How to communicate corporate social responsibility for your brand
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a business’ commitment to philanthropic endeavors and environmentally friendly practices. It is essential for businesses in 2022. Why? Sure, today’s successful businesses are “responsible” organizations committed to profits. But in today’s world they are also responsible for other higher callings. Their consumers now demand it.
Gen Z is all in with brands who demonstrate corporate social responsibility. First, younger generations thirst for buying these products. Next, they want to work for these companies. So CSR gives businesses an opportunity to engage with not only their consumers and their employees, but with the communities in which they live and work in a meaningful way.
Yes, deeper client and customer connections will follow.
CSR efforts benefit the economy, society and environment. They demonstrate how the organization uses its resources in broadly beneficial and ethical ways. Showing that your company or brand is a responsible partner, employer and neighbor will be key to business success going forward.
How does a brand communicate CSR activities?
Talk about your company’s corporate social responsibility with a CSR report. A CSR report highlights your organization’s achievements. It builds social responsibility into your brand’s identity. This report makes the organization accountable to its stakeholders. And it shows progress year over year. Then highlight how your company has saved energy or fuel, renewed land, or reduced their carbon footprint. Finally, showcase better employees work environments with safety initiatives. Also implement DE & I programs that promote equity in hiring and promoting employees.
Your CSR report’s content can then be repurposed all year long as social media assets. Highlight individual specific goals your company has met with this effort. Statistics and data can be turned into compelling visuals and narratives that speak to your customers, your client partners, your employees and your community. Communicate your social responsibility efforts in these ways:
Email Marketing – create an eblast once a month or quarterly to key stakeholders
Social Media – create content and consistently communicate, once a week or month
Internal Communication – utilize existing intranet or internal emails to communicate CSR activities
What size business needs to show Corporate Social Responsibility?
A CSR report may be easier for larger businesses to execute. But, small to midsize businesses can do it too. These businesses are exercising the same values albeit in smaller, yet still remarkable ways. And that is worth talking about. CSR activities can separate your business from the competition in a truly meaningful way. So consider incorporating this important effort into your business.
TikTok is in the top six social media networks for 2022. Does that mean that your brand should have a presence? Maybe. Maybe not. To find out if your brand should be on TikTok, take a deep look at the components of your brand: your mission, your audience, your goals, your assets before you just jump right in. Having a plan for any endeavor translates into better success. This includes your brand being on TikTok – no matter how shiny it seems to you this moment.
The social media landscape is continuously evolving.
Social media can be scary to some people and some brands, but exciting for others. And, being aware of new channels and finding the next one for your brand is what a smart marketing leader does. Examine your brand before deciding.
Let us help you answer the TikTok question by asking a few questions.
Brands on TikTok?
Who is your target audience?
What are your marketing goals?
What are your marketing strategies?
How much potential does TikTok have for lead generation or driving potential website traffic among your target?
Do you have additional resources to support another social media network consistently?
Do your internal personnel have the bandwidth or do you have the budget to add incremental dollars to your agency partner’s fees to manage it for you?
There’s not a one-size-fits-all solution to your brand on TikTok.
There are many brands who choose to be on TikTok because it is advantageous for them to do so in some way. But there are also many brands for whom TikTok is not a good marketing channel fit, and their needs are better met by other social media channels more appropriate to their audience, their product, and their goals.
Don’t get shiny object syndrome. Focus on the big picture that fuels the growth of your brand. If TikTok will be a part of that, it will be. You’ll make it happen, but maybe not this year. And that’s ok. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Plan for your future success first, on this and every possible marketing channel, and you can make the most of the social media channels that are right for you.
Getting marketing and sales on the same page is critical to your brand’s success.
This month, we were honored to attend a client’s 2022 sales kick off meeting in Orlando to see this practice of harmonizing marketing and sales in action. Being with our client in this setting reminded us that cross-functional teams are one of the keys to maximize growth for business success. Smart business leaders and collaborative relationships fuel us, so we wanted to share our top tips for helping marketing and sales work together for greater results.
