2023 Marketing Mindset

It’s that time of year when many business owners are in the throes of holiday sales. But behind that holiday cheer, questions might be lurking about what could have been done to differently to boost sales even more and capitalize more effectively on the holiday frenzy.

These reflections may only come to mind in December or the beginning of January. And then at the start of the year, once well-intended New Year’s resolutions have been made, they are often put to bed – not to return to front of mind until the next 4th quarter when sales pick up again.

The thing is, effectively marketing a business is a year-round commitment. Entrepreneurs are all too aware that running a business is a 24/7, 365 day/year venture. But those business owners who add marketing into this philosophy are exponentially more successful than those who implement marketing tactics on an as needed basis.

Now is the time not only to conduct a year-in-review, but to create action items (as opposed to resolutions!) on how to tackle the coming year with consistent marketing, to develop the trust and relationships with your customers, and continually build your brand.

Here are some concepts to consider so that you’re sure to ride into the next 4th quarter with momentum.

It takes money to make money

Yes, it’s cliché… but this old adage is about as real as it gets. Business owners often take the approach that they will implement a specific marketing tactic, once a big sale comes through. If you have received a bump from holiday sales, at least a portion of this income should immediately go back into marketing your business. If there’s not a holiday surplus, you sometimes still have to be willing to invest in your own business without a pre-determined ROI.

Build relationships

Take advantage of holiday sales and momentum to continue cultivating those relationships at the beginning of the year. In January, follow-up with every single person who made a purchase from you and ask them how they like the product/service you provided.

This can be a personal email or an automated email campaign. The great news is that most website platforms now have built-in CRMs and email campaign capabilities making this process easier than ever.

And don’t just stop with the January follow-up. Check in periodically throughout the year. Put these follow-ups on a calendar now. These are NOT sales pitches each time you email them. These are personal or info-based messages to build your relationship with your customers. After all, the most valuable customers are those you already have. Many business owners strive primarily to reach new potential customers as opposed to taking advantage of those they already have. Building loyalty and trust with existing customers is much easier (and more lucrative and fun!) than never-ending cold-calling.

Continually craft your brand

As sales slow, January is a time to fine-tune your brand and streamline your messaging. If you’ve been wanting to completely rebrand, the beginning of the new year is also the best time for this.

Giving your brand and business the attention it deserves could involve marketing tactics including updating the functionality and effectiveness of your website, having your logo professionally revamped, creating email templates to send to customers in various stages of the buying process, reworking the copy on your website to make it more engaging, updating your SEO and increasing your social media presence.

Before you say it, we’ll say it for you: “But I don’t have the time (and/or the skill set) do all of this.” I will be the first to tell you that it was always a challenge to let someone else into my business. STA Marketplace is my baby, after all. But one of the best things I’ve ever done is to surround myself with a team of experts who can take on the tasks which I cannot undertake as efficiently or even as well as they can. This was an investment I made and has paid me back in spades.

Don’t know where to start? Let’s sit down with a cup of Joe so you can tell us more about your business and goals for the next year and we can hammer out your marketing plan for 2023.