2020 has been a rollercoaster year full of changes and challenges. As we barrel through the holiday season toward the new year, now is the time to seize the opportunities ahead to make the most of 2021 for your business. Just like the millions of others setting intentions and resolutions for the new year – the promise of January gives us that extra boost of motivation and gets us into the right mindset to improve. To get started, here are a few steps to liven up your aftermarket brand to kick off a successful year.
Take a look back.
Run a full-scale, comprehensive, year-end marketing audit of your business. Analyze your website health, SEO, content, social media, online and offline marketing efforts, and revisit your targeted persona. What stands out? What’s working well and what’s wasting your time? These insights can help you refocus your strategy to meet your business goals in 2021.
Then look ahead.
Take note of trends and forecasts within the industry. The COVID 19 pandemic has largely shaped the way we do business over this last year. It has propelled e-commerce to the top, made online presence a necessity, shifted our priorities and rocked our economy. Demographics are evolving and so are the ways consumers shop and interact with businesses.
One trend to consider is mobile strategy, as a large factor driving auto parts e-commerce revenue is cross-device conversions. It’s common for shoppers to visit a website multiple times over several days or weeks, using multiple devices (computer, tablets, phones, etc.), researching products and comparing prices. The mobile phone is often the last device used to check out and make the purchase.
Try something new.
Now is a great time for a fresh start! Go big and build a new website or launch a new product or service. Study those new trends and learn how to incorporate them into your strategy. Leverage new tactics and explore new marketing channels. Try out a new social media platform, look for new sponsorship opportunities or consider a partnership with a new brand ambassador or influencer.
Polish the old.
You don’t necessarily need a drastic rebrand to liven things up. Take what you have and refine it. Instead of building a whole new website, try out a new layout or update your graphics. New color, font or imagery can breathe new life into your webpage. Invest in high quality visual content and schedule a photo session to update your pages with new images.
A logo redesign is another simple, affordable change that can make a big impact. Update your signage and displays in your brick and mortar stores or freshen up your marketing materials with new brochures, flyers or business cards. Instead of launching a new product or service, repackage and restructure your current offerings. Experiment with your pricing; offer some new discounts, special offers, new member incentives, or customer loyalty programs.
Start strong, stay strong.
Go into 2021 with a plan. Revisit your goals and plan out your strategy to support them. Create a workable spreadsheet to schedule your print and digital media, events, promotions, content strategy, and allocate budgets – but leave wiggle room. If we’ve learned anything from the last year, it’s that things can change fast. It’s important to be flexible, but make sure to set yourself up for success.
2020 has presented many hardships, but also new opportunities for growth. Fortunately, the automotive aftermarket has proven historically recession-proof and is anticipated to continue growing despite the pandemic. Digital influence and e-commerce are just a few of the many of the changes implemented while adapting to this “new normal” that are here to stay. As we head into 2021, it’s a great time to take advantage of that new year’s motivation to embrace change, review and reset for a successful new year.
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