New Year, new you, they say! It’s a fresh start for everyone including companies interested in advertising. Individuals will be setting intentions for the year and companies will be doing the same. The first quarter of the year is a very important time for companies to look at the year to come and plan out their advertising campaigns. If you haven’t already started planning your campaigns out prior to January 1st, you are already a little behind. Here are a few things that can get you back on track.

 

Use The Data You’ve Gathered 

Every campaign has an opportunity to collect data on the success of their campaign. Whether with ad clicks, google analytics, or email sign-ups, you have the ability to see what worked and what didn’t in the previous year. It’s important to pay attention to these because if something didn’t really come through companies should think about switching their gears with a new offer or the platforms they are using. If you haven’t been tracking data make it a priority to start tracking as soon as your next campaign starts.

 

Get Your Marketing Budget On Track

It’s hard to plan when you don’t know how much you can spend. Get your marketing budget in order as soon as possible so that when companies pitch you, you can tell them how much you’re capable of investing.

 

Check Out The Competition

It’s also a good idea to take a look at what your competitors are doing in their campaigns. Is it working for them or not? If their numbers are rising, it’s a sign that their marketing strategies are doing well. Take some of the moves from their playbook and do the same for your business.

 

Look At The Entire Year

With your budget on track, consider purchasing ads for a year. You’ll be able to space out the dates as you desire and there won’t be any last-minute rush to pick a date just because those spots are available. As the year goes on, it can be harder to pick specific dates that you want. Some of the inventory is going to already be gone, so don’t focus just on Q1. 

 

Year’s end and the beginning of the next can be a busy time. It’s important to start planning ahead so that your business isn’t scrambling last minute to create successful campaigns and book ads in different places. Work on getting these items accomplished and you’ll be ready to pivot when you need to and focus on the things that really need your attention.

Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash