1. More Marketing and Sales Integration Required -
It still amazes me how the marketing department and the sales department are best of enemies in many organisations. Sales teams blame the marketers for not knowing what's going on on the ground. Marketers blame the sales guys for not implementing the marketing strategy effectively. And, while the internal turf war continues, the organisation suffers. When both departments are closer aligned they make each others' job so much easier. Marketers can provide opportunities for sales people to make sales, which in turn helps in making marketing campaigns successful. Marketers can benefit from feedback from sales people, as they act as very effective market researchers, which can help marketers design more effective marketing campaigns. It's win-win. A key objective for many organisations this year should be to get the best of enemies to be the best of friends again. They, are after all, trying to achieve the same thing.
2. Digital Marketing, Social Marketing...It's Just Marketing -
If you are still struggling to get to grips with the new world of marketing, you need to catch up quickly. Many still discuss 'marketing' as being a separate discipline from 'digital' and 'social' marketing. But, guess what? The distinctions between each no longer exist. Its just marketing. The new world of marketing involves engaging with an audience through many channels. Integration is the key, as is implementing a coherent strategy across whatever relevant channels possible. So this year, forget about pigeon holing marketing and just get engaging with your audience, wherever they happen to be (both on- and off-line)
3. Entertain the Audience -
Consumers have been bombarded with one-way communications of droll, boring and meaningless marketing communications for too long and they have stopped listening. If you want consumers to give their time and attention to what you have to say, your communications need to have the entertainment factor. Ask yourself; will the communications I am planning for this year entertain the audience? If the answer is no, go back to the drawing board because it will not work.
4. Marketing Eyes Wide Open -
Marketing has got so much smarter. It used to be the case that marketers put a campaign together and hoped the sales followed. Now, as a result of data analytics, marketers can use a real-time 'dashboard', telling them what's working (and what's not), when its working, how its working, and so on. For online campaigns, you can track how many views a communication has received, how many click-throughs, whether or not users continued past the landing page, at what stage they made a purchase or submitted their details. The use of a CRM system, giving access to the sales pipeline and providing a 360 degree view, linking sales back to specific campaigns, is an essential tool enabling a smart marketing approach. Now, marketing is no longer conducted in the dark. This year aim to have your marketing eyes wide open by using the data. Smart marketers put a spotlight on their efforts. Don't leave it to chance. Measure and evaluate.
5. Prove a Return -
Accountability has become a hot topic in marketing and rightly so. As a marketer, your job is not done when you plan and implement marketing campaigns. Your job is done when you prove a return. If marketing as a profession is to be taken seriously at board level, a more scientific approach must be taken. If you want to be taken seriously by your board (and particularly by those who hold onto the purse strings in your organisation) make sure you talk the language they understand the most; money and profits.
If I can help in anyway with your plans for 2014 let me know, I would be delighted to have a chat. In any case, I hope you have a successful year.
Gavin Fox MSc
W: www.foxmarketing.ie
E: gavin@foxmarketing.ie
T: +353 87 649 7660
Connect with me...
LinkedIn... http://ie.linkedin.com/in/gavindfox/
Twitter... https://twitter.com/gavindfox
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