2020 is almost here, and we’re all very keenly aware of it. It’s time to review the year behind and adjust for your digital marketing strategy in the year ahead, but where to even start?
Trying to create a vision for the future without first analyzing what has brought you to the place you are is not only challenging, but mostly ineffective, especially in marketing.
Hopefully at this point you know to measure the results of all your digital marketing efforts in order to see what is and is not working. If so, you already have a foundation for moving forward and are off to a great start. If not, there are resources to get you started. Like this one.
Reading the data is one sure-fire way to figure out the best way to move forward in your digital marketing strategy for 2020, but it is only as effective as the questions you are asking yourself and the honesty of your answers. Asking even the simple questions about your business can tell you where you are versus where you need to be.
So here are 5 questions to ask yourself when preparing your 2020 digital marketing strategy:
1. Am I Offering Something Worthwhile in My Online Presence?
This question is not just for the services you offer. Obviously you are offering something people need, or you wouldn’t be in business.
Ask this question first about the quality of the services you offer and if what you offer is better than that of your competitors. What is your USP––what do you have to offer that others do not? After you’ve done that, you can ask the question about the quality of your online presence: the content you are producing, the communication you do online, etc. All these things serve to spread your message.
When you create an online presence for your business through digital marketing, you are committing to producing something for the sake of your prospects, whether that be social media posts or blog posts; good website UX or well-planned emails. Make sure what you are producing is high-quality and worthwhile. When it is, you are forming a mutually beneficial relationship between you and your potential lead. You are offering something worthwhile to them, and as a result, they will offer you their business and their trust.
2. Am I Being Consistent?
Consistency is key. We’ll say it again and again. Prospects will look for consistency in your digital marketing. Do you regularly produce content? Does your overarching message stay the same? Do your reviews say that you have consistently good service? Does your company voice stay the same? And so forth.
This question is tricky because there can be a lot of categories in which you should be asking it, and the answer may be different from one to another. Your goal should be for the answer to be “yes” in every category. Social media, advertisements, communication level, service––it should all be consistent.
If you don’t think prospects notice, they do. You have to be consistent.
3. Am I Connecting with My Prospects?
“Am I connecting with my prospects?” goes hand in hand with the last two questions. If you have something worthwhile to offer, you have a fantastic foundation. If you are being consistent in your digital marketing, you will reach prospects. But unless you are connecting with those prospects, they will not become leads.
With your consistent communication and consistent online presence, you are practically already there. A little intentional targeting and your prospects will become leads. This may be in the form of nurturing emails, special offers or sales, or a local SEO focus. Keep your target demographic in mind when reaching out and send the right message to the right person at the right time.
Is this something you’ve mastered or something you need to work on in 2020?
(For more information on how to turn leads into converts, read our article on “7 Practical Ways to Increase Conversion Rates.”)
4. What Can I do Better?
If you’ve answered each of the last three questions honestly, you should have a pretty good idea of how to answer this one.
We recommend sitting down with a pen and paper or your computer and writing out a list of every area you feel you could do better in, even if you’re doing pretty well already. We all could use improvement in some area or another.
Your answers can be something easy, such as, “I could increase my post concentration on social media,” or something arguably more challenging, such as, “I could launch new email marketing efforts.”
It can go from one end of the spectrum to the other, but as long as you become aware of your areas of weakness and intend to strengthen them, you’re on the right track.
5. How Can I do it?
Now for the most challenging question to answer: “How can I do it?”
It is one thing to know where your issues lie, it is another to create an effective solution. But keep in mind: a goal without a plan is all but unattainable. You need to have a strategy!
First, consider the SMART goal method. Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Realistic. Timely. You’re goals for your digital marketing strategy should meet each of these characteristics.
With that in mind, revisit each thing on your “what can I do better?” list and create some SMART goals for each. It can seem overwhelming at first, but you’re long term ROI will thank you, trust us.
You can go from “I could launch new email marketing efforts” to “I will start by creating a free ebook to market to my target audience and developing a lead nurturing email series for it. Having prospects enter their email addresses for their free ebook will kickstart my email subscriber database. My goal is to have 20 downloads within the first month, thus having 20 new emails in my database.”
Taking the leap from the “what” to the “how” will take your digital marketing efforts in 2020 further than you could have imagined.
Once you have asked yourself these 5 questions and answered them thoroughly and honestly, you should be well on your way to developing a digital marketing strategy for 2020 that generates leads and turns them into converts and long-term customers.
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed (we’ve all been there), set aside some time to schedule a free strategy session with us at Brown Creative Group. Our goal is to see your business succeed through stronger and more effective digital marketing strategies in the year to come!
