The start of the new financial year is a great time to set business goals and intentions for the year ahead. And according to the latest stats, SMEs should make online marketing their focus in 2021/22.
Why? Well data suggests you can expect around 67% more leads every month if your brand has a blog. Plus, around 90% of marketers say social marketing efforts have increased their business’ exposure.
Marketing comes in many forms. But whether it’s blogs, email newsletters, social media or internal communications – if nailing your marketing has long been on the top of your to-do list, we’ve got a few pointers on where to start:
Undertake a review
It might not sound like the most interesting place to start, but a lot can change in a year. And if the past 365 days have taught us anything, it’s that businesses need to be agile and able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. What might have worked for your marketing in 2020, won’t necessarily cut the mustard in 2021. So, it’s important to consider:
- What marketing activity brought the most positive results last year? Can you do more of it?
- What didn’t work and why? If the lack of success was pandemic related then it might be worth giving it another go. Otherwise, the activity may just need to be stripped from your 2021/22 plan.
- Were there any targets you wanted to hit, but didn’t? Perhaps starting a newsletter or writing a monthly blog were on the list. What prevented this from happening?
Check out the competition
When it comes to marketing, keeping an eye on what the competition is doing can be really useful. And we all enjoy a good nose! Some points for consideration:
- Start by looking at their branding? Is it memorable? Does it carry through in everything they do? Does their marketing have personality?
- What about their website? Is it easy to navigate? Does it contain information that yours doesn’t? Do they have a blog, webinars or videos? Is there a media kit? Do they have case studies and testimonials?
- How frequently do they update their content – blogs, socials and so on?
- Is their content good quality – well written and correct grammatically?
- What sort of imagery do they use to support their messaging?
- How well do people engage with what they produce?
What price to pay?
Data suggests you should aim to spend anywhere between 2-5% of your sales revenue on marketing.
But it’s not just about direct costs. You also need to figure out whether you have the necessary resources to do your own marketing, or whether you will outsource the job. Obviously, there are benefits to doing it yourself – especially in the early days. But calling in the professionals can help take your marketing and your business to the next level. Not only does it save you time, it allows you to tap into expertise you may not have otherwise had. You’ll also get access to best practices.
Here at Semaphore PR, the team has more than 25 years experience. Throughout April we are offering a no obligation 30-minute meeting or call to discuss ideas for making the most of your marketing in 2021/2022.
Just get in touch to organise a time.
