We’re in the last quarter of the year and before you know it, it’s 2023. Christmas is around the corner, but I encourage you to think further ahead. If you want your business to move to new levels in the new year, start working on your 2023 plans now. Each year, trends shift to accommodate new purchasing behaviour due mostly to technology, so if you keep doing things the same way you will get the same result. The saying says ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it’ but consider that even if it’s not broke, you want to maintain it or you may even want to grow. Don’t rely on the same assumptions and expectations. Consider these planning techniques:

Plan through the lens of the customer- If you don’t interact or speak with customers, you lose the opportunity to deeply understand and connect with them. As you head into 2023, ensure that your brand has updated customer insights. Go beyond customer satisfaction surveys and even your digital analytics. Dig deeper to be informed about how consumers perceive the experiences with your brand and what’s influencing their buying decision. Invite your customers to co-create ideas and plan for your brand e.g., let’s say you intend to launch your website in 2023; have any of your intended customers seen the website? Do you know what they would like to see on the website? Before you even launch the site, a focus group consisting of some of your customers should review the site. Therefore, plan to have a focus group to review the website, plan how you will tie that into a marketing initiative, plan how you will persuade people to visit the website. Do you know what questions customers will have about your product/service/industry? What do they really want to read about? As you consider 2023 content ideas, also do your SEO search so you choose keywords that will get your content found in the right searches.

Plan through your team – I often preach cross promotion and collaboration; one of your key stakeholders is your team or your employees. Your team is knowledgeable and can contribute their views- they are the ones that interact with the customers, they know the products and services. If they are involved, they will readily buy into the plan and execute – after all, they are instrumental in the delivery.

Seek new ways of reaching your customer – I highly recommend you consider working with influencers. Influencers are not just for big brands. Consider a micro-influencer, someone with a following 1k to 100k on a social media platform. Amazing things can happen when an influencer posts about a subject matter related to your business and has a connection with your target audience.

Plan different marketing strategies – Have you considered mobile marketing as yet or do you think that’s for the ‘big boys’? With so many people owning a smartphone and people embracing the notion of purchasing using their device, mobile marketing should be on your to-do list for 2023. This can take the form of an app, text message blasts or instant messenger marketing. The possibilities are endless!

Candice Sealey is the Founder & Principal Consultant at Ignite! a Full-service Marketing & PR Consultancy that helps businesses/brands to stand out and communicate the right message to the right people through Strategy, Marketing, Media services and Design solutions. She is also a freelance content writer, advertising copywriter, voiceover talent, media. Follow us on FB & IG @igniteresults Follow us on FB & IG @igniteresults Phone:784-432-2223 Email: igniteresults@gmail.com