Now that the craziness of the holidays is behind us and we’re looking at 2018 with fresh eyes, it’s time to make our New Year’s Resolution recommendations for marketing, if you will. But rather than say, “I’ll focus more on social media for my company,” or,” this will be the year I refresh my logo,” consider what you should STOP doing in 2018 to help your marketing. We went through the Kolbeco office and asked all our team members to think about one or two things they wish companies would stop doing in 2018 that would make the world (and more specifically, their marketing) better. Let’s dive on in!

Stop ignoring your analytics data

Google Analytics is possibly one of the most powerful yet underutilized services for your website out there. Just because it’s free doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Often because it provides so much data it can seem overwhelming to look into and manage, but the insights you gain from doing so, or having your agency do so, can make a huge positive impact for your marketing efforts.

Stop Snapchat, start Instagram Stories

Last year Snapchat was the hot social media platform and people were majorly hopping on the bandwagon. Stories are great and a fun way to help humanize your brand (showcase your employees and behind the scenes) in a quick, fun video. But Snapchat isn’t necessarily the best platform for that anymore! Instagram is a great place to not only share photos and build an audience, but Instagram stories are now better than ever, and will kick Snapchat to the curb. Snapchat can go back to the middle school girls with puppy ears, bring your business stories to Instagram instead.

Stop assuming your online tools won’t change

Twitter recently announced and released longer Tweets, and it’s speculated that this is their last-ditch effort to resurrect their brand. This is a good step and is helpful in the short term, but don’t put all your eggs in the Twitter basket. Outlets like Twitter may seem like an unmovable staple in your social media presence, but the reality is that everything is evolving faster than we would care to admit, and it’s important to stay on top of all the latest changes.

Stop trying to trick people with gimmicks- “Sales, Click Bait, etc.”

Your audience is smart; don’t insult them with bait and switch tactics! Be honest and respectful and it will pay off. This one is short, simple and to the point.

Stop double-spacing posts

You’ve seen it on social media before, a couple leading sentences and a “Read More” link to read a couple of more sentences that would have easily fit into a post with no “Read More” necessary. Tactics like this to force your audience into unnecessary clicks that don’t provide anything useful for you or them. If you have something concise to say, say it. If you really want people to click “Read More”, write more content to read.

Stop siloing your marketing

Gone are the days of PR, social media, and web departments operating independently of each other. The various departments of your company need to work together to be effective in today’s market, so don’t let artificial walls keep them apart.

Stop using LinkedIn like Facebook

Memes and funny videos have a time and place, but Linkedin is not the proper platform. Sharing photos of your kids? Keep that to Instagram. Found a great salmon recipe? Share it on Facebook. Your Linkedin Connections will thank you.

Stop sponsored email on LinkedIn

Getting content out to wider audiences may seem like a great idea, but using sponsored emails on LinkedIn often comes across as spam and may cause potential audiences to lose confidence in your brand, or simply annoy them away.

Stop viewing your digital presence as static

Just because you have a website setup doesn’t mean your work online is done. It’s important to be active online to engage your clients and show potential clients that you are trustworthy and will provide quality service. Posting new content regularly on your site will also improve your search ranking online.

Stop using your content like ads, provide real content

Ads are important, they get people to your content, so when they get there, they shouldn’t find more ads disguised as content. People want to be able to take away something meaningful from your content, whether it is useful information, discounts, or a personal element to invest them into your brand. Give people a reason to want to buy from you or use your service. Prove that you have something valuable to offer.

Stop viewing social media as more important than your website

Yes, social media is important and a great way to get your message in front of you audience quickly, but don’t forget about your website! YOU own your website, it will always be yours, but you don’t own Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Linkedin. What if Facebook decided to close up shop tomorrow and delete all profiles? You would lose all that content, your connections and photos, but if you have a website, you still have your property. Your social media accounts are a great way to send people to your website, don’t forget that!

We know that’s a long list, but we had a lot of thoughts and of course wanted to share them with you! What are your 2018 New Year’s Resolutions for your Marketing, and do you plan to integrate any of these suggestions? We wish you the best of luck in 2018, this is YOUR year!