Steal These 5 Strategies To Build Your 2022 Marketing Plan

What’s your 2022 marketing strategy?

At Idea Decanter, December is when we write it down. For us, it starts with high-level bullet points of what we want to accomplish. