Whether you want to lose weight or give up smoking, it’s fair to say that many of us will be setting some New Year’s resolutions. Sure, you still haven’t used that annual gym membership you signed up for following last December’s Christmas binge – but that doesn’t mean you can’t try again – right? In my role as Director at www.contentworks.agency I meet with a lot of CMOs (Chief Marketing Officers) who’ve slipped into some bad marketing habits. So let’s look at 7 New Year’s resolutions for CMOs:
#1 Be more social
Tapping into platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn is a great way to cast your net and appeal to a wider audience. With the right social strategy you can not only increase brand awareness and improve your online reputation, but you can also run campaigns which will potentially have a direct impact on your bottom line – now that can’t be bad can it?
In a booming world of cryptocurrencies and ICOs, one particular platform to suss out now and in the coming year is Telegram. This social messaging service has more functionality than many other messaging apps out there and is a great way for companies to discuss financial services such as digital token offerings in more detail.
#2 Strengthen your relationships
As a chief managing officer, it’s important to develop strong relationships with your staff – and that means delegating work effectively and respecting one another’s ideas and opinions. Of course, this isn’t easy at times, but when heading up a team you must come up with ideas that will make the most of individual skill sets and promote the company in the best way.
You should also work on strengthening relationships with your clientele. This may be via clever social media strategies, streamlining your PR activity, re-thinking your branding or simply improving overall communication methods. Ask yourself questions such as:
- Are we handling customer queries quick enough?
- Are we targeting the correct target audience?
- Is our website well-optimised and easy-to-read?
#3 Lose some excess weight
Christmas is a time of indulgence, but no matter how many mince pies you throw down your neck – I’m not saying you need to go to the gym. Instead, I’m suggesting you stop weighing yourself down with unnecessary tasks at work. When the New Year arrives, try to start afresh by aligning your marketing strategies with growing trends and buyer preferences. Take a good, hard look at what’s worked in the past and adapt your techniques to ensure they stay modern, relevant and fresh.
Going forward, be sure to always set KPIs at the start of any project as this will help you to monitor your performance and make it easier to carry out a marketing review down the line.
#4 Be more adventurous
Think your hands are tied because you’re in a corporate sector? When faced with compliance issues and a host of red tape it can be difficult to let your creative juices flow – but if you want to stand out from the crowd, being adventurous is a must. There are many ways to promote your finances and services without getting a slap on the wrist from regulatory giants; you’ve just got to think outside the box. Blogging about the industry and setting yourself as go-to gurus for the finance sector can help attract attention – and how about developing infographics or creating innovative video content and scripts?
#5 Take more time to learn
Being a CMO means keeping up to date with all the latest trends and updates. The marketing world changes at a rapid rate, so take the time to study and learn new things. Make an effort to attend conferences and read in your spare time if necessary as this will help your department to become thought leaders and innovators. Here are some areas to focus on in 2019:
- AI technology and social media
- Blockchain capabilities
- Other platforms like Medium and Telegram
- Influencer marketing
- Storytelling
- Video marketing
#6 Use your market research
If you ask ten people whether they like burgers or sausages the best and the overwhelming response is burgers – why would you then buy sausages? It makes no logical sense. While time is of the essence and you need to roll out projects promptly, don’t forget to carry out and utilise your market research as this will give you a deeper insight into the wants and needs of your target audience. Run a poll on social media, send a survey to your client base, do some competitor research before you spend money on campaigns.
#7 Accept that mistakes might happen
It’s not what happens in life, but how you handle it that’s important. Blowing your top at the smallest issue will not make your job easier, so it’s better to have ‘crisis management’ strategies in place just in case. For instance, in a fast-paced world where content is generated quickly – particularly on social media – you need to know how to handle bad PR to ensure your online reputation remains intact.
Whether you’re snowed under or could simply do with a little help and advice – don’t be afraid to collaborate with an agency. Contact me to learn how Contentworks can help you hit your 2019 marketing goals.