We’re less than a month from the beginning of 2022, which means it’s time to come up with a game plan for your marketing efforts in the new year. It’s also a time for reflection—to take a look back at all you’ve accomplished in 2021! While it’s important to celebrate the achievements, it’s also important to plan out the year to come. Luckily, you don’t have to do it alone. Check out the tips below to get started with your 2022 marketing plan that is sure to wow your customers and new customers alike. 

Find Out What Worked

Where did you get your greatest return on investment with your marketing dollars in 2021? You may be tempted to guess because you feel confident in a specific channel. Avoid guessing! Analytics are important to help you make informed decisions about what avenues to use for marketing in 2022. 

Sometimes analytics will surprise you and a certain campaign or channel performed above your expectations. Find out what your top performing channels and campaigns were, and detail what you can learn from those in the coming year. 

Think Outside the Box

What do you wish you had tried in 2021 if you had more time? What about if you had more budget? Stretch goals are goals that you think you could achieve, but it would be a stretch so it isn’t guaranteed. Goals are just that—not attainable at the moment but could be in the future. Make sure to include some items in your marketing plan that you would like to achieve, yet won’t be an easy get. Try some new channels to reach your audience or revisit something you haven’t tried lately.

Put Pen to Paper

Okay, so maybe you won’t be technically putting pen to paper in the digital age. But after you’ve done the research and put on your creative thinking cap, it’s time to come up with the actual plan. Start by identifying your big, overarching goal for the year and work backward. Then, come up with the smaller goals you’ll use to achieve the big goal and break down the timeline you need to make it happen. Think quarterly, then monthly, then weekly. Before you know it, you have an entire year-long plan.

Ask for Feedback

Once you’ve developed your marketing plan for 2022, it’s time to ask others for their input. When working so closely to a project, it’s easy to not see gaps or holes in your plan. It’s a human trait! That’s why you should ask someone who hasn’t been working closely on the plan to take a look and call out what you might be missing. 

Pivot if Needed

Unforeseen circumstances are bound to happen in the span of a year. Don’t be afraid to pivot if needed. If you realize that something isn’t working quite the way you planned, go back to the drawing board with your team. Just because you put something in writing for your year doesn’t mean you have to stick to it if you find it isn’t working.

Now it’s time to get out there and build your plan! Don’t forget to take some time to reflect on all of the great work your team has done in the year 2021. We’re wishing you a happy holiday season and a successful 2022!