How to Create a Marketing Strategy that Matters in 2023

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A new year is just around the corner, and with its dawn comes the messy planning season. You may be thinking about new strategies to implement, what typically hasn’t worked in your plans, who will be on your team this year, and how it will all be paid for.

For a marketing strategy to be successful, it must actually work efficiently for your business and for your customers. This plan to get your product or service in front of potential clients and turn them into buyers depends on how well you plan, but equally, on what you plan. Let’s start by establishing a solid foundation and asking critical questions.

  • What worked last year, and how do we know it was successful?
  • What did not work last year and how do we know it failed?
  • How are our customers changing and what are they asking for now?
  • What marketing channels gave us the most value for our budget?
  • How has our product/service changed, and is it for the better?
  • Did our budget align with an ROI that we are happy with?
  • How has the landscape/industry changed and what should we expect?

Your answers to these and similar questions can help you establish targeted marketing goals that matter and are realistic for business growth in 2023 and beyond.

Along with all of the things you already know about marketing strategy — setting goals, sales and marketing alignment, buyer personas, campaign KPIs, and marketing budget — here are some other ideas for you to consider when crafting a comprehensive marketing strategy for 2023.

Focus on email marketing

Even with new digital marketing channels taking center stage, email is not dead. Email marketing remains one of the most solid, powerful ways to connect with new and existing customers weekly or monthly. If you are still on the fence about creating an email newsletter, don’t feel you have the resources to create one, or just haven’t kept up with the one created from ages past, consider taking another look.

With email, you can create a consistent touchpoint with your customers and allow them to hear from you every month. You can create a two-way channel of communication via email with a LinkedIn newsletter and allow your connections (who might not be customers) to leave comments and share your content.

Email allows you to track several metrics, including the open rate,  click-through rate, goal completions, and A/B test results. This data can give you key insights into what is resonating and what is not resonating with your audience.

Date your customers with intention

Customer interests and journeys change from time to time. In the age of progressive digital, it changes a lot. And just like in relationships, it is important to date your customers with intention. Data from your website or other platforms isn’t just for you to maximize new clients coming into your business but also to get to know your current customers better.

Massive privacy changes are underway that will increasingly make it harder for you to access customer data through tracking tools. A cookie-less future might have been delayed by Google until 2024, but we can be certain that data collection from ad content will become unreliable in the future. Furthermore, Apple has already made changes in its browser to limit the invasion of third-party cookies.

Brands and businesses that develop strong, emotional connections with their customers will be the ones who win in the end. Yes, it is a slow and steady race, but customer relationships and the experiences you provide will help you to stand out in a fiercely competitive market.

Agile marketing is the new “it girl”

While agile marketing has been around for a while for software engineers and technology development managers, the methodology has shifted into marketing and presents new ways of allowing for flexibility, feedback, and continuous improvement. In fact, 51 percent of marketers used agile methods in 2021.

Agile marketing allows you to focus on frequent iterations and releases of a campaign or plan execution. It also makes room for experimentation when and where needed. Often in marketing, we feel we don’t have time to experiment because we have to move so quickly, but if we miss experimentation, we also miss out on knowing what works and what doesn’t work.

Further, agile marketing mandates that customer satisfaction and value come first. Deliver value early and often and get feedback from your target audience. Using agile methodologies in your marketing plan can help you to avoid perfection analysis and allow for more cross-functional collaboration between other departments in your company or even other people in your peer group if you’re a small business.

Build your marketing strategy with us

The key to success in marketing is having a plan and being consistent with it. Taking the time out to do a debrief of your business and crafting a plan that works for you and matters to your customers will set you up for efficiency and effectiveness in 2023 and beyond.

We are here for you if you need help laying out your plan. Connect with us and let us know how we can support your marketing strategy planning and execution in 2023.

Author

  • Danni White

    Danni White is the CEO and founder of DW Creative Consulting Agency where she works with clients to create, manage, and optimize content for optimal business impact. As a business and marketing strategist, she draws on over 15 years of experience working with agencies, startups, and digital publications to create content that matters to audiences and converts. She is a member of the Forbes Business Council and holds several board advisory positions.