We find ourselves in the home stretch of 2020. After such a challenging year, it can be daunting to look ahead and plan for 2021. However, while business operations have changed, positive progress has been made and will continue to be made in this new normal. This is especially true when it comes to the evolution of marketing.

This year has spurred businesses to step outside of their comfort zone and reach their customers in unique, creative ways. And while there have been numerous shiny new marketing objects and strategies, leveraging channels that have proven successful year-over-year is a great foundation to set your business up for success in the months ahead.

Now is the time to assess what worked and what didn’t work in 2020 and work to patch up any gaps that exist in your communication and marketing strategy in order to achieve target goals and objectives. Slowing down now to speed up in the near future is a necessary aspect of success. Below, we’ve outlined strategies that have led our clients to success this year and will serve as a launch pad into 2021.

1. Have a Holly Jolly Website

A website is your company’s online front door. Your business alone owns this space. Through a website, you can clearly and concisely relay your brand’s message to consumers interested in your product or service. It is home base for your virtual presence strategy, a marketing strategy focused on ensuring the basic digital components are in place to be found, convert, advocate, and uphold online reputation.

When a consumer is researching businesses within your industry or products that you offer, will they be able to find you online? Through a website, ensure that your business, like your competitor’s, can be easily found when conducting an online search. If your business is not online yet, now is the time to join the digital ranks.

2. Spruce Up ? Your Online Store and Shopping Experience

E-commerce is a fluid tool that is evolving with consumer needs. Companies within diverse industries can modify and utilize e-commerce solutions and platforms to their advantage regardless of industry shopping “norms.”

An e-commerce storefront can help your business gather and utilize customer data more effectively in order to better target consumers and personalize marketing and promotional messaging. In addition to attracting more potential shoppers or clients, an e-commerce site assists in strengthening your brand’s identity and credibility, allows you to showcase goods and services and also has the potential to lower operating costs.

However, ensuring that an online shopping experience is pleasant is crucial to earn both new and repeat business. We know that on average, roughly 70% of online shoppers will abandon their carts without buying anything. While you can’t control all of the factors that contribute to this high rate of abandonment, you can control the consumer’s user experience. In fact, 21% of consumers abandon their cart due to a checkout process that is either too long or too complicated. What’s more? About 13% of consumers abandon their cart as a result of errors on the website or, even worse, a website that has crashed.

Consumers are looking for convenience. When browsing, searching, ordering and shipping is made easy, an e-commerce site is a great way to boost sales and increase revenue.

3. ‘Tis the Season for Sharing and Caring – Start with a Blog!

Content reigns king in the world of marketing and now is the time to start planning your 2021 content calendar.

Working to produce and distribute content of high-quality that in-turn builds trust and establishes value in a brand is a long-term marketing play that will pay dividends. The creation of a blog is a relatively easy entry point into the world of content marketing.

Does your business or the products you sell have a unique origin story? Consumers want to hear about it! Creating captivating and inspiring content grabs the attention of consumers and in turn, gains your organization more business.

Content is the new creative and it is rapidly becoming the premiere marketing tool for businesses.

4. By Golly, Be Jolly.. And Capitalize on Promotions!

A survey conducted by Statista found that 58% of US adults between the age of 30 and 44 years old felt enticed to take part in sweepstakes by a guaranteed reward. In addition, 42% were motivated by a chance to win over $10,000.

The urge to participate in sweepstakes and to find a bargain is a staple of US retail shopping culture. These shopping habits are something your organization can capitalize on.

Special deals, promotions and sweepstakes are powerful marketing tools as they spur consumer involvement with a company’s product or service, raise brand awareness, speak to an organization’s confidence in their brand and are (in general) low cost/low effort.

5. Email Marketing Stocking Stuffers

According to a study conducted by MarketingSherpa, roughly 72% of US adults prefer companies to communicate with them via email. This number is a direct reflection of the sheer volume of current email users worldwide – 3.9 BILLION! In addition, email’s predicted user growth rate for the next four years is 3% (about 100M new users each year).

Reaching people via email is critical as today’s consumers are always on the go and constantly connected with their digital devices (mobile, tablet, laptop, etc.). Email marketing is a cost effective, highly targeted, measurable advertising medium to reach ideal audiences locally, nationally or globally.

Out of all marketing strategies available to businesses today, email remains the largest ROI driver with an average of $44 made on every $1 spent. Not bad, right?

6. Track Your Geese A-Laying

How many golden eggs has your business collected? And by golden eggs we mean leads or better yet, sales!

Monitoring how your target audience has responded (or, equally important, not responded) to your various marketing strategies is crucial to the success of future campaigns. Metrics and reports should be your life source when determining what worked, what didn’t, and where to go next.

While simply having the data at your fingertips is a vital piece to the puzzle, interpreting the data correctly and charting a course that leads to better results given the data is key. Although there may be a learning curve to analyzing campaign results, not doing so will undoubtedly be costly. Now, more than ever, marketing budgets are being shifted away from campaigns that are not fruitful and towards campaigns that are both cost-effective and achieve the desired results.

As a Times Union Media Group advertising partner, you’ll receive continuous one-on-one strategy recommendations, consumer demographic data and information on current market trends to help achieve your business goals.

Wrap Up

Formulating a cohesive marketing effort to retain or earn market share is crucial in the coming weeks and months. For many businesses within many industries, competition is steep. However, there are ways to creatively and effectively separate your organization from the crowd.

The Times Union Media Groups crafts turn-key digital marketing solutions to reach & engage today’s consumer. We’re a data-driven digital marketing and advertising agency with full-service capabilities. We partner with organizations from a multitude of industries to increase brand authority, earn trust and drive more sales. We leverage marketing tactics with your business goals and priorities as the focal point.

Want to learn more today? Let us know!

Or, stay tuned for Part Two of our favorite holly jolly strategies next week! 

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