It’s where we all are, and where you can shine. Can you digital presence be improved? How about your online branding? Content? We recommend running a digital audit to address the areas that need improvement to make 2021 the best version of your business in the digital space.
Since the pandemic began earlier this year, we changed our e-newsletter from monthly to weekly, working hard to bring you marketing and design news you can use during these unprecedented times.
If our newsletter has helped you gain new ideas or insight, please let us know! What content did you find helpful? What topics would you like to see more of? We’d love to hear from you and value your feedback. And as always, let us know if we can help with our design, marketing and digital services at 203-776-1323 or amy@elementsdesign.com.
Cheers to a better, safer year ahead!
— Amy
