In the ever-changing world of marketing, the best thing you can be is adaptable. Trends shift, customer behaviours change, and new technologies frequently arrive on the scene. It can be hard to force yourself to take a step back when you’re in a production flow and all-consumed by your business or organization! This blog is an opportunity to reassess your strategies, gauge your marketing effectiveness, and adjust your plans (don’t freak out – only if needed!). Ask yourself these check-in questions to assess and re-prioritize your marketing efforts so you can move forward with a little (or a lot) more confidence.

1. Reflect on Your Current Marketing Strategy

• Are your current marketing objectives aligned with your overall business goals?
• Are there any new goals that need to be reflected in your marketing strategy?
• Do you have access to any resources that you’re not currently leveraging? (Consider: people, time, tools, and budget)

2. Measure Your Marketing Strategy’s Effectiveness and Identify Gaps

• Review the analytics to assess the performance of your campaigns, including conversions (purchases, donations, and other actions), website traffic, engagement, and ROI.  Look for patterns and trends to understand what’s working and what’s not. 
• How is each activated marketing channel (social media, newsletter, blog, etc.) performing? Determine which channels are delivering the best results, and which might need to be optimized or re-evaluated.
• Check-in with your marketing team. Is any member of your team overwhelmed, stretched too thin, stuck on a marketing goal, and/or out of their depth? 
• Compare your marketing results with your initial goals and KPIs (key performance indicators). Didn’t have them? No longer relevant? Time to revise!

3. Re-Prioritize Your Marketing Strategy

• Check-in with your audiences by looking at recent reviews and/or other feedback you’ve received, or soliciting feedback now.
• Review your competitors and/or collaborators’ marketing strategies. 
• Consider emerging trends, technologies, and audience preferences to adjust your marketing plans going forward.
• If you find you and/or your marketing team are spread too thin (in terms of people, time, tools, or budget), consider taking such actions as:
  • Reducing the number of social media platforms you’re active on OR reducing the amount of posts you’re making 
  • Paring down your newsletter and/or blog posts
  • Documenting your processes to ensure your team can duplicate campaigns with ease

This kind of marketing check-in can feel overwhelming. It feels uncomfortable at first to take any pause when the marketing world moves so fast. But by making this kind of check-in a regular practice, you’ll ensure your marketing efforts remain effective and aligned with your business goals. Remember, flexibility is key — don’t be afraid of the pivot or to test a new idea!