It’s hard to believe, but 2017 is quickly coming to a close.
You’ve attended all the trade shows. Closed all the deals. Met all your sales goals.
And now, it’s time to look toward the future–to determine where you’ll focus your efforts, what you’ll spend your limited budget on and how you’ll ensure even more success in the year to come.
Not sure where to start? Just ask yourself these questions:
What worked this year?
Obviously, if a facet of your aviation / aerospace / defense media plan worked this year, by all means, you should do it again. Did one magazine ad bring in a lot of great leads? See what other advertising options they offer and expand your reach. Do they have bigger ads? Special issues you can be a part of? Other ways you can get involved?
Were there any trade shows that brought in a big ROI? Editorial features that got your team members noticed? Hone in on what parts of your plan were successful, and build your 2018 plans around them.
What didn’t?
Even more important than figuring out what worked last year is determining what didn’t. What efforts were a waste of time, money and resources? Which ones just didn’t deliver on expectations? Which ones failed to produce quality leads or sales?
Make a list of which efforts under-delivered, as well as how much they cost. Once you’ve tallied up all the initiatives that weren’t successful, you’ll know exactly how much you’ll save by not repeating them. Then you can put those funds toward efforts you know are effective–or new initiatives you may want to try out.
What are your competitors doing?
You should always keep a close watch on what your competitors are up to. What publications are they advertising in? Which trade shows are they attending? Where events are they sponsoring?
If they’re investing in initiatives you’re not, do your research. Could there be value in those efforts for your brand as well? Is it worth giving them a trial run? It’s likely if your competitors are seeing results, you will, too.
What’s new?
Just as important as being in tune with your industry, is being in tune with marketing at large. Are there any need strategies that have hit the scene? New social platforms or advertising methods you haven’t used yet? Dive in, and find out if they offer you opportunities to reach your target audience. If you’re not sure, reach out to a marketing pro and get some input.
Better yet, survey your customers, and get their opinion.
What are your goals?
Finally, it’s time to get down to goals. What do you want to accomplish this year? Get more customers in a specific niche? Secure more sales from existing customers? Have more visibility with potential partners in the space? These goals should drive where, when and how you spend your budget.
Map out each goal, as well as what you’re currently doing to accomplish it. This will give you an idea of what gaps exist in your strategy. Then you can plan your 2018 plan and budget accordingly.
Need help creating your aviation, aerospace or defense media plan for next year? Shoot me an email. The Haley Aerospace team is here to help.
