Getting Your Brand Organised for the 12 Months Ahead

2018 is going to be a great year for British business – what Brexit, right? – and as marketing strategists and digital boffins we make it our mission to ensure our clients are prepped for an exciting period of growth from the get-go. With New Year comes a new chance to fine tune your brand and more specifically its strategy. Planning at least 12 months ahead and regularly reviewing said plan is what we actively recommend to all, and with 12 months of 2018 left it’s certainly great timing for some organisation.

Investing in your brand and its strategy will not only stand you in good stead for decent conversion rates, increased traffic and better brand awareness, it could in fact save you money later, an objective every business, including ourselves, is keen to embrace. But what can you do to get your brand organised and on the right track for success by the end of the year? Read on to discover our top tips…

Get back to basics

The web is going to be massive, haven’t you heard?! Striking the right note on your website, if you don’t already, is fundamental to business success. Many (many) businesses still get their websites so wrong, with most vehemently avoiding the cost, time and presumed upheaval of rebuilding. From easy to alter issues like overused stock photos and retina burning colour schemes to poor navigation and technical check out failures, websites can go wrong on many levels. Make 2018 your year of web rejuvenation by creating a platform that is both brand cohesive and customer centric.

Micro manage your marketing

Delving into what your audience wants and the customer behaviours that are common throughout your marketplace is easier than many think. The latest tech, tools and techniques are making it easier for marketers like us to get a firm grasp on an individual client’s marketing requirements but still so many stick to the tried, tested and quite frankly generic strategies of yesteryear.

2018 is a time to dig deep into your market, micro managing the practices and making the most of the moments that will grab the attention of your audience this year. By tapping into this information you can present your audience with the messaging that inspires them at the right time and in the right place. Clear, accessible, at a glance and fully optimised moments are the golden ticket to attracting consumers, particularly those who are partial to impulse buying. A more in-depth approach to marketing will of course take more time and money to achieve – one third of B2B firms spend 10% or more of their budget on marketing though so you’ll be in good company – but the results of spending big will be seen.

Focus on lead nurturing

News of new or effective lead generation tactics are everywhere we look across the web, but focusing on lead nurturing, as described in a previous blog post of ours, is the way forward. Some 67% of those surveyed said that increasing leads for their sales department is the primary objective for 2018 but how you go about boosting these is up for debate. As well as dedicating time to generating new business, turn your attention to nurturing relationships with existing customers. Six out of 10 small to medium sized businesses reported that over half of their revenue is the product of repeat business so lead nurturing is certainly where it’s at.

Content development, drawing on digital marketing trends, and staying in touch with existing customers via email are just three tactics that can be used to lovingly nurture leads.