Let me begin by wishing you a prosperous 2013. The Institute of Directors in its latest survey suggests well-managed companies can indeed look forward to better times in 2013.
Success in 2013 will depend on your winning new users and increasing sales. To do that requires original thinking, new ideas and fresh initiatives. Marketing innovation must be a major priority if you are to take a bigger market share.
So in this era of change how is your marketing team embracing change?
Let’s start with basics. Has your sales and marketing reporting looked the same for a year or more? The same metrics come in and the same analysis and recommendations are produced. Challenging the reporting process (and the document itself) will lead to better insights and more actionable next steps.
Your sales force is a vital asset, but it’ll be hard to squeeze it any further in 2013 and make it dramatically more cost-effective. However, the many new communication channels and techniques mean your marketing campaigns in 2013 can and must be innovative, different and smarter; hence significantly more cost-effective.
How old is your website? Any website more than two years old is probably a waste of space, and certainly a missed opportunity. Content and social media marketing are now the sure-fire ways to deliver more costeffective marketing campaigns but they require constantly updated and engaging content on your website. A good test of your website is when did you last find anything about it fresh and interesting? Or more importantly, when did you last hear from a customer who had?
A recent report says most companies (including B2B companies) will spend more in 2013 on every marketing channel but it is social media marketing that will experience one of the biggest budget increases.
Do you monitor what users are saying about you online? Your specifiers and users use social media like Twitter, LinkedIn and even Facebook to learn about and discuss products.
Monitoring what your customers are saying about your products is imperative to understanding what they think and want. It enables you to improve your product/service offering which, in turn, will increase your leads and your sales.
Many building products already exploit these marketing channels. Are you doing enough? Are you doing it better than anyone else? This is where competitive advantage can be exploited to great effect.
In 2013 you need to reach out and communicate with specifiers, not rely on your buyers to do the job that you should be doing – not if you want to be in charge of your own destiny in 2013.
Given the recent experience of Starbucks and other corporates, Management Today says it’s the ‘comms chief’ who the CEO and chairman should view as their most valuable adviser in 2013. The timber industry and its sales channel are potentially most vulnerable to hostile social media campaigning. Timber companies need to be prepared.
So it’s time for you to challenge your ‘comms chief’, the marketing team and the agencies you employ. Demand new initiatives that will deliver a bigger bang for your buck. Oh yes they can!
Or it’s time to find someone who will.
