Setting marketing priorities can be overwhelming. You need to send emails to your prospects. You have to write content and let’s not forget social media, advertising, word of mouth and…the list could go on and on. With so many important marketing tactics, how do you decide where to focus your attention?
1. Goal Setting – Take a look at your various ongoing and planned marketing ideas and tactics. What is the goal for each of these tactics? What do you want it to achieve or what is it currently achieving? Review the goals and ask yourself which goal has the strongest impact on your business success.
For example, your email marketing goal may be to increase sales by 10% whereas your social media marketing goal may be to build your email list. Which of these has the most potential to help your business grow and prosper? That’s the goal you prioritize.
2. Review What’s Working – Take a look at your analytics. What marketing tactics are currently working well and generating the best results? For example, maybe your social media marketing isn’t bringing in the traffic you thought it would.
Perhaps your blog content is more effective at generating organic search traffic than you thought it would be. You’d then prioritize your blog content marketing efforts over your social media marketing. That’s not to say that you’d disregard social media, however it’s often more effective to spend time repeating systems and efforts that are generating results.
3. Evaluate Your Resources – It’s quite possible that some of your marketing tactics can be outsourced or automated. Leverage your resources wherever possible and spend your time, energy, and attention on those marketing tactics that need you to be personally involved. For example, creating joint venture partnerships with industry leaders needs your involvement. Scheduling and even writing blog posts does not necessarily need your input if you have good contractors on your team.
4. Money In, Money Out – What marketing tactics fit into your budget? Certainly you probably have some fantastic marketing ideas that you’d love to do but just aren’t sure you can afford them.
For example, creating a mobile application is a wonderful marketing tactic, but it can be expensive. It’s important to evaluate the cost along with the realistic potential. You might realize that while a particular marketing tactic may be a bit pricey, it has the power to generate tremendous income.
Writing a book can cost a pretty penny. You have to have it edited, formatted, and a compelling book cover created. And if you’re outsourcing the writing then you’ll also need to pay a ghost writer. However, a book can generate income and sales for years.
Prioritize your marketing based on what it can do for you and how well it’s working. It may take some time and research to learn the answers to these questions. However, you can then be sure you’re placing your attention on the most powerful and productive options.