Time for Reflection!

It’s understandable that you might want to leave thinking about the future until January. New Year, New start…. But December is a great month to use for reflection, and means that some of the work is done when January comes around.

Whilst it’s fresh in your mind, it’s a good idea to carve a little time out this month and ask yourself some key questions. The answers to which will help you to have a better idea when planning where to spend your time and money in the new year.

Marketing and Communications activities should try to follow your customers’ sales journey. I’ve taken a simple approach below and created questions around four important pillars of their journey.

 

Pre-Consideration: Raising Awareness of your Business

Where have you spent time and money promoting your business this year?

• Have you advertised? How much did you spend? What was the return you received / how much business did it win you?
• Have you been on social media? How much time has been spent? What has it achieved?: new business? Customer engagement (to help loyalty)? Have you spent money to promote posts and tweets? Was the targeting successful?
• How else have you promoted your business to the wider world? What was the result? Was it successful enough to be repeated?

 

Consideration: Being Part of the Mix

You may have been one of many businesses that your prospects were reviewing during the year.

• How clear have you been on your website and in your marketing material about what your business is, what it offers and how it differs from competitors?
• Have you exhibited at any events or organised your own? What level of engagement did you achieve? Did you win any new customers and/or nurture existing ones?
• Have you invested in your website? What traffic have you seen and to what are of the website in particular? How have you helped drive traffic to your website? Has this been successful? Is there more you can do?

 

Action: Supporting the Sales Conversion

What additional things has your business done and provided to encourage a prospect to sign on the bottom line?

• Have you shared case studies and video testimonials? If so, what was well-received? Why?
• What suppliers, partners, customers or influencers (media, analysts etc.) have helped you in the sales conversion process? How have you engaged with them and involved them? What success have you had?

 

Advocacy: Nurturing Customers

It’s so important to do this. Nurturing customers and clients encourages repeat business, positive word of mouth and long-term loyalty.

• How have you nurtured your customer base this year? What added value did your business provide, and how successful was it?
• What have you done after a job or project has been completed or a product sold? How have you followed-up?
• Have you invited them to join your database? If so, what will they gain from being on your database?
• What expertise have you shared with your customer base beyond the direct interaction you have had with them? Have you given them access to anyone or anything else that can help their business?
• Have you run a customer event this year? What was the outcome?

 

If you’re finding it tricky to evaluate whether time and money has been spent in the right way, then there may be something that you’re investing in that isn’t providing what your business deserves.

And if having someone help with reflection and planning might be of interest, please do get in touch!

 

Wishing you all the best for a great Christmas and a very successful 2017! x