Preparing for 2021 isn’t like preparing for any other year. After witnessing the unpredictability 2020 threw at us, we need to rethink our marketing strategy in a way that aligns with today’s reality.
It might feel a little more different and a little more daunting, but we want to be there to make it easy for you. In this blog, you’ll learn all the info you need to build your 2021 marketing strategy. Let’s dive straight in!
1. Understand your prospects
2020 taught us that the distinction we create for B2B is fading. Now, all that matters is taking a human approach to reach out to your potential buyers.
2021 needs you to put more time and effort into understanding your audience, showcasing your products and services in the time and manner that appeals to your prospects, and catering to them in a way that satisfies both their logic and emotions.
Explore all the touchpoints you can leverage to connect with your audience
. Figure out the most relevant channels to maximize your outreach and engagement.
For a 2021 marketing strategy to be successful, you need to prioritize agility and adaptability on your list. Your marketing needs to suit your customer’s lifestyle and fit perfectly in their schedule. You’ll have to shift gears to match their needs whenever needed.
2. Messaging that resonates
In 2021, you can’t continue communicating the same messages you’ve been sharing for years. This tactic might have worked for you well in the past, but it won’t anymore.
Your messages should have empathy as an indispensable element. Your audience needs to know if you understand them, and this is your way of telling them that you do.
As we emerge in the post-pandemic era, as marketers, we need a thorough knowledge of the market. So, conduct market research and comprehend what your market demands.
Your brand messaging is a direct representation of your brand, making it extremely crucial to get that right. Your marketing messages should directly speak to your audience and move them.
3. Do Competitive Analysis
When you understand how you measure up to your competition, it opens up plenty of doors and creates a plethora of opportunities to better reach your audience and make your marketing more meaningful.
You don’t want to set yourself apart for all the wrong reasons in 2021. So, make yourself extremely familiar with what your competition is doing right. What component of their success can you replicate in your business?
This way, you also get to analyze your strengths and weaknesses better, paving the way for improvement. It gives you actionable insights on refining your strategy and making it work in an age where most old strategies are failing to make an impact.
How is their customer experience? What keywords are they targeting and ranking for? How are their offerings different from yours? Ask all these questions to understand their marketing strategies so you can enhance yours.
The buying behavior has changed. The misalignment between sales and marketing costs a business heaps of both money and opportunities.
4. Smarketing is the answer!
Sales and marketing can no longer operate in silos. To realize the full potential of both the departments, there needs to be an alignment more than ever. Both sales and marketing must share the same goal of revenue generation.
In 2021, you need to focus on aligning sales and marketing- to seamlessly work more like a single department that’s sole goal is closing more business.
Buyers find all the information they need online before buying a product or service, and if your marketing can connect with them and reassure them on a deeper level, it will help your sales team to close more.
Vice-versa, if your sales team gets in touch with a few prospects that aren’t ready to buy at that particular time, later your marketing can engage them and close the deal right there and then. It just means more revenue and growth for the company at each level.
5. Increase your Marketing investment
Marketing these days creates high-quality leads that convert with little or no effort. Businesses need to increase the marketing budget and invest more to reap the kind of benefits they expect.
B2B organizations also need to boost their content marketing efforts as for B2B marketing- content plays a role more significant than any.
Failing to plan is one thing, and failing to execute is yet another. You should have a sound plan as well as a robust implementation strategy. There has to be a minor difference between estimated and actual costs. Stick to your game plan and stay on target.
Due to the pandemic, your customer has started to spend more time and money online. If you spend more on marketing, you’re more likely to stay on the top of their minds. These marketing activities can prove to bring you the best ROI if done right.
Wrapping it Up
Having a solid tactical plan with even a more concrete implementation strategy will help you get ahead of the curve in 2021.
Get bold with your marketing and make it fun. People won’t enjoy what you create unless you enjoy creating it for them. Your customers want to know if your product or service is right for them. When you demonstrate authenticity and show your personality, you reassure them in the best way possible that you’re the best solution to their problem.
You must start now to create a successful marketing plan for 2021. Everything else in the world can wait for the time being!
Get bolder and take more risks. Marketing is so much like entrepreneurship. You have no idea how people will perceive what you’re putting out in the world. And, yet you give your all and create something they might find valuable and exciting. Sometimes, to see you win, other times to see you fail miserably.
No plan in the world can guarantee success. But, the points we have curated for you above will definitely help you get better results and exceed your expectations.
Originally published at https://www.digitalzonein.com on December 14, 2020.
