At the beginning of each year, I prepare a list of the top ten marketing goals I would like to achieve in the year ahead. I do this to help me plan out my marketing strategy, aid in budget preparation, but largely to set marketing expectations for myself a little higher than the previous year.
Most of the items required new research, learning new skills, or careful incorporation into my existing marketing strategy. But some goals I desired to have in place by this time, but for a variety of reasons was not able to complete.
My Top Ten Marketing Goals for 2011
Continue to Develop Solid Brand Position - SUCCESS
-Speak and write passionately about product to attract ideal customer
Start Small Business Blog - SUCCESS
-You are reading it
Create Social Media Policy - SUCCESS
-Develop and document strategies and tactics for connecting and
networking with ideal customer
Build and Combine Customer Lists - SUCCESS
-Take current customer list, clean, and combine with new lead list
Increase Unique Web visits to 15k/month - FAILURE
-Fine Tune SEO and analytics – finesse content and design
Do a Professional Product Video - SUCCESS
-Utilize Angelvision for product video
Mobile Marketing - SUCCESS
-Develop mobile site and begin opt-in mobile program for updates
Referral System - FAILURE
-Focus on centers of influence and trusted advisers to promote brand and product. Develop referral promotion for loyal, enthusiastic existing customers.
Focus on ideal Customers - SUCCESS
-Identify ideal customer and focus 90% of assets and energy on closing
opportunities to them.
Define and clarify Sales Cycle - SUCCESS
-Clearly define conversion parameters and lead scoring to qualify and track each lead through cycle and increase opportunity close percentage.
*Failed - Increase Unique Web Visits to 15+/month
Big Bang and the UIU have been averaging between 11 and 12k unique visitors per month for about six months and I really wanted increase that by a few thousand. The primary reason that this goal was not completed is that I really stopped focusing on clicks and completely revamped my entire adwords and landing page strategy to really focus on interaction. Another factor was the complete rebuild of our websites including new developer and CMS, for which we have been re-establishing our organic search ranking slowly. The goal of increased traffic will definitely be making it to the 2012 list in an upcoming post, but I think I might up the ante just a bit to 17k+/month now that the foundation is set.
*Failed - Referral System
This goal has been on the last two year’s goals in a row, and I think that it will not be making it to the 2012 list for a few very good reasons. But since I’m already getting long-typed on this post, I will save the topic of Referral System and why I think it will never work for us for a dedicated post in two weeks.
What goals did you miss this year and why?