With 2022 in the rearview mirror, it’s time to start thinking about your 2023 marketing goals. If you want to set yourself up for success this year, strategic planning is the way to go. While the past few years may have introduced new obstacles for companies, it’s important to take these lessons learned and incorporate them into your strategic plan for 2023. Before you can plan your future strategies, you must research and evaluate the market. Let’s dive into the first three critical steps you should take to feel confident mapping out your 2023 marketing plan.
- Review 2022
As exciting as it may be to dive headfirst into the new year, it is equally as important to reflect on and review the one you just had. Before you can begin planning a new marketing plan, it is vital to analyze previous years challenges in successes because they can help guide you in the planning for the year ahead.
Consider analyzing the following:
- Which initiatives created your desired impact. Why?
- The success or failure of previous goals. What went well and what needs improvement?
- Were deadlines timely met?
- What tools and resources will help you improve results?
There is something to be learned from every success and every failure. That’s why reflecting on last year’s plan should not be a step you overlook when planning for the upcoming year.
- Assess your target market and current audience
With today’s market constantly changing, it makes it hard for target markets to be set in stone. As new products develop and companies expand, consumer buying trends begin to change, which impacts the different types of consumers buying your products.
Here are some questions to consider:
- Who makes up your current audience? Is it truly the target market you planned last year?
- If your current market does not match your target market, is it time to pivot or expand?
If there are major discrepancies between your current audience and target market, it might suggest some modifications are in order. If that’s the case, study your existing audience. It will give you insights to what your target market should be.
- Look at your vision and long-term goals
When planning for the year ahead, it is important to know where you are heading and why. Once you have a clear vision in place, start setting long-term goals in pursuit of that objective. That way, instead of looking for short-term solutions to your problems, you can look at the big picture and analyze how your business needs to adjust over time to achieve your big picture goals.
Once you’ve evaluated last year’s performance and have this year’s goals in place, you can start implementing a strategic plan to help achieve those goals. For the last five steps in mapping out your marketing plan, stay tuned for our next blog! Or, set up a FREE CONSULTATION with Oster and Associates so we can help you reach your 2023 marketing goals!
