Three Resolutions Every Marketer Should Make

Happy New Year!

Now that everyone’s recovered from the holidays (right?), 2021 is underway with hopes of prosperity and a true kick-off to the roaring 20’s. Vaccines are being distributed, more stimulus help is on the way, and many analysts are anticipating that 2021 will be a great year economically. That said, what’s a new year without new resolutions? Unlike your resolution to kick alcohol, sleep more, or log off of Instagram, the se resolutions for marketing leaders should be adopted immediately and stuck to throughout 2021:

DOUBLE DOWN ON RETENTION MARKETING
The iOS 14 update impacting Facebook’s ad targeting abilities only enhances the need for best-in-class execution of retention marketing strategies. Marketing leaders (hopefully, by now) realize that databases of engaged email and SMS subscribers are their most valuable marketing assets and will continue to invest in growing their owned channels. The rules of social media ads will continue to shift faster than your favorite politician on their positions, but owned channels are a beacon of consistency for marketers in this sea of advertising uncertainty.

INVEST IN THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
The “Surprise and Delight” approach to providing an incredible customer experience will be more critical than ever in 2021. Consumers and those making corporate purchase decisions have more options than ever before, meaning that going above and beyond to enhance the customer experience is table stakes for marketing leaders this year. Marketing leaders must make a conscious investment into the customer experience if they want to reap the rewards of brand loyalty and the sustained profitability it brings.

TRACK THE RIGHT METRICS
It’s time to leave vanity metrics behind and focus on the metrics that will drive your business forward- or into the ground. Marketing leaders must take a hard look at their reporting procedures. As the saying goes, “What gets managed gets done.” Winners keep score, and in order to win in what should be a banner year or many, it will be critical for all of us to retain focus on the most important KPIs.