New Year, New Goals

Your marketing action checklist for 2016.

- Ann Handley

We’re closing in on the end of 2015, so it’s a good time to reflect on the year that was and get ready to rock it in the year to come.Here’s a checklist of five strategies the smartest entrepreneurs (that’s you!) should be thinking about to make 2016 their most successful year ever.

1. Do less marketing.

What? This is a marketing column. But I’m talking about undertaking a more focused, strategic marketing effort, not gutting your marketing programs and budget wholesale. This means intentionally doing less marketing in places where your customers aren’t, or when you don’t have the ability to support a long-term effort, or if you are spreading your resources too thin. In 2016, focus on mastering one marketing  channel instead of several. You might aim to have the best podcast in your niche or the most useful blog. You might try to create the most vibrant community in your space. The point is to become indispensable to your audience in one specific area via a specific medium or channel.

2. Focus on subscribers