As autumn settles in, it's time to start thinking about next year's marketing strategy. This year was certainly unlike any year we could have anticipated. We can use some things we learned from this challenging year in preparation for 2021. 

Above all else, prepare for the unexpected. While we certainly hope the global pandemic is behind us next year, it's best to plan for continued unexpected changes as best you can. What does this look like in your marketing strategy? Consumers will likely still be shopping and doing research online still. This means you MUST have a strong digital presence. Is your website in tip top shape? Are you ranking well on Google? Do you have a social media plan in place?

If your website could use some work, think about the user experience. Is it easy to navigate? Is the most important information readily available? Is it fast to load? You can test your site speed with Google's Page Speed Insights Tool. Your website is likely the first place your potential customer will meet you. Make sure you have your best foot forward. 

If your search rankings are lower than you want, think about your overall SEO strategy. Does your content align with what your users are looking for? Do you have all your metadata up-to-date and accurate? Take some time to make sure you are buttoned up in this area. 

If you don't have a social media plan in place, start small and use a calendar to get organized. Quality posts are far more impfortant than poor quality, but more frequent posts. Think about what your consumers care about. Share interesting articles or facts that align with your business. Your audience will appreciate thoughtful posts. 

This year threw a lot of businesses' marketing strategies for a loop. Take some time to think about what you were doing before the pandemic. What worked? What didn't? What adjustments did you make during the pandemic that worked well and what didn't? As the year draws to a close, it is a good time to reflect on past results. Dive into the data and see what it's telling you. Ask yourself the tough questions about your marketing efforts and the results you got. The more you can answer your marketing questions through data, the more you can understand what worked and what didn't.