You started the year with the best intentions; you got yourself organized and began marketing with purpose. Maybe you took the time to map out your ideal client from head to toe to create a winning content strategy. The path ahead seemed so clear!
Six months later, you can barely keep up. Your inspiring and focused marketing plan is starting to feel like a churn and burn of the same words and images. Or worse, you’ve lost the thread altogether and you’re throwing up haphazard content and copying competitors’ posts just to have something to show.
If your marketing plan is starting to bog down or unravel, a mid-year check-in is your best way to refocus and gain new energy. It’s time to revisit your information and strategy to evaluate what’s been working, what hasn’t, and if there are new avenues to explore.
How to make the most of your mid-year check-in:
● Set aside at least 2 to 3 hours to look over your plan and check your analytics.
● Make sure to look at the content that specifically talks to your Ideal Client Avatar (ICA)—not panic content that copies the tactics of your competition. Refamiliarize yourself with the language your ICA actually uses, their likes and dislikes, and where they hang out online.
● Look at your social media engagement. Which topics and post types did well and how can you replicate that success?
"A mid-year check-in is also a perfect time to consider aspects of your ICA that you didn’t choose to pursue in your first six months."
● Look at your Google Analytics. Who is sending you the most traffic? What are your top visited web pages? Is your inquiry page getting enough traffic and conversions?
● Look for problems: Stop posting topics and post types that don't do well. For example, if buffet shots don't do well on social, stop posting them there. If you must promote your buffet skills, do so on your website's portfolio.
● If your inquiry page isn't getting much traffic, try promoting it more. Invite people to inquire about your services on other pages on your website, in social media and your email newsletter.
● Leverage what's working. How can you replicate success? If there is a website or social media platform that sends a lot of traffic to your site, think of ways to leverage that.
A mid-year check-in is also a perfect time to consider aspects of your ICA that you didn’t choose to pursue in your first six months.
Your analytics have probably shown you some weak topics, language, or specific targets that aren’t working. Fill in those empty slots with hobbies, concerns, and other areas of interest to your ICA. Target some new marketing against those unexplored aspects of your ideal client. You might hit an unexpected goldmine of customer engagement!
With just 2 to 3 hours of simple analysis you can recharge and revamp your marketing plan for the rest of the year. Plus you will have hard data on what’s really working for you so far. Your initial plan was based on solid information and you had reason to believe you were on the right track, but at the mid-year point, you can see how right you were! You’ll find yourself refocused and ready to make the most of your marketing time and money with renewed confidence.
