5 New Year’s Marketing Resolutions for 2012

By Kamea Zelisko

It’s that time of year again. With the New Year just around the corner it’s time to sit back and reflect at the year gone by – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

When it comes to marketing there is always something more you could be doing, so here are some tips to help you form your New Years marketing resolutions and help make 2012 the year your business takes it to the next level.

1.     Review and revise your marketing strategy: Taking a look back at your marketing strategy, whether it’s just in your head or in a document, can help you figure out what’s working and what’s not. To get started, ask yourself the following questions:

• What worked in 2011? What didn’t?

• Do you need to step up your networking efforts?

• Are you up to speed on the latest in social media? (Google+ anyone?)

• Are your social media efforts meeting the goals of your organization?

2.     Try something new: It’s great to stick with what works, but marketing is all about pushing the envelope.  Ask yourself what more can you do to step up your marketing in 2012. How about a new (hopefully viral!) video idea? Have you looked into trade shows or other advertising avenues? How about a creative new campaign to get people buying your products or services? Think outside the box in 2012 and try something new!

3.     Collaborate: There are so many great marketing experts out there, from direct sales to online marketing specialists. Pride will not help your business grow, but teaming up with other knowledgeable experts sure can’t hurt. So reach out and ask for help this year!

4.     Join an organization: Local chambers of commerce or other specialized organizations can help bring not only a more professional appeal to your business but they can also be a great way to market yourself. So if you aren’t currently in any organizations, join one – many are free and only charge minimal fees for networking events. If you’re already a member of an organization look for a new one! There are so many great groups out there and business owners can never meet too many people.

5.     Improve your customer service: In a world full of words like “hits,” “likes,” and “followers,” it can be easy to overlook the basics of marketing. There’s no marketing like good public relations – a happy customer will not only return but will also be likely to refer your services to their customers or friends as well. So make an effort to improve your customer service this year, it will not go unnoticed!

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Great Christmas marketing ideas

By Kamea Zelisko

Over the past few decades Christmas has quickly become an excellent marketing opportunity, and why not? It’s when the public is most likely to have their purses open. Heck, Christmas marketing has started earlier and earlier every year, now starting literally the day after Halloween.

Even with the state of the economy, seemingly always teetering on the edge of disaster these days, consumer spending has been up this holiday season.

American consumers haven’t spent so much money on holiday gifts since 1999. And while Canada has reported some slower Christmas sales numbers, we’re no shopping slouches either. Statistics Canada reported retail sales rose in September by one per cent to $38.2 billion, and the Retail Council of Canada estimates a 3% increase in retail sales this Christmas over last year.

A lot of these sales have to do with promotions and discounts, but don’t think marketing doesn’t have something to do with it.

Marketing your product or service in a new and interesting way can go a long way this season. Here are some great marketing ideas that came up this year that could get you thinking about how to better market your product/service not just this season but all year round:

•  In case you didn’t see it, Jimmy Kimmel did a video challenge called "I gave my Kid a Terrible Present" YouTube Challenge. This hilarious viral contest/segment brought tons of attention to his site. 

•  Dairy Queen is offering free Blizzard treats in its “Reindeer Bites” flavour to anyone who brings a real, live reindeer into a store.

•  Mississauga, Ont.-based website itravel2000 is in the fourth year of a promotion that promises to refund the price of all trips taken between Nov. 1 and April 30 for customers who had more than 10 centimetres of snow fall on New Year’s Day at their regional weather station in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, or Calgary.

•  The Independent has a list of the funniest Christmas ads ever.

•  At the Living Christmas Cards website, a live streaming webcam shows you the mountain in northern Sweden where “Santa’s reindeer” are kept. You can take a photograph from one of the four live views, and make it into a holiday card for your friends.

Hope this helps!

Merry Christmas and a happy marketing new year from all of us at Red Queen!