8 Important Marketing Reflection Questions to Answer
The beginning of a new year is a time of reflection for most marketers. Whether you’re looking at building a brand new strategy or you’re just looking to build on your existing foundations, it’s good to look at where we’ve come from and how that can help us to grow.
In this article, we’re going to be discussing 10 reflection questions you can use to see more clearly where your marketing strategy is working optimally and where it could do with some improvements. Let’s dive straight into it.
1. What were you doing this time last year?
The best way to learn what needs changing, is to review what you’ve already done.What were you doing this time last year in regards to your marketing? If things look the same as this time last year, is it time to push the marketing techniques you’re using and look for more innovative methods?
2. What inspired you last year?
What did you see others in your space or any industry do that inspired you? What marketing campaigns made you laugh or grabbed your attention? Creativity can often be inspired by the works of others. Whilst you wouldn’t want to copy anyone else's work - it’s good to see what inspires you and innovate from there.
3. What content did your target audience consume most of last year?
If you can carry out your own research on the types of content that your audience consumed most of - do it! Ask your audience in a questionnaire or you can look at key metrics like engagement and click-through rate on your past content to see what worked best.
4. What worked best last year?
Out of all the marketing campaigns and methods that you used last year - what worked best? You can use that information to build more innovative techniques on a solid foundation backed by the data. More than just use your marketing campaign, what new features of your product or service were well received last year? How can you use that knowledge to forecast what future services you might need to offer?
5. What are your objectives for next year?
The next thing to consider will be from everything you’ve achieved in the last year, what areas of your business do you want to focus on driving forward? Some examples of objectives include:
- Update your brand’s visual identity
- Increase Brand awareness
- Increase revenue by x%
- Decrease churn rate by x%
- Start a podcast
- Dedicate more resource to social media, or another marketing channel
Outlining clear goals at the beginning of the year is important to help keep your team united and ready to work to that common goal throughout the year. It helps you to make more qualified decisions that move you in the right direction.
6. Do you have the resources you need to achieve your objectives?
Thinking carefully about what steps you'll need to take to achieve your objectives for the year gives you the chance to also consider exactly what resources and tools you'll need. Do you need more copywriting support? More design support? Forecasting areas you'll need additional support in the future helps you to avoid any bottlenecks that slow down progress in the year.
7. What mistakes do you want to avoid this year?
Mistakes are part of the journey in marketing, so whilst you don't need to feel too down about any you made over the course of last year, it's good to think about what you can learn. What went wrong last year and how can you make sure to avoid that happening again this year?
8. Where would you like to improve your skills?
Which areas of marketing do you recognise as places for improvement? Where would you like to improve your knowledge? Once you know these things, make a list of goals and make sure to set time aside to work on your own skill development.
