New Year’s Resolutions For Marketers In 2014

For the most part, New Year’s resolutions are a joke. No, no, don’t deny it. We’re all going to be in the gym for the months of January and February and then spend the rest of the year eating nachos. But marketing resolutions are different. We stick with them because as lazy as we are when it comes to getting washboard abs, we’re obsessed with finding ways to be better marketers. So here are some New Year’s resolutions for marketers that you should add to your list for 2014 next to “stop procrastinating.”

Measure Everything

With the release of Google Universal Analytics in 2013, analytics are on the minds of marketers now more than ever before, but plans may not necessarily be in place to take advantage of the kinds of tools that enable you to measure everything. In 2014, make it happen. Measure everything. A/B test everything from PPC ads to landing pages. Measure clicks, conversions, phone calls, social media interactions. The more data you collect, the more insight you have into what works. Don’t just measure the basics: measure everything.

Make More (and Shorter) Videos

In 2013 we learned that content is the kingdom, and video is the king of the content. It shares extremely well, and 90% of users say that seeing a video about a product is helpful in the decision making process. If marketers are serious about content marketing, making more videos is a no-brainer, but there’s also another piece to that puzzle: making sure the videos are short. When you first get into creating videos as part of your content marketing strategy, it’s easy to let them run long: you have so many good ideas! But shorter videos share better and are more successful at keeping the viewer’s attention. Aim for 60-90 seconds and pray for virality.

Get Serious About Mobile

You may have been planning to make your site responsive for some time now, but let 2014—preferably early 2014—be the year that it actually happens. We recently wrote about how mobile is gobbling up all other platforms when it comes to advertising, and it’s true: as ad spend on TV, radio, online, etc. decreases, ad spend for mobile increases. It’s time to be blown along with the winds of change. Mobile is the future. Don’t waste any more time resisting.

Engage With Your Audience

This resolution is something that is often touted for social media, which is good. Broadcasting isn’t the best way to use social media: engaging with your followers is key. But this should be considered when it comes to your website and customer service as well. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your website has all the information a visitor would ever need: they will still have questions, and they will want a way to contact you. For example, 43% of all ecommerce transactions that begin with a web search end in a phone call and there is a 10% increase in click-through rates for PPC ads that contain a phone number. Giving your customers and prospects the option to engage with you means good things for your business. Resolve to give them what they want.

With all the other resolutions you’re making this year, we’ll cut this list short. But as you move into the new year with your eye on the prize, return to these four goals. 2014 is going to be an exciting year for marketers: stay ahead of the curve.

via Business 2 Community http://www.business2community.com/marketing/new-years-resolutions-marketers-2014-0727847?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-years-resolutions-marketers-2014