In 2020 we all moved as fast as we could, to adapt to an ever-changing set of challenges. We did what we needed to do to survive, but it forced everyone into a reactionary role. 

Reactionary thinking is a dangerous mindset to adopt in the long-run because it is not intentional. Reacting instead of being proactive has a high probability of acting outside of your brand, and ignoring what is truly good for you and your clients. Dangerous because you aren’t paying attention to strategy, or taking stock of your goals. 

You can’t deny that when you make intentional decisions, even if they don’t provide the results you’re  looking for, you have a clear direction on what to do next. You can examine the intention and the data to see where you got close, and where it fell short. 

Data gives you the ability to create marketing plans that are flexible. Flexible plans are not haphazardly put together, or pushed aside or ignored when the going gets rough. Flexible plans mean you can take bigger risks, and analyze your data to see how people are responding to your strategies, signals as to how your audience might be changing, essentially what works and what does not, and how to change course. This can be anything from email campaigns, social media strategies, adjusting client communications, changes in firm culture, or new business ventures.

You probably have a plan set for this year but use the last month to gauge if it is flexible enough to adjust to changing conditions. 

Elements to Flexible Marketing Planning

• Know your clients.

• Spell out your intentions for marketing strategies and goals.

• Customize your data reports (Google Analytics/Data Studio) to give you insight into your strategies and your clients.

• Integrate data into your marketing meetings to understand trends and changes.

• Take calculated risks, but test them first.

By now, you have probably seen our posts that show Google searches went up 2.1 billion last year. This number usually goes up by the millions, not billions. Our clients have seen organic traffic run in double digits where it is normally in the single digits. When we look at these weekly, it is hard not to stop and say why? 

People are searching more, they are working from home, kids are learning from home, people are changing jobs. The internet has always been the hub but more than ever it became the only way to communicate. 

Review strategies each quarter to see what adjustments need to be made around the types of clients reaching out for proposals, the kinds of projects you’re being hired for, and trends in your industry.Failing to plan is planning to fail. Make your 2021 marketing plan nimble to meet the changing environment that this year demands.