Content Marketing Strategies Begin with Planning

It's the holiday season, and it seems like everyone is busy personally and professionally. It's so easy to get so focused on knocking out your to-do list that you forget to step back and make sure you have your bases covered. I've seen this frantic mindset wreak havoc in many of my clients' marketing programs, so I figured it was worth throwing out a warning flare to the rest of you.

Before you hammer out the specs of your next hip social widget, before you start "red-lining" the latest proposal from your extrenal writing firm, before you kick-off your last holiday marketing initiative, STOP and make sure everything supports your overall marketing plan. How will this initiative impact your measureable goals? If you have a hard time answering that question, you should probably change your initiative.
 
Here are a few quick tips to ensuring that you don't wake up in 2012 without feeling great about how you ended 2011:

1. Set measureable goals for your initiative BEFORE you define what the initiative will include
2. Ensure that you have the proper technology and protocols in place to track your measureable goals.  Otherwise, they are just goals...not measureable goals.
3. Make sure everyone on your team (external and internal) is aware of your goals so decisions are made with the bottom line in mind.
4. Iterate: no plan is perfect from the outset.  Track as you go and make adjustments to make the most of your investment.

Have a great process for keeping your marketing campaigns in check? Share with the rest of us by leaving your tips in the comments!