After all the over-indulgence at Christmas, no doubt you are ready for a health kick, but have you thought about giving your business a detox too?

Here’s what I’m thinking… so many businesses get stuck doing the same old marketing year in year out, because either:

1. They don’t know there’s other stuff out there to try

2. They are scared to change from the norm

3. They have no idea where to start

So while I’m all for “if it ain’t broke don’t try and fix it” sometimes looking at things with a fresh pair of eyes can bring up all wonder of alternatives.

Here’s my top 5 tips for a marketing detox for the new year:

1. Look at where your sales are coming from

   Could you expand or invest more in these areas. For example if you get lots of business from a local directory, could you also advertise with them online, do they have a sister publication in an area you could also cover?

2. Look at those areas where you are not getting sales
   Do you advertise in the same publication every year and yet never see a single sale – why do you keep going? If you’re not sure what the publication sends your way refresh your advert this year with a small offer and a special code so you can track and if you don’t hear the phone ring – it might be time to move on to something new.

3. Update your website
   Have you added more services, or changed the way you do things? Have you expanded your team or geographical area? Make sure everything you are doing in the real world is also shown in the online world. This will help give you more content for social media.

4. Ask opinions
   If you’re bored of the same old marketing going out the door, perhaps it’s time to get a second opinion? Ask someone else in the business or perhaps a friend down the pub or better still a customer, you’ll be amazed at the insight you might get and the new ideas it might spark.

5. Try something new
   Why not give something new a try? Ever emailed your customers? Have your tried social media? Have you thought about radio advertising? Why not give something new a try, but remember to monitor and record results to see if it works.

If you’d like some help with new marketing ideas or you’d like to review what you did last year with an expert, we’d love to help.