We are heading towards the end of January 2020 already! I don’t know about you, but wow… that happened fast! Feeling behind on your marketing? No fear… the year is still young! Where to start? Choosing an annual marketing strategy is always a good first step. Not convinced you need a marketing strategy. Not so fast… let’s dissect it for consideration.

First off, what is a marketing strategy? Think of it as a GPS for your career or business.  A road map of sorts, that helps you know which way to turn when a decision faces you. By identifying where you want to end up this December, you can work out the next 11 months worth of actionable items that will keep you moving in the right direction. Think of these business decisions as the turns you make as you follow a set of directions or a map. With the roadway plotted out in front of you, you remove some of the heavy thinking required with each turn. However, if you opt to skip the map (aka strategy), you could get lost and arrive much later than you hoped. By not knowing where you’re headed, you  take wrong turns, or worse… U-turns that undo any progress you may have made. You get the point.

So where do you start?  Here are a few considerations as you piece together a 2020 strategy.

• Know your skills. What makes you a ‘great find’ for a client? What are you really good at? What do you want to do more of? What is lucrative?
• Identify your targets. Who do you know and how can they help you further your business goals?  What can you offer them in return to help them meet their goals?
• Identify your tools. Which tools will help you communicate with your targets most effectively?  Which tools can you use to make yourself seen in a crowded marketplace? Which tools are in your budget and skill-set?
• Know when you will act. The only way a marketing strategy works if if you PUT it to work. Book yourself time to undertake your marketing tasks and relationship building work.
• Measure your progress. What is the best way for you to keep track of your progress? How can you measure what works and doesn’t work? The tools need not be sophisticated, they just need to be used to inform you.
• Outsource help along the way.  Be honest in assessing where you need support. Identify the resources that help you reach your goals more efficiently. Consider engaging a finance person, a marketing expert or a business advisor to keep you on track and working smart.

Outlining and refining business strategies is an important annual task. Keeping track of how you are doing along the way is perhaps even more important so that you know where you need to adjust… or when you should celebrate success! The most important tip?  Start now.