Sales teams typically focus on talking directly to the customer. The sales process might take a very long time, but the sales team will discover useful information like solving a particular problem, or what pain points a potential customer runs into. These insights can be valuable, especially to the marketing team.
The marketing team approaches the customer in a somewhat different way – focusing on the brand. Increasing awareness of the brand and these brand conversations typically take the form of websites, content marketing, social media and email marketing and advertising.
Often sales and marketing groups seem to have different goals: but in reality their goal is the same – grow the business. They just approach it in different ways. When you harmonize marketing and sales strategies you reap the benefits of shared data on targets and prospects, shared communication, shared processes, and working together to solve challenges that arise.
Four ways to start bringing your sales, marketing and even finance teams together.
Discuss with saleswhat marketing strategies and tools moved the needle in the previous year. Was it messaging, tactics and delivery? Something else? What did potential customers and clients respond to?
Planning is key. Make sure that marketing is supporting sales strategies. The marketing team should review annual sales plans and have a meaningful discussion on how they can support the sales efforts.
Agree on goals. Not just numbers and target customers, but the terminology. Are you speaking the same language? Using the same metrics and processes?
Make sure the finance team is not developing forecasts in a silo. Communicate with them. Just because they can access the CRM does not mean they can create real projections.
Marketing is only as successful as sales; and sales is only as successful as marketing. Harmonize marketing and sales to work together to success. Working together is more important in 2022 than ever before. It is by working together in harmony, that the greater good can be achieved.
Experience trends have changed for clients and customers. Its no longer just about owning your product or using your service – its about your customer’s experience with your brand. Over the last 21 months, our clients evolved themselves into digital and data enterprises. Now, all experiences for our clients and their customers involve technology to some extent. First, they use data to determine next steps in marketing and business. Then, digital insights can drive customer experiences for the better.
Re-evaluate what’s important – your consumer is doing it too.
2022 is not the year to chase all the shiny new things and add unneeded technology. It’s the year to re-evaluate what is important, and do JUST THAT. Digital is not just optional now, its what’s required for business. There is an endless sea of new digital tools, platforms and apps to use for your marketing strategy. But as clients and customers rethink business models and customer journeys, know that 50% of global consumers are re-evaluating what is important to them. They’re doing a little streamlining and optimizing in their own lives, as well as kicking what’s not working to the curb. Be the brand they keep.
Fewer tools; deeper connections.
Focusing on customers can help companies choose fewer, more precise tools that will help them garner deeper knowledge, and create a deeper connection. Getting rid of the digital tools that are not fully focused on getting to valuable customer insight will free up brand’s brain space to focus on what works. Keep an agile mindset as you continue to evaluate and streamline your marketing. This customer experience trend has brands enhancing existing tools that work based on data and analytics. They glean insights to increase customer and prospective customer engagement, loyalty and share of wallet.
Service companies like Super Inspector mine their customer reviews in real time. When the company receives the occasional 3-star rating (instead of a 5-star), the head of customer service immediately calls the customer to ask how they can right the wrong and improve in the future. Using data to improve customer experience is a very valuable practice to them. This simple process helps them form a deeper connection with their customers, inspiring repeat business. 2022 is an experience economy. It’s not just about a product or a service. Think about adding classes, educational videos, white papers to explain complex concepts. Help your customer experience your product or service and incorporate it into their lives.
Lessen the noise; increase focus.
Companies are using data and analytics to cut through all the clutter and noise and really speak to the consumer about what is important to THEM. When companies align their mission with their customers’ mission, relationships are built. Do your customers want meaning? Do they want convenience, speed, knowledge or maybe recognition? Use data to discover what it is that drives them to – or away from – your brand.
For example, our client Diamond Brand Gear is going deeper on its sustainability pillar this year, after reviewing their data. Their customers care deeply about sustainability. In fact, 91% of consumers expect companies to be socially and environmentally responsible. They’re weaving messaging and examples of their sustainability practices into their digital strategies, on social, email and website. One of their goals is committing to becoming a zero-waste factory by the end of 2022. So they’re conveying this messaging and tangible examples of their sustainability practices into their digital strategies. All to connect with their consumer, and show that they care about the same things.
