2023 is almost here, and we are in planning and budgeting mode. As you consider what tactics are must-haves and what goes back on your wish list, consider some trends and tips from our team of marketing experts. Here is what will be on our minds for the coming year.

Strategic Planning

Are Your Goals SMART?

KPIs and ROI are the standards when tracking if your target goals were reached and your promotional efforts were worth it. This is not always an easy conversion to track, but more often than not it is because the goals were not attainable.

For the results to be defined and calculated accurately, you must properly and strategically plan your goals and objectives, setting each up for success … in other words, be SMART.

As you begin the identification process of these strategic goals, ensure the following questions are asked.  Is it …

If you implement this simple formula in your strategic planning process, we are confident you will see more results in the short and long-term. And, you will be just a little smarter for it!

Public Relations

2+ Photos / 600% More Engagement

Foster Marketing encourages its clients to include photos with press releases. We believe a picture paints a thousand words, and strong visuals help the message of the release to stay in a reader’s consciousness longer. And Cision PR Newswire agrees.

Its 2021 State of the Press Release Report analyzed levels of engagement for press releases distributed through its network and found that releases with multimedia components resonated more with readers and received higher levels of engagement (that is measured in opens and clicks) than text-only releases.

Press releases sent alongside multiple images enjoyed six times the amount of reader engagement than text-only releases. Releases sent with one video generated three times the engagement. Even the inclusion of only one photo alongside the release will double the level of engagement with a press release. Since 42% of people trust press releases over other media channels (according to the same report), it is worth doing everything possible to maximize the impact of every release you send.

Media Planning

What Does Success Look Like to You?

Considering the below questions and components during your planning could have a positive impact on your process and final schedule.

• Identify your goals to manage expectations. Are impressions, clicks, or leads the goal? Depending upon that factor, “success” looks very different.
• Know your team and their strengths.
• Are you realistically going to be able to promote a dozen whitepapers and conduct a webinar each month?  For content to be most effective, it takes time and effort to do it right. Push your team to be realistic about what capacity actually is.
• Understand your target audience. Many of our clients have niched targets and a select group of potential buyers, therefore reaching the masses isn’t necessary. Appreciate and be selective about where you put your budget dollars to avoid waste.

Trade Shows

Location, Location, Location!!!

As we see on the first day of any marketing or sales class, one of the most important factors for a successful business is location. This applies whether it be a physical store or a booth location at a trade show.

For trade shows, there are a few different strategies you can implement when choosing a booth space. Because of sponsorships, priority points and floorplan allocation, the premium locations may not always be available. However, there will usually be a space available that will allow your company to have a great return at the tradeshow.

Where is the best location for my booth? These strategies will help guide you in choosing the best location:

• Prime location strategy: Find the main aisle. Then determine where it is in relation to the main entrance. Anywhere on the main aisle that is no farther than four to six aisles down from the main entrance depending on the size of the show is a prime location.
• Determining the customer strategy: Look for where your customers and the companies they are targeting are located. Any booths around those locations will put you in front of the folks you most likely want to target.
• Meeting point strategy: Look for a gathering space. This can be a welcoming area, drink station, exhibitor lunch area, or presentation area. Choosing a booth around these areas will assist in drawing folks to your booth.

Now that you have a plan on how to choose your booth space, you must have an internal plan for tracking booth registration dates. A point person from your marketing/sales team or external marketing firm is critical to ensure that all important dates are noted and acted upon. Without knowing when to register, you may miss the opportunity to book your desired booth location.

Digital Marketing

85% / 5 Users

We are hearing about user experience, or UX, more often in today’s marketing landscape, and not just in digital marketing. UX includes every user interaction with a company, its products and services. Meaning, UX is not just about your website but also includes what happens when someone calls your company or a product is delivered to a customer’s jobsite.

UX is something we should be testing to avoid surprises and to ensure success. And, this doesn’t require a huge time or financial investment either. Did you know, research shows 85 percent of UX problems can be solved by testing just five users, according to Jeff Sauro of MeasuringU? Sauro bases his findings on uncovering UX interface issues using a mathematical probability model known as the Poisson Distribution.

An expert in website usability, Steve Krug, says just three users may be enough, adding that more frequent testing is better than including a larger number of participants once. In his book “Don’t Make Me Think,” which focuses on winning over users with effective design, Krug says the first three users are likely to encounter nearly all significant problems.

Other useability pearls of wisdom from Krug include:

• A design should be obvious, or at least self-explanatory. Why? People don’t read instructions anyway.
• Design with scanners in mind. Why? Because we are busy, we have trained ourselves to quickly absorb content that we need in the least amount of time.
• Make clicks mindless. Don’t make users guess if something is clickable, you should create an easy path to point them where you want them to end up.
• Less is more online. Enough said.
• Don’t argue, just test. When you have a committee creating a website, you will have varied opinions. No need to fight for your viewpoint, just test your theory so see what works best.

Creative Planning

“Marketing is the equivalent of asking someone on a date. Branding is the reason they say yes.” – Ren Jones.

Design is extremely important, and creativity is timeless for branding. Truelist’s Graphic Design Statistics for 2022 states that a consistent brand presentation, by applying sound design standards, could help boost sales by as much as 33 percent. Of all the moving parts that go into your marketing strategy, creative efforts stand out from the rest.

Every year, there are emerging tools and trends, but how you use those tools and implement those trends are what give you the advantage and make them your own.

Next year, we are expecting to see more dynamic design, such as 3D and motion graphics, to create a brand experience that is both immersive and memorable. Take advantage of tools such as augmented reality, or AR. Go live on social media. Bring your brand to life with engaging, interactive content including infographics and videos or hold a contest on social media.

We can certainly capture attention with exceptional design, but if there is no real substance behind your brand’s message, you won’t hold that attention for long; and it’s getting more difficult in this digital age to continue to hold people’s attention.

In an interview with Debbie Millman on her podcast “Design Matters”, marketing and brand strategy specialist David Aaker stresses that no one is really interested in what your brand has to say about itself. He urges that the “my brand is better than yours” concept does not create growth. Disruptive innovation is hard, which is why most of the content you see on social media is not engaging, or, even worse, ignored.

We live in a purpose-driven economy. Ask yourself, what is my brand purpose? Your answer may change with each new year, but what makes your brand different – your story – needs to be so compelling that people won’t even consider other brands.

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