2021 Digital Marketing Checklist
Before we begin, let's all take a collective deep breath together.
Annnnd exhale.
We can all say bye, bye to what was officially the worst year in modern times. 2020 is well and truly buried and it's time to strut into 2021 like you know what's up.
While the majority of businesses in the hospitality and travel industries scrambled to pivot throughout the fast-changing landscape of 2020, it was certainly made clear that having a strong strategy backed with contingency plans and a trustworthy team is absolutely necessary as we move forward. Let's dive into the digital marketing checklist you should follow for a successful 2021:
❏ 1. Analyse Results
You may not have hit your goals for last year, which is okay. Remember.. we were all in the middle of a global pandemic. Before you begin to set your goals and objectives for this year, take the time to evaluate your results from 2020. Which platforms did you find your customers were more active on? What strategies had the best ROI? Did you generate more leads from one channel over another? What new technologies helped you navigate change? Analyse your results.
Deduce findings and conclusions.
Make a 2021 marketing plan.
❏ 2. Find New Opportunities
Did you find yourself having to quickly pivot and adopt any new technology last year? With restaurants and bars having to shut their doors to diners, we found many opting into new ordering and delivery technologies to help keep their business moving. What else can you do to streamline your process in 2021? What new social platforms could you investigate to draw in new customers?
❏ 3. Make Marketing Goals
We all know this one. Make sure your goals are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-based). Want to drive more organic traffic to your website? Grow your Instagram following by 20%? Launch a new website? Great. Write it down.
❏ 4. Optimise Your SEO
From technical SEO such as a users experience on your website, or how optimised your site is for mobile to voice and local search (eg: best pizza near me), it's worth optimising your brand's SEO strategy early on in the year. The first place you should start is your Google Business listing; are all details correct? have you adapted your dine-in and delivery times? Can you add more images? Are there Google reviews that haven't been replied to?
❏ 5. Create A Content Inventory
If we can take away one thing from 2020, it's that content is king. With more people finding themselves sitting around at home, digital consumption has skyrocketed as people look for ways to pass the time (best banana bread recipe, anyone?). Ensure you're always prepared for the unknown by starting to build up a bank of content. Can you film some Q&A sessions with your staff? What about how-to videos and images that you could also develop into written content? Start thinking about your content pillars and how much content is feasible for you to produce.
❏ 6. Build A Quarterly Content Schedule
With all this amazing content, you need to determine a consistent content schedule to share it effectively; whether it's on social media or your website. Think about what campaigns you can slot in throughout the year in-line with key dates. Plan days for interactive live streams on social, how-to videos, 'Ask Me Anything' days on Instagram. The list is endless. Consider using a content scheduling tool if you don't already use one. This will help automate your scheduling so you don't have to set a reminder to post that video while you're out for drinks on Monday night getting silly.
❏ 7. Pick The Right Team
Back yourself with experts that know this stuff better than you. Effective, results-driven digital marketing is not something that can be the last thought of your day. Pick a dedicated team to plan and execute this for you, so you can focus on running the rest of your business.
There's a-lot to do in 2021, but by reading this checklist you've already geared up for digital marketing success. If the above leaves you feeling overwhelmed, shoot us an email and we'll work with you to plan and deliver your 2021 marketing plan.