12 Ideas to Add to Your Marketing Strategy in 2020
- Updated on: 2020-04-10
- Read original article here
We are almost through the first part 2020 – how is your marketing strategy going?
Already in 2020 we’ve faced a lot, but hopefully you’ve kept your marketing strong.
Every quarter you should re-evaluate your marketing strategy (or plan) and reflect on what worked, what’s working, and what can be improved upon.
Marketing is ever-changing, and as the world changes, so must your gameplan. Here are some ideas to incorporate in your marketing this year – and in future years.
Invest in continuing education. Attend conferences. Read. Listen to podcasts. In order to keep up with the never-ending changes in the marketing world, it’s key to stay on top of it all.
Take a look at your analytics – what are your goals and what analytics match up to those goals. How do you define success of your marketing efforts?
The dominance of Instagram Stories speaks for themselves. However, also note that Facebook Stories are on par in terms of engagement with approximately 500 million daily users (Source: Sprout Social) and 58% of people in the U.S. say they’ve become more interested in a brand after seeing it in Facebook Stories (Facebook).
User-generated content is some of the most popular content shared by brands on social. See what your customers and clients are posting and share! Encourage your audience to share as well. Below is an example of what my gym did during COVID-19 social distancing.
Audiences change. Platforms change. The average social media user has 8.3 different social accounts. This number lifts to 9.4 social accounts for people aged 16-24 (Hootsuite). Take time and reflect on who you want to reach and where they are. Example: teenagers are all about Tik Tok, not Instagram.
Because of the algorithms, your organic reach will be limited at times. When you see this slowdown, promote a post. The platforms offer a range of ad types to fit what you need. Global ad spend will reach $605 billion in 2020. This is a 4.2% increase from 2019 (Source: The Drum). Example of why you should do ads – People are 26% more likely to view ads on Twitter than on any other leading platform. (Source: Sprout Social)
Posts that get more engagement get more time in people’s feeds. Think beyond your typical promotional blasts and focus on conversation starters.
A thorough posting calendar is your productivity and organization, as well as ensuring you meet your goals and benchmarks. If a platform update occurs, having a calendar will make it easier for you to tweak your schedule without missing a beat or sending your strategy into panic. Below is what our Sprout Social Publishing Calendar looked like for March 2020. We create all of our client content in Word docs, then schedule them out for the next 30 days. When we’ve entered all of them into Sprout, we can see what’s coming up.
When you do this, you show your expertise in your field or business. Another reason to educate? You build a rapport with your audience which in turn builds trust.
With the podcasting industry taking off, be a guest on one that applies to your business or start your own! One of my suggestions – The Marketing Companion, hosted by Mark Schaefer and Brooke Sellas!
People want to feel loved by the brands they follow and shop with. Give them a personalized experience, whether it’s in-store or out. You can send them a postcard on their birthday. Have a way to know them when they walk in the door so you can greet them by name. You don’t have to get extravagant. 74% of marketers say targeted personalization increases customer engagement (Econsultancy)
Whether it’s a survey created on Survey Monkey or face-to-face conversation, find out what your customers are thinking and wanting. All successful businesses listen to their customer’s concerns, wants, and needs, in knowing how to improve and grow.
Changing up your marketing strategy is important in keeping things fresh and adapting to the changes in your industry – and our world.
Which of these will you try this year?
Mandy Edwards is the founder of ME Marketing Services, a marketing company specializing in digital & social media marketing located in Statesboro, Georgia. A proud graduate of the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia she has a thorough marketing background of 18+ years. In the fall you can find her along with her family at Sanford Stadium cheering on their beloved Georgia Bulldogs. Mandy has been mentioned in Forbes, named to the Statesboro Herald’s Top 20 under 40, has been ranked as a Top 100 Social Media Power Influencer by StatSocial and is a Sprout Social All-Star Elite. In 2016 she was recognized as a member of the University of Georgia’s top 40 Under 40 Alumni.
