It is that time of year again, when companies need to look back on the past year and analyze what worked and what didn’t. Then the dreaded year planning. The longer you put it off, the more it will haunt you. It does serve a purpose after all.

We at 834 enjoy the planning, in fact we relish in it. Yes, that makes us a bit odd but we love the thrill of  compiling goals, generating reports, brainstorming world domination…you know the basics.

You owe it to your employees to begin planning, start basic.

Public Relations:
How do you want the public to perceive your company? Have you thought about messaging, media relations, public relations, speaking opportunities, social media, event planning, story cultivation, media training? What about board opportunities to strengthen community involvement and grow awareness through networking?

Marketing:
How are those marketing materials treating you? Print too many on your last run? A little outdated, still think you should use them all? Perhaps your customers won’t notice the typo.

Got a plan to grow the client base? Does it feed into your sales funnel? Have you rethought your strategy to reflect your business development goals? Are you sure your audience is the same?

Social Media:
Does it still scare you? Well it should, if you’re not participating. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn – oh my! Stop procrastinating, get on board.

Training:
Keep your staff motivated in 2010. Odd how motivation can lead to productivity. By investing in your people, you are saying yes to your greatest asset.

Schedule time to begin planning now, 2010 can only be better than 2009 if your prepared.

With 2010 knocking on your door it’ll be here before you know it.  Hope you are all well into your planning, but in case you’re not, couple things to think about.

• What worked in 2009?  What didn’t?  Why?
• How does your brand stand?  Do your brand assets clearly identify with who you are and where you’re going?
• What does your strategy look like? Have you outlined your markets, target audiences, operating plan, market trends and communications strategy/tactics?
• How does that strategy tie into your sales strategy?  Are you helping sales accomplish their goals by your marketing programs?  Are you communicating through the entire sales cycle your brand and clear messaging, along with the customer buying patterns considered?

All of these things are critical for a successful marketing communications plan and should not be taken lightly.  If you’ve started planning or are nearly complete, excellent.  If not, you’re a bit behind on things so it’s time to get going.