As 2015 comes to a close, we all look at various ways to improve in the new year. Whether this involves getting healthier, spending more time with friends and family or learn something new and exciting.

But what about improving our marketing efforts?

The new year is a great time to reflect on where you are currently at, and where you want to go. Here are a 4 marketing resolutions you should challenge yourself with this year.

I. Get Your “Little Data” in Order

You purged and organised your closet, your personal files, even reordered your old basketball card collection, but have you cleaned your CRM yet?

“Big data’’ – it’s undoubtedly a hot industry buzzword right now. But let’s talk about “little data”. This is your audience data, your sales and customer data. And despite the name suggests, it is really, really important.

Your “little data” is often critical to your segmentation, and your capacity to deliver a personalised message to your target audience. To read further on this topic, click here to see: “Forget Big Data – Get your little data right! (it’s costing you millions)”.

By having your “little data” accurate, you will also be more equipped to send high quality email campaigns. Click here for a resource on What is the BEST measure for a successful email campaign.

II. Constant Engagement

Marketers say it all the time…consistency is the key. As you start off 2016, it’s important to stay consistent when communicating with customers so they know when to expect to hear from you and stay engaged.

If you do not have one already in place, start developing a marketing plan to keep customers engaged all the time. Factors such as regular newsletters, social media and blogging assists you to deliver your message.

As more people connect and engage with you, you will learn what content drives participation and engagement, which expands your reach and potential for sales.

III. Host Events

Events can be one of the most effective ways to bring traffic through your doors and develop strong and lasting relationships with your clientele.

Because your company’s name will be associated with the event when you host, you can promote your business and market to your audience without overtly selling. The better the event you host, the more your company will be remembered.

When people attend events, it is because they are interested in the event itself. This is especially true if they have to pay a fee to participate. Surprisingly, paying for attendance does not deter people. In some cases, a paid event has an air of exclusivity, as if the activities and workshops are premium experiences that they would not be able to get for free.

IV. Create a Marketing Budget

Often we get so caught up in certain types of outreach we forget to budget out for others. A strong marketing mix integrates inbound (like pay per click advertising), outbound (like direct mail), and content marketing (like blogs), just to name a few components. Lay out your budget ahead of time to plan for each type of marketing tactic so that you can use your money in the most effective way possible.

Developing a solid marketing budget is an important part of creating a plan of action that is realistic and will help improve revenues.

I hope that you adopt at least one of these resolutions if you are not already in 2016.

Share your marketing resolution with us, would be great to hear yours!