Make digital and data work for you.
2022 isn’t the year to slow down when it comes to digital and data. It’s time to examine some of these customer experience trends, streamline and optimize what’s working for your brand, and get rid of the unnecessary. From using chat bots on SMS to help your company with customer service. From adding the most effective social channel, to building a monthly email newsletter. Adding a blog to adding a layer of transparency to your website regarding the way your company does business. Digital tools and analytic data from your customers can help you be a better company to them. Apply this valuable knowledge to client and customer experiences across the board in your company, and build a deeper connection with your customers this year.
Reflection is a paramount part of that progress. It breeds opportunity. Reflection allows you to reinvent, reimagine, renew and realign yourself, your relationships, your business. It is cleansing and invigorating.
Thinking about our immediate past allows us to get to the heart of who we are and imagine who we can become.
Reflection is challenging.
To think deeply or carefully about something gives it meaning and purpose. Purpose is powerful.
This year on the Porch we found peace in reimagining our priorities, lessons learned and focusing our energies on the people we love.
We hope our reflections encourage you to take inventory of your own heart and mind as 2022 approaches.
Chief Rocker Julie Porter
I am so blessed to work with a team whose passions intersect with mine. My team members – new and old – bring different perspectives and invaluable ideas. Our clients’ energy and drive to keep moving forward despite all the obstacles they’ve faced this year is invigorating.
In addition, my children are the food that fuels my soul. Nothing brings me joy quite like seeing the excitement on their faces as they enjoy the activities they love.
Oh, and time at the beach. Time at the beach revitalizes me.
Rock Star Vanessa Hickman
On a family trip we learned about lighthouse keepers – their lifestyle, purpose, and job. The number one priority was to “keep a good light” by tending to the wick ensuring it burned as brightly and cleanly as possible. Over the years, this task became easier with electricity, but even then, it was an around-the-clock gig with dire consequences if the light went out.
My crew applied this to 2021. We were able to help, serve, support and care for friends and family by letting our light shine. So the year has illuminated opportunities to burn a little brighter. And, we will carry that sentiment into the new year and hopefully burn as brightly and cleanly as possible in 2022.
Lil Rock Maria Gregorio
As I look back on my 2021, one reflection trend comes across loud and clear: I need to spend time with people more than I thought.
I’ve always thought of myself as an introverted person, a human turtle if you will. But the personal highlights of my year – taking a trip to Seattle on a whim with my best/oldest college friend, visiting Disney World for the first time with my husband’s family, meeting my Big Brothers Big Sisters mentee for the first time in-person after a year of Zoom meetings – all of them are moments of in-real-life, human contact.
As a result, my 2021 was a year-long reminder that, while I love whiling away my time, leisurely reading a book or watching makeup tutorials on YouTube, I also love and need to be with my favorite people.
Intern Trey Harrup
When I graduated school, all I could think was go, go, go. First, I wanted that dream job. Then, I wanted that financial security. Overall, I wanted the life I envisioned for myself, and I wanted it as fast as I could get it. But good things take time.
But one of the best lessons I have learned this year is that not everything has to be so fast paced. We need to slow down and be present right where we are. No one starts and reaches their max potential without a little time.
Swiss Army Rock Lea Ann Allen
Reflecting on 2021, I see a re-adjustment in my definition of what normal means. This “new normal” for me means work is now something that I do around my life, instead of living my life around my work – as had been the case for my entire career in this creative business. I am learning to try to not define myself by my work. What I do is not who I am. Productivity is not my purpose.
In 2022 I will actively seek out ways to replace “doing” with “being”. I’m so fortunate to be a part of Front Porch Marketing. This company has been ahead of the curve on remote work, and this idea of organizing your work around your life.
Rock Enthusiast Natalie Rosga
For me, 2021 was a year of embracing the chaos. It is still a work in progress. But, isn’t progress, not perfection what we should strive for?
