2020: New Year, New Advertising.
2019 has been a really great year at Texas Creative, from winning new accounts, knocking out some simply amazing creative campaigns, optimizing media plans, to building some of the most innovative websites in our portfolio. However, just like in my personal life, as we embark on a new year, why not spend a few moments reflecting on what kind of resolutions I want to encourage my clients (and myself) to strive for in the coming months?
Stick to the Plan
One of the things that is most important for me to close out a year is developing the budget and plans for each of my clients for the upcoming year. Before I leave the office to celebrate the holidays, I want to know that when I come back, we’re set up for success. Creating budgets and annual plans that map out targets, messaging, key creative, and allocating resources are imperative to starting the year out right. In 2020, I want to encourage myself, and my clients, to try and stick to the plan. These well-thought-out and executed plans keep both teams efficient and accountable throughout the year. This year, I want to see those plans come alive and thrive!
Don’t Be Afraid to Try Something New
The old saying “old habits die hard” is no joke. Habits are easy to make and hard to break. In 2020, make an effort to reach your customers in a new way. Take a chance on a new type of media your agency has recommended. Put a small amount of your budget towards testing a new way of thinking and measure the success over the year. Doing this has led many of our clients to tactics and strategies that worked well for new conversions- you will never know unless you try. Agencies, don’t be afraid to present something new to a client either, shake things up and buck the status quo.
Recognize Opportunities to Evolve All Year Long
Just because we’ve come to the new year doesn’t mean that you get to ignore last year entirely. There is probably a lot of great analytics that were shared with you over the past year about how campaigns ran. Don’t just file the data in a 2019 file folder, work to analyze it.
What can the success of some ads and perhaps underperformance of others tell you about both your campaign and your customers? What are you trying to accomplish for your customers? For your business? And how will you know you’ve accomplished it? What do you expect from each tactic, platform, and media buy? How do you know it’s been achieved?
Make sure you’re well-versed in what the key analytics are actually measuring. Look at all the metric reports you’ve asked your agency to provide on a regular basis and determine if how you are reviewing it is the most effective way, and if the analytics are truly impacting decision making. In 2020, make a promise to yourself to look closely at understanding and interpreting data presented so we can both ensure we are taking the right steps, based in research, to achieve your goals. Make it a point to ask your account manager or media team questions about analytics so that you can be an expert too.
Bonus Resolution: Get Your Website In Shape
Are you a real overachiever? Think you can tackle 4 resolutions this year? Here is a bonus tip for all you type-A people in the back (ok, who am I kidding, the front).
In recent new business meetings we have talked with existing businesses and startups that had impressive products, services, and ideas but when we visit their websites, the poor design and non-existent copy really take away from their credibility and put their perceived value into question. No matter how great the product or service, if your website doesn’t communicate the value, your marketing efforts will be for nothing.
For more established brands, search, social and programmatic display ads – not to mention direct mail, print ads, and email campaigns – take the bulk of focus throughout the year. If all of the effort and budget you pour into those marketing campaigns leads customers to an underwhelming landing page for conversion, your efforts will underperform.Take a close look at your website and think about how you want it to look by the end of 2020. Extra added bonus, we can help!
Now Get Moving
You know what they say, about 90% of people fail at their New Year’s Resolution by March! Don’t let your business be just another statistic. What steps will you take to ensure a “New Year, New You” type of mindset? Which of these tips can you act on? Share your resolutions with us below and we will see you in the new year!