So, it’s Q4 and you’re not going to reach your goal…

Ah, fabulous. It’s Q4 and…what’s that you say? We’re falling short of our marketing goals. By a little. By a lot. And now, our 2022 budget is at risk. Not to mention our jobs.

2021, I thought you were supposed to be better than 2020?

If this is the situation you’re in and you’re feeling a little panicked, that’s because it’s scary as hell.

But never fear. We’ve got some ideas to help you off the ledge (not to mention some reassurance). Here’s what we’ve seen work in a last-minute Q4 scramble:

1. Run a fresh campaign.

Some of the best campaigns we’ve ever put out there were executed in Q4.

Why are they so effective? Well, for starters, this is the one time of year when a lot of people are off work around the same time. This means fewer meetings and more time for people to—say—hit up their social channels and mess around.

Not to mention that teams are often scrambling to use up their remaining budget because so many companies are use-it-or-lose-it. This is a great time for B2B to get in on that action.

To anyone who says Q4 is a bad time for a new campaign, we say hogwash. It’s time to seize the day and launch something new. You have a lot of creative leeway during the holidays, so take advantage.

2. Work with external partners.

Sometimes your numbers are down because your team simply can’t handle the workload. Take a load off by hiring a great agency to come in with a fresh perspective, diverse skill sets, and greater manpower to move the needle on these last few months.

3. Consider new tech.

Intent-based tools. ABM platforms. Workflow management. Tech tools can give you insights that increase your results by a large margin. They can also improve processes, free up time (and creative brain space) for your in-house talent, or help you better understand customers (and therefore sell, upsell, and cross-sell to them better).

4. Refresh that rusty old brand.

How’s your creative looking these days? Is the language human or piles of jargon? Does your logo have more than one color in it? Are your designs similar to the competition (read: boring), or do they stand out?

If any of the answers above don’t thrill you, Q4 is a good time to clean things up.

If there’s more than one color in your logo, it’s out of date. Big brands like Starbucks, Tesla, Nike, and Apple have gone single-hue because it’s easier to use a logo across multiple mediums and against numerous color schemes.

If your brand is looking boring, it might not be drawing customer attention in a competitive online market.

And don’t even get us started on jargon. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: it never makes a brand sound smarter.

5. Get a jump on your 2022 planning.

Part of the winning strategy here is trying to bump up your numbers in the now. But part is looking to the future.

Firstly, because it’ll help you make sure you’re set up for success next year. And secondly, because you may need a compelling plan to secure those at-risk budgets and solidify your value at the company if the year’s goals do fall a bit short.

Your plan should:

Show how you plan to course correct in 2022. What worked? What didn’t? What factors (both in and outside your control) came into play here? How do you see them changing?

Take full advantage of partnerships. Who else out there is targeting your audience and how can you partner with them to improve both your outcomes? You know we love an unusual partnership story—because they work.

Plan to take smart risks. This is the best thing marketing leaders are doing right now (we know because we work with so many of them). Take risks, but make sure they’re measured. Understand what you’re risking. And have a nimble planning process that allows you to change course if needed.

Buddy up with sales. Dig deep into why things didn’t work this year and ask the sales team what their low-hanging fruit is. Do they need help upselling and cross-selling current customers? Is there a new product offering that needs some marketing love? Do they have people stuck in the funnel who need a little nudge?

Sales and marketing should always be allies. Full stop.

Be proactive! Present your killer 2022 plan to the executive team as soon as possible. Don’t wait for them to ask for it.

And if you need some help? We’re always here. Contact us anytime.