Why Your 2021 Marketing Plan Could Be the Most Important Ever

It’s safe to say that 2020 has been a challenging year for businesses. Some have been able to find a way to prosper, but even they’ve faced the challenge that they’ve had to use imagination and flexibility to find ways around the difficulties.

There are hopeful signs that next year could be a little easier, but that doesn’t mean business owners can relax or coast. In fact, your planning for 2021 could be crucial for the future of your business.

2020 and 2021

Judging by the news, 2020 has all but destroyed business. Every day, we seem to hear of another household name going into administration, with the expectation of more to follow.

This isn’t the whole picture, however, especially where small businesses are concerned. They are by nature far more flexible and manoeuvrable than the giants and, while there have certainly been casualties, many SMEs are poised to take advantage of the upturn when it comes next year.

The Challenge Next Year

When things start to improve in 2021, there will be business for those willing to get it. Some of your competitors may have gone under by then, and there are also likely to be unexpected openings to meet whatever the situation might be by then. The meteoric rise of Zoom this year shows how having the right service at the right time can lead to success.

However, being in the right place at the right time usually takes a lot of work. For each of your competitors that has gone under, there’ll be many more that have survived. In addition, a proportion of the workers being made redundant from the corporate world will have turned their backs on the labour market and started their own businesses.

All these will be actively going after the same business as you. In the end, the success is likely to go to those have planned well.

Your 2021 Marketing Plan

Your marketing plan for 2021 will obviously depend on your sector and where you’re positioned in it, but the general approach is likely to be universal:

• Identify your strengths — and remember these won’t necessarily be the same strengths you identified at the beginning of 2020.
• Identify who your ideal client is — and remember that, if your answer is “anyone”, you’re actually saying “no-one”.
• Identify what you can offer them and how that differs from your competitors.
• Find as many of those ideal clients as possible. Some of this may be done via networking or going back through your contacts, but you also need a strategy for getting in touch with new prospects.

If you’re having difficulties with this last stage, of getting in touch with new prospects, perhaps The Resource Centre could help. Drop me a line to find out more.

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