Taking a moment to think about the foundations of your marketing can provide context as well as guidance for the moves you should make next.
Whether you’re a resolutions kind of person or not, there is value in considering what you would have done differently if you had last year to do all over again. Because you do! That’s exactly what the new year is all about.
With that optimistic idea in mind, here are some things you might resolve to do to improve your marketing success this year. 
Be Intentional
Whatever you do, do it with intent. In part, this means operating within a defined structure or system or plan. This doesn’t mean being trapped in a rigid set of rules – we’ll get to that in a minute. It means that you have to identify goals you want to reach so that you can define expectations for each element of marketing you undertake.
Move beyond a scattershot approach and not only are you more likely to see better results, when you do see results you like, you’ll have a better idea of how to amplify them or recreate them in other areas of your marketing.
Be Flexible
Being intentional doesn’t have to mean being rigid. Don’t be afraid to deviate from your plan. Put another way, when inspiration strikes, act.
For most of us, intuition is an excellent guide. That shouldn’t be surprising since it hasn’t arisen out of the ether. It’s based on your marketing experience, your life experience, and the data and feedback you get every single day. This is especially true as we devote more and more energy to connecting with our audiences on a human level. So if something new feels right, do it. But don’t just do it; find a way to incorporate it into your plan, and find a way to track its impact.
Examine Your Assumptions
Sometimes, the reasons you are or are not doing something have been lost to the mists of time. (To be a little florid about it.) And while digging through troves of ancient emails probably won’t have a great ROI, taking a moment to think about the foundations of your marketing can provide context as well as guidance for the moves you should make next.
Making Your Marketing Mulligan Count
A few examples come to mind:
You and a colleague at a firm that doesn’t compete with yours and has an overlapping audience might work together to create content for one another’s websites, email newsletters, or social media feeds. Could you also co-pitch trade shows with a seminar that you present together?
How about AI? Clearly, if you’re using AI in your marketing, you’re not just doing what you’ve always done. (Unless your career as a marketing only began within the last 18 months or so …) But how intentional are you in using it? Is it just there as a tool you turn to when you’re stuck for ideas? Or don’t have the data you need to support an argument you’re making? Or have you incorporated it so that it’s a repeatable part of your process that helps you consistently work more efficiently and more effectively.
In all of this, the Goldilocks principle applies. There is a sweet spot between too structured and jumping from one shiny object to another. Finding that sweet spot isn’t necessarily easy. It will depend on your team, the work they’re tasked with, and the culture within your organization.
Regardless of what the larger organization around you is doing, take the time to create the systems that will help you maintain your rhythm and consistency to make this year just like last year – but better.
Occasional large-scale changes can re-invigorate a marketing plan that’s beginning to falter and can provide a blast of inspiration that ripples out through the rest of your marketing.
By the way, if you’re interested in hearing some of my podcast and radio appearances, you’ll find a few of them listed on the Andigo website.
Photo by Andrew Rice on Unsplash
