Do Everything Differently: Goal-Setting for the New Year
A friend of mine recently shared her New Year’s resolution with me: “Do everything differently.”
I must admit at first I was a bit skeptical. It seemed a lot like “throwing the baby out with the bathwater,” as my grandmother used to say. But as I reflect back on 2015 and begin the process of solidifying 2016 business goals and strategies for BRANDgfx, I realize “do everything differently” is absolutely perfect in so many ways.
Typically the end of year business review begins with a two column list on a yellow legal pad. (Yeah, I’m old school when it comes brainstorming and lists.) On the left: goals achieved and strategies/tactics that worked well. On the right: goals not achieved and strategies/tactics that didn’t work so well – or at all. I run some year-end reports, then study the marketing data from Google Analytics and other sources to determine what worked and what didn’t.
If something worked well, it gets to stay on the list for 2016 goals and strategies. If the business didn’t meet a specific prior year’s goal, the strategies to achieve that goal are reviewed and adjusted or the entire goal is deleted from the list.
In short – if it’s not working, figure out why and fix it; if it is working, keep doing it.
But this year’s goal-setting includes a new “do everything differently” factor.
How “do everything differently” can help with goal-setting for your marketing efforts:
- Even if something is working well, find at least one way to improve upon it.
For example: Social media is a large component of BRANDgfx marketing efforts which are working well. We haven’t been leveraging LinkedIn much at all though, so our “do everything differently” strategy for 2016 is to begin personally publishing articles like this one on LinkedIn. - Even if something is working well, expand on it to grow its potential.
For example: The “Marketing Quick Tips” we launched this year are being very well received, so our goal is to triple the number of e-mail subscribers for our weekly Quick Tips this year. Rather than simply continuing with passive marketing of this free value-add, in 2016 we’ll be incorporating new strategies and tactics to help spread the word beyond existing clients. [Shameless plug to subscribe here if you aren’t already receiving our marketing tips via e-mail. ツ] - If something isn’t working well, evaluate its value and restructure differently.
Not everything should stay on your list, but just because something isn’t working well (yet), doesn’t mean it needs to go. Evaluate the value of your offering and find at least one way to improve upon it. Set some benchmarks for key performance indicators and review monthly or quarterly to determine if your offering needs additional restructuring or should be removed from your strategy and list entirely.
These are just a few ideas to help you improve your goal-setting and marketing strategies for the upcoming year.
Cheers to doing everything differently, and to your success in the new year!