What's in your marketing plan for 2012?

Start the new year with a solid approach to your marketing! Below are some tips on what you should look at for 2012.

1. Improve the way you handle customer feedback

Analysis from more than 400 entrants in the 2010 Telstra Business Awards suggests it's worth taking customer feedback seriously. It found that 79% of entrants could identify their best customers and that 64% of Australian businesses frequently seek feedback from customers.

Set up a complaints handling process and make sure your staff are well versed in it.

And most importantly, don't forget to answer any negative reviews on Tripadvisor!  According to PhoCusWright, 87% of travellers found guest reviews from people they didn't know influential in their travel decision. Research also shows that online reviews are second only to personal advice from a friend as the driver of purchase decisions.

2. Become the thought leader in your industry
Customers buy brands they trust and one way to build trust is to become a thought header in your industry. Send out a regular newsletter to your customers with interesting news articles, let your customers download a whitepaper or set up a blog.

3. Get on social media
Social media is a great way for you to engage with current and potential customers - and it's free. But before you get into Facebook and Twitter, make sure you have a solid social media strategy. For example, how often will you be updating your posts? What will you post? It's all about trying to find ways to communicate with your customers and add value to their lives.

4. Get a professional website
First impressions count, so make sure that your website looks professional with high resolution photos, there are no spelling errors and it's easy to read and navigate. Make sure you update your site regularly to encourage repeat visits and improve Google rankings. And Remember, it's important that you have original and quality content on the site - and Google will reward you for this.

Speak to a web design company to design a website that is user-friendly and  SEO friendly.


5. Create a loyalty program
Securing a loyal following is not easy, but it can be worthwhile. It is around five times more expensive to find a new customer, than it is to keep a current customer. A loyalty program could include offering your customers discounts, freebies, invites to VIP nights, or a buy one get one free offer. What you decide will depend on what your customers will value the most.

A loyalty program also gives you a great opportunity to capture valuable data about your customers, so you can send them more targeted marketing messages, for example, birthday, hobbies, interests, wedding anniversary etc.