A new year brings fresh opportunities to evaluate your marketing strategy. Be sure to consider these three key audiences in your first quarter planning: customers, employees, and the community.
Connect with Customers
When did you last touch base with customers to ensure you know their needs and how you can help address them? Q1 is a great time to schedule calls or visits with customers, particularly your biggest ones. Ask about their plans and share yours also. You may also wish to survey customers, which can easily be done electronically. Ask about their focus areas for the year – including any new or changed products or services, how satisfied they are with your company, and what you can do to help them reach their 2022 goals.
Ensure Employees Know You Value Them
Almost every business article in the news now references The Great Resignation, i.e., how employees in every industry are leaving their jobs for more pay, expanded opportunities or better schedules. To help avoid getting into the war for talent, check in with your employees, even if it’s not time for their annual review. Ask what’s working well, what could be better and changes they suggest. Then, follow-up on those suggestions. Be sure to regularly recognize employees’ accomplishments and let them know how their work contributes to the success of your organization.
Community Outreach Helps Others and Your Business Too
A great way to help others and keep your company’s name top of mind is to find ways to support your community. To do this, look at what organizations align with your company’s values and ask your employees what causes or groups interest them. Would they like to volunteer at an organization to help a particular non-profit? Would they enjoy hosting a thank you event for teachers, healthcare workers or first responders? Use their answers to guide your strategy. Of course, take pictures of what you do and post them on your social media channels or issue a press release.
At Latitude 34 PR, we help leaders at companies of all sizes develop effective marketing communications, employee relations programs, and community outreach strategies. Call us to learn how we can help your organization develop or execute a smart communications plan. Put our expertise to work for you.