As your trusted marketing professionals, it’s often our job to deliver hard truths – so we’re just going to come out and say it: the year is already half over.
We know, we know! We can’t believe it either, but it’s true. And while the fact that there are only six months left in 2022 may make you want to run and double-check your calendar in a panic, we want to assure you that there’s still plenty of time left this year to accomplish your business goals!
To help you stay on track, we’re here with a mid-year checklist, and some strategy tips to take your marketing game to the next level between now and December 31st. Let’s get started!
Time for a marketing audit
How do you decide what strategies to implement in the second half of the year? Figure out what worked best in the first half! There’s no need to continue with ideas or initiatives that aren’t showing traction.
A mid-year marketing audit is also the perfect time to look at what you haven’t implemented yet and work those strategies into your plan for the second half of the year. But keep in mind: your plan should evolve with the latest marketing trends. This doesn’t mean you should jump at the first shiny object that comes your way, but it does mean you should stay abreast of what other successful companies are doing to market their business.
Update your goals
Take a look at the goals you set for your business this year, and compare your business success from January until now. Were any of your original goals disregarded, and why? Are they still viable for the next six months? Look at the changes and transitions that your business has faced in the first part of the year. The current state of your business could require amending some of your goals, or coming up with completely new ones.
If you’re ready to set some new benchmarks for the second half of the year, decide on 3-5 attainable goals that you want to accomplish. From improving customer satisfaction to increasing brand awareness to growing revenue, work towards these goals and review them regularly.
Prioritize your plan
You’ve taken a good look at your marketing efforts, you’ve analyzed your successes so far this year, you’ve reset your goals, and you’ve adjusted your approach. Now it’s time to get realistic on rolling out the plan. Even if you are a natural marketer, brand building can feel overwhelming. Whatever you create must be thoughtful and authentic.
Prioritize your efforts to make things as easy on yourself as possible. When you look at the most important factors to successfully implement your marketing plan, what rises to the top of your list? Make sure you consider time, effort, and cost. As you begin to tackle your to-dos, make a list of what you know you want to accomplish first. Recognize that you may not be able to implement everything on your list all at once, so focus on your key priorities.
Strategies for Success
As you work on your mid-year marketing assessment, there are a few strategies you can implement to keep you on the path to success.
Utilize a Social Media Calendar. To make sure you are best utilizing this tool, make a calendar for how often you plan to post and where you want to make an impact. This can then be used to keep track of the variety of content you plan to share. Now is the perfect time to refresh and roll out your campaigns from earlier in the year. You know what works, you know how long it will take you to implement it, and you know these tactics reflect your goals, brand standards, and mission.
Use your team as brand ambassadors. Your employees are your best asset as marketers. Each day they are choosing to work for you and with you and they want to grow the business. Talk to them about how they can best support the brand and work with them on how they can talk about what you do. Ask them how they’d like to help promote your company. Practice elevator speeches. Encourage them to attend business meetings in your community.
Keep track of trends. Your marketing strategy should evolve to keep up with the latest marketing trends that will appeal to your audience and reflect your brand. This doesn’t mean you should jump at the first shiny object that comes your way, but it does mean you should stay abreast of what other successful companies in your industry are doing to market their business. Not sure what’s trending this year? We’ve got you covered!
With half of the year left to boost your brand and reach your goals, this is an excellent time to ensure that your marketing plan is ready to monitor your efforts, track your successes, and guide you through the rest of 2022. Set your review in motion to make the next months even better than the ones before, and to gear up for a fantastic 2023!
Regardless of where your business is at with your mid-year plans and goals, our team is here to help. Our exciting summer webinar series is HERE, covering all the key topics you need to know to implement a powerful marketing strategy for the remainder of 2022 – and beyond! Register today – and if you need more immediate help, from audits to execution plans, reach out today to connect with our team.