I’m a person who likes structure. I love a plan for the day, a to-do list, and tidiness. None of which fit into your daily lifestyle with little ones! I’m learning to give myself grace and live in the moment. The dishes, laundry, and piles of toys can wait. (At least until they go to bed.) Go outside and swing, play hide-and-seek a million times, build the fort, and make the cookies or the art project that is ultimately going to be a hot mess. They’re only little for a little while, so I’m going to soak up every minute that I can!
Fellow Rocker Romania Johnson
2021 has been a year of growth and re-invention. This year has forced reflection on values, morals, accountability and technology. I strongly believe and practice that everything happens for a reason. We just need to find the lesson in it all. If you think about it, there’s something to be learned from everything.
I’ve learned that when you stop learning, you stop growing. I’ve faced many challenges over the years. At 50 years of age, I began to lose my sight. I decided to get a degree in something and figure out how to re-invent myself. I had to put in the work because what you put in is what you get out. No shortcuts here.
I’ve also learned that I’m stronger than I thought and I’m capable of doing anything with hard work and determination.
Rock Collector Alison Moreno
This year I found that I was able to see the positive in challenges put in my path. I, too, had to embrace the chaos as our house warm torn apart to repair many (and I mean many) plumbing issues. It was overwhelming.
Though my family didn’t have a place to eat, we had more meals together than in the past. It was fun to eat in strange places – Bedrooms, the yard, etc.
Everything eventually came back together beautifully, and all is at peace in our home (besides the teenagers). The progress continues!
Intern Carson Allen
2021 reflection shows that this year has been a tremendous year of growth for me. I picked up two remote jobs working as an intern at Front Porch Marketing and as a social media manager at a startup. Working at Front Porch has been a blessing, I’ve gained so much experience working with clients. The work feels meaningful and makes me proud to have it on my resume. With every new assignment I feel like I’m breaking down another barrier. I am forever thankful for being a part of the team
Media Rocker Christine Finnegan
2021 was a year of renewal and loss for me. Both of my sons graduated college. As my beloved boys started the next chapters of their lives, I lost my mother. Her voice of reassurance and love are inextricably embedded within me.
Our Reflections Challenge
Surround yourself with those you love. Be present in the present. The gifts you will receive are invaluable.
As you look to 2022, we challenge you to reflect on your priorities, your purpose, and your passions. First, focus on what energizes you. Then do more of that. Be still and be in the moments you have with those you love. After all, there is an abundance of joy that arises from chaos. So embrace it. Most importantly, give yourself grace and go for progress, not perfection.
We wish you peace, love and joy this holiday season.
Connections are everything. I take a moment each Thanksgiving to relay how grateful I am for those in my life. This year is no different in that regard. I am beyond thankful for my family, friends, colleagues, and clients. This year, I am also incredibly grateful for the connections and opportunities the Porch has created.
This business has always depended on connections. Regular readers of our blog know we preach the importance of authentic connections. Yet, like many others, I treated the multitude of opportunities to connect as a dependable part of daily life. It was something that just occurred naturally. Then, 2020 hit.
Connections became a carefully orchestrated medley of virtual meetings. We interacted online, on the phone, or via email. But, without the constant ability to see smiles. Opportunities for real connection had to be well-crafted and thought out.
So it is here to stay now! We have had these certifications for seven years. And I have always held this certification near and dear.
In preparation for Q1 2022 sales, I have been cranking on RFPs for significant business that I could not bid on without these certifications. Opportunities through connections that I made over the past several years through these certifications now have a very tangible benefit for the future of the Porch.
First, I am honored by the business opportunities these certifications have bestowed upon us, and the myriad of connections I’ve made through holding them. And second, I am thrilled to be a part of helping others construct and market their own brands.
This Thanksgiving, all of us on the Porch hope you and yours cherish the opportunities to connect. Connect with your loved ones, your business associates and your friends. We encourage you to look at the connections you’ve made to see what opportunities are out there – both to connect and to grow. We’re grateful to connect to you! Rock on this Thanksgiving!
