6 Tips for Marketing in 2017

There is no better time to re-energize your business’ strategic plan, public image or marketing plan than the beginning of the new year. Your marketing plan is far more essential than traditional New Year’s resolutions which are classically abandoned by January 15. It must be thoroughly analyzed to ensure that it is specific, actionable and adaptable throughout the year. It is also important to drive innovation whenever possible to bring one’s business out of the status quo and onto center stage.

2017 brings with it so much optimism and opportunity. To take advantage of this, business leaders must not accept the norms, but plan for positive change. A brand’s image is not a stagnant function of modern business. All it takes is one bad customer experience or the incorrect allocation of time or money to hinder an organization’s success; however, a series of thoughtful and prudent strategies can raise your business to magnificent heights. 

Important considerations for your 2017 strategic marketing plan include the following:  

1. Tailor content to your target audience. Good content is key to your success. It’s easy to get off topic and forget to relate to your niche. Don’t risk losing your audience by trying to overreach.

2. Stay one step ahead of “relevance.” Technology is not going to wait for you. Don’t wait until a social media platform gets big before beginning to utilize it for your business. Before you know it, the next popular one will be introduced, and you don’t want to make it a habit of being left behind.

3. Mobile browsing and applications are becoming far more necessary than traditional desktop websites. Ensuring that your website can be viewed and easily navigated from a mobile device is critical for your business’s success. People will not hesitate to move on to the next website if they cannot quickly find the information they are seeking.

4. Constantly reevaluate the decision to automate vs. retain personal connection. There’s countless factors that play into what is best for a company. As those variables evolve over the next year, you need to adapt modern automation processes while preserving human relations.

5. Social Media is no longer a “good-idea” but a requirement for today’s marketing. Most successful businesses have ample content on multiple social media platforms. Consider outsourcing if you don’t have the time to maintain and promote your business through social media.

6. Search Engine Optimization is a time-consuming and expensive necessity to show up as an option and prove to customers that your business is worth their consideration. If customers search for a company and cannot locate the website through a search engine, they start to question the company’s legitimacy.

Warm wishes for a wonderful new year.

Kristine Gobbo is the president of Spectrum Public Relations, a full-service marketing and PR firm located in South Florida.