As we kick off the New Year, I want to share with you my process for building & mastering a marketing system for your business in 2023.
One of the key mistakes I made early in my marketing career was diving in on trending marketing tactics without taking the time to set strategic marketing goals and build a system to achieve them.
The thought that a marketing tactic would produce a result without clearly defining the actual result I was aiming to achieve was leaning purely on hope and luck.
“Hope is not strategy. Hope fits with vision, but we must have a strategy and a process to make our vision become a reality.” - John C. Maxwell
Yes, occasionally luck strikes.
But over time I’ve seen greater (and more sustainable) results when I got clear on my goals, and built systems around them.
So, as you set out for marketing success in 2023 - here’s a process I use to systematize my marketing efforts and hit my goals.
1. Get clarity on the goals & vision of your business
Most are fresh on their company goals for 2023.
Typically, these goals fall into the following categories:
Financial
Product/service
Customer retention
Customer experience
Talent attraction/retention
Use your company goals as the starting point.
This lays the foundation for your marketing system, helping you stay focused on what matters, and eliminate what doesn't.
2. Set marketing goals that align with your business goals
Select business goals where marketing can make an impact - and create marketing goals around them.
For example:
If achieving $250k in new revenue is a business goal - your marketing goal may look something like this: Marketing will help the company achieve its new revenue goal of $250k as measured by generating $1M in qualified new business opportunities that convert at greater than 25% by 12/31/23.
See what I did there? I made it SMART.
Here’s a refresher on SMART goals:
SMART is an acronym that stands for : S ➝ Specific M ➝ Measurable A ➝ Achievable R ➝ Realistic T ➝ Timely SMART goals help you focus your efforts and boost your chances of success. — Harsh Makadia (@MakadiaHarsh) December 21, 2022
*I always recommend setting 3-4 marketing goals max to help you and your team have clear direction & focus.
3. Build a plan to master your goals
James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, says this:
“We do not rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems.” - James Clear
Before committing to your goals, identify and define the system you need in place to achieve your marketing goals.
Build a system around each goal by answering these 5 questions:
Define the marketing strategies/tactics you will implement
Select the marketing channels you will leverage
Determine the investment of time/resources required
Assign a person to lead this effort
Identify the sacrifices you will make to implement this system
Then, map it out on a timeline.
What actions are required daily?
What actions are required weekly?
What actions are required monthly?
What actions are required quarterly?
If you can commit to the system, you’re already en route to mastery.
4. Track your progress
I’m a fan of the Entrepreneurial Operating System’s Level 10 agenda and scorecard template for tracking, measuring & assessing progress.
Identify metrics you can track on a weekly basis
Update & review your metrics with your team weekly
Evaluate and make tweaks/adjustments quarterly (if necessary)
This process holds you accountable and helps you visualize what's working, what needs changed, what needs re-strategized, and what needs eliminated.
Well, that’s all for now.
TL;DR
Get clarity on the goals & vision for your business
Set marketing goals that align with your business goals
Build a plan to master your marketing goals
Track your progress
4 simple steps, but a process that I’m confident will help give you clarity and direction with your marketing efforts for 2023.
Here's to a successful & systematized marketing year!
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