There are 5 business needs that we see happen about this time every year. Smart business leaders and owners know strategic branding and proactive marketing grows the top line. This is especially important in the 4th quarter of the year, when planning for next year comes into play. That’s why our clients raise their hand and ask Front Porch Marketing for help. They keep up with what their customers want and then they stay ahead of the competition by delivering it. And we joyfully help them. This past month of October, we’ve executed quite a range of marketing projects.
1. Full service marketing help for their 5 business needs.
C-suite executives looked to us to guide marketing strategy and execute pretty much everything on this list, because of empty seats on their team. We operate as “the marketing department” for several of our clients who have small teams and big needs.
2. Targeted, paid digital strategy.
From SEO and SEM to paid search, through display, shopping and gmail ads, our clients know how important search is for customer and client acquisition. We set up quite a big of this type of digital marketing in October.
3. Website refresh.
Q4 is the perfect time to refresh your website and quite a few of our clients are in the middle of a site refresh. Keeping branding fresh and relevant. Making sure that sites are optimized for content. Maximizing and streamlining customer journeys.
4. Paid email marketing.
From platforms like eTarget, MailChimp, HereFish, Zoho and ActiveTarget. List acquisition, cleaning and segmenting. Creating emails is the part you see…but list preparation and optimization is the key to more targeting customer acquisition. Email marketing is not slowing down anytime soon from what we’ve seen in October.
5. 2022 planning for next year’s 5 business needs.
Accessing 2021 marketing activities to date, and with phone and online client and customer surveys, we’re right now developing strategies, messaging, timelines and budgets for 2022. October has been busy getting our clients prepared for growth and smooth sailing the next year. This is absolutely one of our favorite things to do – setting the stage to help our clients’ business grow.
We also love sharing client happiness. This week, when delivering a final logo design, brand guidelines and collateral materials, a client emailed us, “Those goodies are like Christmas, seriously a sense of joy just washed over me.” And that brings us joy too. The season of joy doesn’t come just once a year for us, it’s all year long because we get to work with business owners who love what they do as much as we do.
Sales and selling never stops. What you are doing today impacts future sales the next quarter and beyond. Recently, we have heard of companies and non-profits pulling back on their marketing based on success to date, cash flow, lack of resources and/or business leader fatigue, among other things.
We know it is the end of another very long year, and you may be tired and lacking in energy and resources. But going dark isn’t the answer. There are ways to continue marketing efforts with less cash, less effort or less time. Build momentum and keep it going.
Be smart about what you’re doing today – impact future sales tomorrow.
Get the most out of your marketing efforts in a consistent, strategic way.
For instance, if your busy season is Q1, use Q4 to set your strategies, and get your ideas and materials ready so all you must do is hit “go” when you’re at the peak of utilizing your manpower in other areas throughout Q1. Have your plan for next quarter all ready to work for you.
As an example, we have already approved plans and strategies, are securing paid media schedules, and developing creative assets for Girl Scouts Texas Oklahoma Plains’ (GSTOP) Q1 initiatives. Doing this now means they can simply hit send when they are at their busiest time in January – gearing up for Girl Scout Cookie Sales time!
Here are six other ways to market now and help yourself later:
Run a brand campaign. You can keep it simple or gear up for a big push. Just make sure you do something to get and keep your name out there. Always remember that new clients or customers take time to make a decision and do research before buying.
Make a list so you can check it twice. First, create a list of prospective audiences to whom you can market. Then, build on this base list. This can include: a. Past customers / clients b. Prospects or past website visitors
Check Google trends. Find out what main keywords may be trending that relate to your business. Spend now to get noticed and included in these trends.
Develop or redesign your website. Do not wait for Q1 to jump back on this task. Get it done now so it is ready to launch in Q1. 4th Quarter is the perfect time to refresh and update the content on your website.
Send those emails. E-mail marketing is cheap and easy but halting your monthly communication will affect results when you start back up. Don’t lose momentum. Don’t rest and count on past success to continue. If you’re not consistent, your sales won’t be, either.
