Did you know that some 80% of New Year’s resolutions never see the light of February? That’s because they tend to be a bit abstract.
It’s great to set big goals, but you need to define concrete steps that’ll help you reach them.
Making a list of what you want to do this year and breaking it down into achievable tasks is a great way to set up your business for success. And we’re here to get you started.
While we can’t help you exercise more, abandon a bad habit, or finally learn to play the drums, we can help you make the most out of MailChimp.
Here’s your 10-point to-do list for 2018.
Goal: Keep the conversation going
You need to get the right message to the right people at the right moment, and our marketing automation tools let you do just that.
1. Say hello to new customers with an automated welcome series.
Tip: Henry’s House of Coffee sends a welcome series to tell their story and share fun coffee facts with new subscribers. “My thinking is that once customers know us, it’s easier to make a sale,” says co-owner Hrag Kalebjian.
2. Show your best customers how much you appreciate them with special offers like discounts or a sneak peek at new products.
Tip: For Cheese Grotto, our best customers automation makes it easy to send monthly deals to members of their exclusive customer program.
Goal: Take repetitive tasks off your plate
3. Follow up on purchases, request feedback, and build community with your customers.
Tip: Oui Shave uses automation to follow up on purchases and request customer feedback that helps them improve their product.
4. Customize order notifications to match your brand for a seamless customer service experience.
Tip: Cynthia Rybakoff incorporates fonts and colors from her website into her notifications, since that’s what her followers are familiar with. “It certainly makes my business look more polished and professional,” Cynthia says, “but it has also improved the quality of information I give to my customers.”
5. Combine abandoned cart and product recommendations to capture even more sales.
Tip: Drop a product recommendations block at the bottom of an abandoned cart email to show your customers other stuff they might want to buy after they complete the transaction you’re reminding them about. That’s a powerful duo.
Goal: Put your best digital foot forward
With all the hours using automation adds back to your day, you can start to focus on other things you always wish you had more time for.
6. Optimize SEO for your website to get more traffic.
Tip: If you’re looking to start with a small change that has a big impact, work on creating useful, high-quality content that will increase the level of confidence search engines have for your site.
7. Keep your social content sharp all year round.
Tip: Photos with people in them not only help humanize your brand, but they also perform well on social platforms like Instagram.
Goal: Try new things
Change is hard, but it can also be meaningful. There’s no time like the new year to switch things up, and we’ve got a few things we think you should try.
8. Get important insights about your customers with Google Analytics, a free tool that lets you add tracking tags to your website. Then, use that data to determine what’s driving your web traffic, so you can run a Google remarketing ad to bring back people who leave your site.
Tip: Use retargeting ads to showcase bestsellers, new collections, or slow-moving inventory to folks who have expressed interest in your brand.
9. Grow your audience and sell more stuff with Facebook and Instagram ads. Social advertising is a smart, easy way to get your brand in front of a wider audience, and with MailChimp you have the power of your list to help you out.
Tip: Take advantage of our different targeting options to reach your current customers, find new people a lot like the ones who already love you, or grab the attention of an audience with interests you define.
10. Build customer loyalty and increase profits with our new landing pages. Unlike the homepage of your website, landing pages are designed to help you accomplish a short-term goal by giving people a clear call-to-action.
Tip: With landing pages, the possibilities are endless: promote a presale, run a giveaway, highlight a special promotion, offer a free download, and more.
Feel free to make this list your own. Choose your priorities, rearrange the order, or turn it into your own organized chaos. And if something doesn’t work out, don’t stress too much about it. You’ve got 363 days to start fresh.