With 2017 quickly coming to a close, it’s time to work on your 2018 digital marketing strategy. And we’re not talking opening this year’s strategy, changing a few dates, and renaming it ‘‘2018 Online Marketing Plan.’

Nope. Not at all.

We want 2018 to be the year you set goals and absolutely crush them . . . the year you position your small business for long-lasting growth . . . the year that elevates it to soaring heights!

And that’s going to require you to roll up your sleeves and develop your 2018 digital marketing strategy with intention and purpose.

But don’t worry! We’re here with you every step of the way. And we’re sharing 3 of our best tips so you can create a 2018 digital marketing strategy that positions your small business for growth!

 

3 Tips to Create a 2018 Digital Marketing Strategy that Positions Your Small Business For Growth

 

2018 Digital Marketing Strategy Tip 1: Know Your Why

The first place to start when developing your marketing plan is to get crystal clear about why you’re actually marketing in the first place. Otherwise, you’re basically shooting an arrow into the air and then looking for a target to catch it with.

Additionally, your marketing strategy and efforts must be guided by goals that directly contribute to the larger business objectives of your company. So, take some time and determine what larger business goals your marketing activities support.

Are they to:

• Increase brand awareness?
• Build relationships with leads and customers?
• Drive people to your website?
• Grow your customer base?
• Develop authority in your industry?
• Provide customer support?

 

2018 Digital Marketing Strategy Tip 2: Develop a Marketing Machine

Often times, small business owners think of their online marketing efforts as independent activities. They build a website, post to some social media accounts, send an email newsletter, claim their business listings and call it a day. However, treating your marketing methods as separate activities prevents you from developing a comprehensive strategy that drives results.

Instead, think of all of your activities as part of a larger system – a marketing machine, if you will.

Just like the parts of a machine plays an important part of the machine’s overall functioning, so do all the pieces of your marketing plan. And even if a particular machine part isn’t absolutely critical to its functioning, it definitely performs better when everything’s in place and working together.

So as you develop your 2018 digital marketing strategy, ask yourself how all of your marketing activities work together to achieve your larger goals.

For example, will your:

• Social media posts drive traffic to your website?
• Landing pages convert visitors to leads?
• Email marketing entice leads to become customers?

 

2018 Digital Marketing Strategy Tip 3: Set SMARTER Goals

You already know the importance of setting goals for your 2018 digital marketing strategy. Without a clear idea of what you’re working towards, your activities will be disorganized and less effective. And as a small business owner, you certainly don’t have time to spend on wasted efforts.

But, instead of developing traditional SMART goals, we recommend making your goals even smarter to really maximize your success!

Like SMART goals, SMARTER goals are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-Bound

But, they’re also:

• Evaluated and
• Revised

Why are these two additional elements important? Because when you regularly evaluate the progress you’re making towards your goals, you’re much more likely to achieve them because you’re able to revise your methods, if needed.

 

In Sum

Though developing a comprehensive digital marketing plan may feel overwhelming and time-consuming, taking the time to create one will pay off. According to research from CoSchedule:

• Businesses with a documented marketing strategy are 538% more likely to be successful than those without one.
• Businesses that have goals are 429% more likely to report success than those that don’t.
• 81% of those that are successful reach all their goals.

So free up some time in your schedule, open up a new doc, and get busy developing a 2018 digital marketing strategy that will position you for growth next year and beyond! And remember, we’re here to help if you need us! Don’t hesitate to contact us!

 

Have a tip to help another business owner develop and implement their 2018 digital marketing plan?

Leave it in the comments!

And check out a few other posts to help you reach your business goals!

How to Reach Your Business Goals by Adding Inbound to Your Marketing Strategy
5 Steps to Develop a Content Marketing Funnel for Your Small Business
5 Must-Have Elements of a Landing Page that Converts
4 of Our Favorite {Free} Tools to Manage Your Small Business Better