Stay active on social media. Your audience is listening, even if passively. Be consistent and engaged. Build your audience now, so they’re with you when all your big news hits next year.
So, when is a “safe’ time to put the brakes on marketing your brand? Around a quarter to … never.
Building and maintaining a successful brand requires continuity. Consistent marketing creates and sustains trust with your audience. Don’t stop marketing your brand when cash and/or resources are low. Don’t stop marketing your brand based upon success to date.
Your brand doesn’t wait while you’re tired. Your brand deserves continuous marketing effort, in some way, to make an impact both now and in your future sales. Don’t ever stop.
Stop and start marketing is not an option for successful brands.
Get out there and keep rocking your brand. Call us to help. The Porch is always ready to roll.
We are in Q4 of 2021. Whaaattttt? Don’t panic-spend the rest of your marketing budget! Maximize your your remaining 2021 marketing budget through the end of the year by thinking smart and acting smarter. This isn’t our first rodeo, so we see this every year. And we get it: marketing is one of the first line items asked to be cut for next year. How do you combat that mindset? Spend wisely with what’s left in your remaining 2021 marketing budget because budgets are being scrutinized before being renewed. So if you’ve spent your marketing budget wisely this year – showing brand impact and growth – you’ll have a better case to make for 2022’s marketing budget numbers. How can you maximize your remaining 2021 marketing budget and get more done? First, start with the help of your marketing partner.
Where can business leaders find real value in the fourth quarter 2021?
Marketing partners. Small or large, your team can help you plan and carry out the most efficient and effective way to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to Q4 spending. Partners can help you in these 7 ways to maximize your remaining 2021 marketing budget:
First Maximize Your Remaining 2021 Marketing Budget by Using it to Set Up Your 2022 Plans and Budgets
Forge marketing budgets and marketing plans for 2022. As objective professionals with your business’s success in mind, marketing partners will research, employ best practices and take great care in detailing your path to success. Not just for Q4 2021, but next year as well. Marketing partners tend to think both short-term gains AND long-term momentum, which ultimately means growth and sustainability for your business.
Then build a winning team
Next, build a marketing team that is set up to succeed. From your marketing plan for next year, and your budget, identify the gaps you have needed to execute your plan. Provide resources for finding the talent and tools to fill those gaps. Whether you’ll need new team members, new tech or new skills, make sure you’ll have it covered ahead of time. Being reactive about getting things done at the last minute because of poor planning benefits no one.
Seize Opportunities for Brand Impact
Then, capitalize on existing opportunities to shine. Q4 is full of events, inherently built into the holiday calendar. And fall is often trade-show season. And, your marketing calendar can include multiple opportunities for touch-points with your audience around the holiday season
Sponsor events at trade shows for exposure to a broader audience
Community events around the holidays are great local, grassroots places to connect with your audience
Partnering with a charity is a tangible way for your business to give back to the community
Also, give direction but stay out of the weeds when it comes to social media. Maximize your time, by providing social marketing content in the form of access to your asset library (photos, graphics, brand guidelines), as well as any messaging documents, previous collateral and press releases. Your team can build successful, impactful social media and “speak as the brand”. If you are wordsmithing copy and micromanaging design from your team, you’re wasting resources, not maximizing them. One big time suck that every business owner and leader needs to take off their list – editing social media content before it is posted. As a business leader, is this the best way to spend your valuable time? Ask your marketing partner to handle this for you.
Adopt a Continuous Improvement Mindset
Most importantly, fine tune your website. Q4 is the perfect time to assess the strength of your website. Ask your marketing partner to help you:
Assess your digital situation. Prune your content, evaluate and fix underperforming pages and links
Fine tune your SEO (search engine optimization) so that your content answers the questions that people are asking. Draw customers to you with smart, precise content
Update the look and feel of your website to reflect modern times and modern UX behavior (user experience). Your site should be responsive (able to change to fit desktop, mobile, ipad, etc) and use common structures to guide site visitors along their customer journeys.
