4 Marketing Resolutions to Make for 2013
New Year’s resolutions aren’t just for people who want to lose weight or learn a new language. This is as good a time as any for companies like yours to start planning ways to stay ahead of the trends and evolutions in business. Some will resolve to try SMS marketing in 2013. Fortunately, you stayed ahead of the curve and are embracing it already. So for 2013 it’s time to brainstorm ways to take your marketing efforts to the next level.
Below are a few suggestions for New Year’s resolutions your business may want to consider. These resolutions are based on some fair assumptions about the direction marketing and mobile technology are headed. Nobody can know for sure what the future holds, but it’s always nice to be prepared.
- “We will send fewer emails.” – Even if customers opt into your email marketing campaigns, your messages can easily find their way into their spam folders or lost in more pertinent emails. Not so with SMS. Chances are you started your mobile SMS campaign because you wanted a more direct way to reach customers. So why not fully commit to that ideal by leaving bulk email behind altogether? Coupon codes, sales promotions and other information can easily be sent via SMS these days, eliminating the last few attractions of bulk email.
- “We will embrace social networks.” – Popular social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook shouldn’t be seen as competitors to bulk SMS but rather companion pieces. Twitter in particular embodies the same practice of brevity and conciseness that makes SMS so popular. Twitter and Facebook also allow for more interaction with customers in a one-on-one setting. Search for your own company or product name and provide instant customer support should anyone tweet about it. Encourage them to follow your group SMS campaign and you have suddenly used social networking to the fullest.
- “We will operate in the here and now.” – Long term planning is great but we are a society that is increasingly in search of instant gratification. Smart phones and social networking have made it so that we are more interested in what is happening right now than anything that is planned in the future. So if you are holding a special event don’t be afraid to let your opt-in SMS group know about it the day it happens. Work more short-term (i.e. 24-hour, weekend only, etc.) specials into your calendar. Nothing creates buzz quite like a ticking clock.
- “We will embrace our neighborhood.” – When the internet was new and shiny we were all enamored with the prospect of connecting with individuals clear across the world. Now that we are about as connected as technically possible, our focus has narrowed back to our friends and neighbors within comfortable driving distance. Promote your neighborhood roots to instill pride with your local market. If you are an established local brand, use this year to celebrate your anniversary—even if it isn’t an even-numbered anniversary. Let your market know that you’ll never forget where you came from.
Good luck in 2013! With aggressive marketing practices and awareness of current trends you will hopefully be in for an unprecedented year of success.
