How to flex the right business muscles this year

It’s that time of the year when everyone makes unrealistic goals for the year ahead and decides to put the pint glass down and pick up the weights at their local gym.

But what if we said this approach is unhealthy?

You’re probably muttering, “Don’t be daft”. And that’s perfectly understandable.

So, allow us to explain…

According to Forbes, 55% of British people break their New Year’s resolutions within the first three months, with 21% not even lasting a month.

It’s the reason why you see drop-off rates in gyms around April and businesses’ marketing plans falling by the wayside in Q2.

The desire to get off on the right foot in January isn’t the issue. It’s the lack of planning which stops us from reaching our goals.

It’s like saying you’re going to the gym to lose weight, but not setting yourself any numerical or physical targets. These things might sound dull to some. However, it’s what makes you accountable and enables you to focus on the next step and the journey.

At eighty3 creative, we see the same pattern unfolding in businesses all the time. They get too busy or turn their attention to other elements. But in doing this, the marketing takes a back seat.

While it doesn’t always take an immediate effect, it does come back to bite them on the backside later in the year.

The key is consistency and creating tangible goals. But you can only do this when you take the time to review and figure out exactly what you need first.

With this in mind, here are a few key things you need to do to help you develop real, long-lasting, profit-driven goals for the year ahead: ?

• Review your Google Analytics in 2023 to check for peaks and troughs. Are there any patterns or spikes during certain months or campaigns?
• Renew/cancel your subscriptions. It sounds simple, but software companies and businesses often charge annually. Make a list and remove the ones you don’t need to cut costs.
• Ask for feedback from your clients/customers. January is usually pretty quiet (unless you’re a gym owner). So, make the most of this period to gather valuable information from your clients/customers.
• Conduct some competitor research. Are they charging less? What positive things are they doing? Find ways to exceed them.
• Review your marketing campaigns and sales attempts. What approach worked and what ones didn’t? Give each element a score out of 10 regarding success. But remember, success doesn’t have to generate immediate sales. Sometimes a surge in engagement on a social post or website traffic via a blog can be a positive indicator of what to focus on. For any you rank below a 6, avoid in 2024.
• Use Google PageInsights to check your website speed. If it’s lagging, maybe it’s time to make some improvements or get a new one designed. (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.) ?
• Check your social media statistics. Are they up from the year before? How often do you post? Are you sporadically posting? Create a calendar for the quarter to develop some consistency or speak to an expert.
• Using the data from 2023, have you got any successful pieces of content you can repurpose or turn into a chunkier gated downloadable to help capture data?
• Think of one new thing you’d like to try in marketing this year. Whatever it is, do it right. And make sure you know which channel or medium to use to successfully reach your audience.

If you’re thinking that list is quite substantial, remember this:

“Spectacular achievements come from unspectacular preparation.”

Roger Staubach – American football quarterback

So, if you’re thinking of just doing something, make sure you follow the points above first. It might not be fun, but it’s definitely necessary. The future you will thank yourself for it.

P.S. Need a hand developing a long-term marketing strategy? Get in touch with us today.