So what can you expect for the world of marketing in 2014? Unpredictability. There’s no such thing as a sure thing when it comes to business, so creating an accurate forecast of the next year is impossible. After all, who saw Snapchat’s crazy rise to success coming in 2013? There’s no way to determine what The Next Big Thing will be, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be anxious and unprepared.
The only thing you can count on is yourself, so gearing up for the rest of the year will allow you to navigate the changes that lie ahead. Here are some ways to develop maximum marketing adaptability:
Get your ducks in a row.
You won’t be able to keep up with changing situations and trends if you don’t have a clear idea of what you’ve done in the past. What channels or campaigns have worked best? Do you have a system of tracking customer behavior? By organizing a history of your marketing efforts, you’ll be able to identify what will (and won’t) be effective in the future.
Identify the story that you’re trying to tell with your brand.
By now you might have an established narrative, but make sure that the storytelling concept is fully concrete. Outlining what your brand is and isn’t will allow you to make easy decisions when new trends and platforms emerge.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Perhaps in two months, an exciting new social media platform will become all the rage. Don’t hesitate to check out what the buzz is all about, but don’t feel like you have to invest all your time in energy in the latest social media fad. If its capabilities and reach align with your brand’s goals, then jump right in. But also know that there’s no point in letting something new (and not fully established) detract from your other marketing efforts.
Have different team plans in place.
As different options and campaigns come up, make sure you have different teams and team members who can handle various tasks. Marketing is reliant on timeliness, so you don’t want to waste any time trying to figure out who can do what. By appointing roles ahead of time (and knowing that flexibility will be required) you’ll be able to tackle issues and opportunities as soon as they arise.
