What Will Marketing Look Like in 2015?

By Christopher Tompkins CEO and Founder, The Go! Agency

Towards the end of each year, many of us tend to get contemplative about what we have accomplished in the last 12 months….what worked and what failed.

November and December are wonderful times for a business to reorganize their thoughts and get some ideas on paper as to what they need to do in the coming year.

I am always talking about the power of a plan, but this time I think I want to deal with something even more important: focus.

We spend so much time looking at the different moving pieces of our marketing strategy, that many times we overlook the actual reason that we are doing all of these activities as well as what sort of outcome we are expecting to get.

How can you find your focus amidst the marketing madness?

Be honest with yourself. Plain and simple.

If you could name one thing that you want to achieve in 2015, what would it be? More sales? Higher online profile? More diverse target market? Name what you want to achieve, and THEN you can easily identify the means by which you can achieve it.

Be specific and don’t just have one goal…you may have multiple goals. Many companies just focus on growing sales, but perhaps in the coming year your goal is to make a splash on social media, or rebrand your company. These may be steps to your overriding goals, but writing them down on your pad is still important.

Now look at what tools that you have in your marketing arsenal to make your goals a reality. If you are looking to build a higher profile, perhaps your email marketing needs a boost with more frequency, as well as a greater focus on growing your email subscriber list.

Another thing to remember, is that not all of the means to achieve your goal are free. You need to create a budget for this activity and put money aside. If you want to roll out your plan and continue to create momentum for your goals, it’s very important not to have distractions, and unforeseen costs can definitely be a roadblock.

Also, make sure that your entire team is on board with your focus. Everyone needs to know what your goals are and why they’re important – so that they can support your mission and give their own input and ideas on ways that they can help your company reach and exceed your marketing plan.

Then get ready for a successful 2015!