Start content marketing. This means setting up a blog on your site, if you haven’t already. and get your marketing partner to ghost-write weekly content – which can then also be promoted on your social media channels. Content marketing, as this is called, is one of the most important ways to keep your site fresh and “indexing” higher on Google. The more you establish your voice of authority in your business space, the more your site is recognized by Google and recommended to others for that knowledge.
Don’t forget to reward your loyal clients/customers. It’s not always about finding new customers. In Q4, make it about retaining your strong client base for 2022. Remind them why they’re with you.
Identify your top email subscribers, top social media followers, etc. and create a marketing campaign that is created for and target to them on the channels where they interact with you.
Create direct mail holiday messaging and snail mail a heartfelt message and perhaps a reward (like a gift, discount, or plus-up) just for being loyal members, subscribers, clients.
Maximize Your Remaining 2021 Marketing Budget When it Counts – The Holidays
What is your holiday plan? Counsel with your marketing partner and then execute on holiday season activity via direct mail, email marketing, text campaigns and social media. Create a sale, a promotion, or an experiential event for your customers and invite them to experience your brand during the holidays. Introduce a simple as a holiday discount, or hold a fun a pop-up brand experience as part of a neighborhood or even city-wide event. Your marketing partner can help you discern what opportunities are best-suited for your company.
Maximize your remaining 2021 marketing budget to win, yes even in Q4
Smart marketing leaders can continue business growth during this time by working with smart marketing partners to maximize remaining 2021 marketing budgets. How do they do it? They don’t waste valuable resources – the most valuable being THEIR TIME. Spend your valuable time wisely on the big things that will grow your business for next year – and your marketing partners can handle the details for you. As we like to say “spend time ON your business not IN your business” to maximize your impact as a leader.
The secret to business success for 2022 is to start planning for it now. Many of our clients are reviewing their business plans, marketing plans and strategies for achieving their goals. Planning ahead for next year is a valuable way to invest in your business. You can know ahead of time what to do next and be proactive – not reactive. Making and having plans helps you guide your actions with efficiency and effectiveness.
Planning Ahead for Next Year, Now
Rounding the corner on Q3 2021, now is the time to plan for business success in 2022. So dust off your business plan. Does it still resonate with your goals for success? First, take the time to review the foundation of why you started this business in the first place. Make sure it still makes sense for you, for your time and energy, and for the market. Update it if you need to.
Next it is time to draft your marketing plan for 2022. Where to start? Look at your business revenue goals for the year. That number helps guide your marketing spend. Companies in 2021 spent 8.6% of topline revenue on marketing. Whatever your percentage is, don’t let this number be subjective. It is black and white.
Once you have your number, create a marketing plan. Without a roadmap, the squirrels and shiny objects will be your focus. Don’t let that happen. Staying on track to business success is much easier with a plan. Build your plan around repeating and expanding around prior success points, and adding new tactics that make sense. The plan you create can be annual or quarterly, but it can encompass many things: creative campaigns, paid advertising, PR, content or a new product or services launch. A solid marketing plan will create focus and executional excellence around several tactics working together toward a common goal. This approach will ultimately save you money, by getting you more bang for your buck.
Invest in Your Business Success
Invest in your business the smart way – and we don’t just mean monetarily. Your focused thoughtfulness and the time spent on your plan will be repaid. First, focus on your business successes by continuously improving your plan and your execution of the plan. How did your tactics for a specific campaign fare? Track and measure your results each quarter, and implement your findings into the next quarter’s plan to continue success and build momentum. Invest in the things that work. Pivot toward the successful strategies. Experimentation within the framework of your marketing plan can help you home in on insights that will get you to your revenue number for 2022.
Define Your Goals So You Can Reach Them
Define messages, targeted audiences, goals, strategies, tactics, timeline and budget. How can you reach your goal if it is not clearly defined? How detailed you are is up to you. What we have found on the Porch is that the partners that have defined their marketing budgets and plans have been successful. Being thoughtful upfront about your goals in all areas of marketing your business can set you up for business success in 2022 and beyond.
