Ready to make 2019 your best year yet? New Year’s resolutions are important for businesses too. By setting goals and putting together a plan for achieving them, you can set your business up for success in the new year.
#1: WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS
The hardest part isn’t making the resolutions, it’s keeping them. Writing down your goals makes them feel real and keeps you accountable. As you draft your list, make sure each one is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely.
How? Don’t forget to track your progress, and try breaking down your objectives down into quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily tasks. From old fashioned pen and paper to whiteboards to spreadsheets to apps different methods work for different companies. Determine what works for you and share your goals with the rest of your team.
#2 IMPROVE YOUR WEBSITE
Think of your website as your digital storefront. People judge your business by your website, so you need to put your best digital foot forward. Typos, outdated content, confusing copy, and sloppy design can hurt your bottom line.
How? Schedule a website consultation. Digital marketing experts, like us, can help you update and polish up your website presence. From adding relevant SEO keywords and effective CTAs to fixing spelling and grammar issues, we can optimize and refine your website copy. Consumers will take notice of your digital efforts and become more interested in your business.
#3 STEP UP YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA GAME
Social media marketing influences brand perception. If you’re not active on social, you’re missing out. That’s a fact. Simply posting to post is no longer effective. If your posts don’t provide value to your followers, you’ll lose them sooner or later.
How? Choose a social media platform or two to focus on in 2019. By taking the time to strategize, you can see real results. Social media management is time consuming, and that’s why hiring a pro to post regularly, respond to messages and comments promptly, and develop targeted ads is well-worth the investment.
#4 LAUNCH A BLOG
If you have a website, you should have a blog. Plain and simple. Regularly posting new content to your blog will drive more traffic to your site. Like with social media, posting for the sake of posting isn’t enough. Your blog must provide value. Readership grows when your followers find your content valuable. How? Take the time to plan out your posts. Create fun, informative content your audience wants to read and don’t slack on your background research. If you don’t have time to create engaging content, outsource it. Coming up with relevant blog topics, clever headlines, and effective social media teases can be tricky. Getting to know your audience and creating content that captures their attention can translate into a loyal following.
#5 EMAIL LESS, BUT MORE STRATEGICALLY
Email marketing can generate leads and sales, but only if you’re regularly building your email database. Give people a reason to sign up, and don’t spam them. People love contests, freebies, and coupons. But remember, even the best emails go unread, so take the time to regularly evaluate your strategy.
How? If people are still instantly deleting your emails, it’s time to for a new strategy. Spammy subject lines, too many buzzwords, spelling and grammar mistakes, lots of links, and not enough text can all lead to issues. TBH there’s a lot of rules to keep track of. If email marketing doesn’t fit in your calendar, don’t skip it. Ask for help instead.
#6 START COLLABORATING MORE
The buddy system can be your best friend in the beverage business. Collabs aren’t just for brewing purposes, you can co-host an event, launch a like-and-share contest, become a sponsor at an industry event… the possibilities are endless!
How? Do your research. Cross-promotion is most effective when executed purposefully. In other words, your partnership should extend your reach and theirs. Focus on collabs that will benefit both parties, and don’t be afraid to ask for advice from businesses who have collaborated in the past.
#7 HOST A BRAND-NEW EVENT
Add something new and different to your company’s event calendar this year. A buzzworthy event can put your business on people’s radar. People love beverage events, so you’re already off to a good start.
How? Think about events you’ve hosted in the past. Which ones were successful? Which ones weren’t? And why? Think about events you’ve attended in other cities and loved. Could a similar event work in your community? This is your chance to introduce something new and exciting to the local beverage scene.
#8 MAKE PLANNING A PRIORITY
Think about where you are now and where you want to be a few months from now and by the end of the year. Revisit your goals. Evaluating what’s working and what isn’t will help you set new goals and adjust old ones accordingly.
How? Set aside time every week or every month to review your progress. Planning helps you stay on track. Make sure to involve your content marketing team in these meetings so you can adjust current campaigns and launch new ones as needed.
ASK FOR HELP
With all the day-to-day tasks on your to-do list, finding the time to promote your business can easily slip through the cracks. If digital isn’t part if your marketing plan, it’s time to add this resolution to the top of your list. That’s where we come in! P.S. First consultation is on the house.