10 Ways to Improve Your Marketing Results for 2010

As we begin the new decade in just the next few days, take stock of your marketing efforts and pull together your 2010 plans with this marketing checklist. What will need your attention in the New Year?

Niche your Target Market

Have you clearly identified who is your target customer? And who is your circle of influence that provides referrals to your target customers and clients? Does your referral network know for sure who your target market is?

Define your Marketing Measurement

What gets measured, gets improved. Select your measurements for improvements: # of leads, proposals, new customers? Key word ranking in Google? Web site visitors? Newsletter subscribers or # of blog posts? For example: here’s some of the measures Chris Brogan uses when he measures the marketing impact of social media:

% of online conversation (versus competitor).
% of coverage improvement.
# of new subscribers/attendees/buyers via tracking links.
# of new threads, comments, conversations for engagements.
# of actions taken (for instance, on email newsletters).
increase in $ per visitor, monthly average.
# of leads
# of sales call conversions
unique visitors (all those basic web metrics)

Craft your Tag Line

Do you have a tag line for your business, product, service or even your personal branding? If you don’t brand yourself, other people will. Make sure people who refer you know your tag line.

Practice you 30 Second Commercial

When someone asks you “What do YOU do?” what do you normally say? What’s your 30 second elevator speech?

Focus on Visual Branding

Gather all your current marketing materials into a pile in the middle of a conference table. Do they look like they came from the same company? Which item is the most used? Is there one piece that can make the biggest improvement?

Review your Website

Should you tweak, refresh, or do a complete makeover? List three things that you love about your current website. What really bothers you? Is your website attracting the right target market? Take stock of your website’s weaknesses and decide what you’ll address for next year.

Consider your Press Release Program

Do you have a press release plan for 2010? Will you distribute via wire service, email or snail mail? Do you have a boilerplate “About us” that is current in your last paragraph of your press release?

Develop your Speaking Engagements Calendar

One of the most cost efficient ways to promote your products, services and company is to become a speaker, lead a seminar or workshop. If public speaking is too hard for you, consider posting a 2 minute video on YouTube.

Improve your On Line Profiles

Don’t neglect your personal branding on LinkedIn or Twitter. Have you created a summary? Do you have a searchable profile that will help your referral partners refer business to you? Is your photograph current and attractive?

Take the Next Step

Improve one small thing about marketing your business every day. Go step by step, don’t try to get it done all at once! It’s a marketing marathon, not a sprint! Keep track of your marketing accomplishments so you can see progress. Stay on track for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

If you like the idea of this checklist, but find the actual execution overwhelming, consider outsourcing your marketing efforts to a company like Marketing Resources & Results. Having a partner who knows the ropes to skip and the ropes to know will help you leap frog ahead into the New Year and give you the best opportunity to improve your results.