Each year we are exposed to stories that sound something like “The Top 10 ______ You Need to Do in 20__.
This is not one of those stories.
Rather than provide a list of things you should consider doing with your business this year, I’m only going to suggest one thing. This one thing is in the context of how you approach digital marketing and social media in 2015. For that matter, it's how you approach your overall marketing plans this year.
Related Class: Digital Marketing Strategy & Planning Framework
Since about 2005 (10 years now), everyone has been following the shiny objects of the digital world. From Twitter to Instagram, people and brands have flocked to these shiny objects mostly with a FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) strategy. This is reactive, not proactive. Which means they're largely lacking a true strategy.
Even the largest brands have been fearful of missing out by not participating in social media. No wonder the focus has long been on measuring vanity numbers such as fans, followers, retweets, click throughs, share of voice, etc.
In 2015 it’s time we focus on just one thing….business results. Here’s an example. One of our clients experienced a decrease in inbound traffic to their website and a decrease in leads. Sounds terrible, doesn’t it. Oh contraire! The business result was higher quality leads that resulted in more sales opportunities and closed sales.
The tactics that impacted these results are too detailed for this article. Suffice it to say, we took a dramatic shift in the content strategy, which had better business results. But, if you study just the surface numbers, it doesn’t look good. The traffic line and leads line both declined. But, with true business results improving, that’s the only thing that matters.
Related Class: How to Create a Winning Content Strategy
Every business is unique. Ask yourself what’s not producing business results and what is. Don’t be influenced by trends. Heck, if direct mail produces business results, keep doing direct mail. In 2015, resolve to focus on doing the things that generate business results without the temptation to chase shiny objects.
It’s okay to experiment with your marketing efforts. I encourage it. But, acknowledge what is an experiment and limit it to about 10% of your efforts. Channel 90% of your efforts into those marketing tactics that create real, measurable and relevant business results. Your C-Suite will thank you for it.