5 step marketing workout running shoes

5 step marketing workout

It’s never too late to make a fresh start and grow your business with our 5-step marketing workout.  It may be that your business plans have become derailed, or your current marketing activity is not delivering results. If you want to make a positive change to grow your business is time to revisit your marketing plans and follow this simple 5-step marketing workout.

1. Evaluate what is working and what’s not

Take a look at what marketing activity you have been doing over the past year – what has been working and what’s not been delivering the required results? Aside from factors outside of your control, can you identify any trends that might indicate why your current activity is not having the desired effects. Dig out any statistics you might have and evaluate your past marketing activity.

Sometimes it is helpful to categorise your activity using Stop, Start, Continue. Divide your current marketing as a) activity to continue, and improve, b) activity to stop doing because it’s not working, and c) activity that could work given some further attention.

2. Take a look at your market place

A lot can change in a year, as we all know after the seismic changes that 2020 brought to society and the economy. It therefore makes sense to review all news and intelligence reports relating to the industry you are in and the markets in which you operate. What are other businesses doing that deliver results? Who is successful in your field? What can you do that builds on your successes and helps you be heard over the noise?

If your company is not growing at the same rate as your competitors then further analysis is needed to determine where you are going wrong.

3. Innovate to survive

What might you need to change about your product or service to be able to compete this year? Do you need to put product development plans in place, review your pricing strategy or provide added value to your customers? Does your product/service portfolio need some deadwood weeding out?

Do you need to think differently about your marketing communications? Use social media or different channels to market?

4. Re-align your brand

Branding shouldn’t change with the seasons as it is a long-term investment, as opposed to campaigns which need to be seasonal and topical. However every now and then you should take a look at your brand positioning, tone of voice and creative identity. Are they clear and focussed? Are you staying true to your brand? Are you responding to macro-trends such as the conscious consumer? Fine tune your brand or take steps to re-align your activity with it again so that you are conveying a clear and consistent message. Use our guide to writing a value proposition statement to get your brand positioning clear.

5. Sweat your assets

Are you making the most of all opportunities to get your message heard? Quite often businesses overlook the obvious channels such as van livery, buildings and customer lists. Consider what you already have available and whether there are missed any opportunities to use these as communication channels.

Does all your marketing activity have a consistent message, compelling proposition and strong call to action? All the marketing activity you identified in step 1 as A or C should be reviewed to ensure that it is working as hard as it should be.

Are you promoting your social media accounts on your print, and is your customer journey simple on your website? Take the time to review and refresh now so that your year is as good as it can be.

Avoid fads and yo-yo diets

Like fitness fads and yo-yo diets we see marketing trends come and go. A solid marketing plan which is regularly evaluated and reviewed will ensure that your business will be based upon a firm foundation that has flexibility built-in.

Naturally, the focus on evaluating your marketing will come and go throughout the year, once day-to-day pressures or other priorities take over. Make sure that you plan in regular reviews to check on performance, otherwise you could end up waiting another year before ditching that email campaign that isn’t working for you. Regular reviews will help you stay on top of your game and allow you to react faster.

If a quick marketing workout highlights that there is more wrong than right with your current approach, then it is definitely time to review your marketing strategy from scratch so that you can set your business on the best footing for the year ahead.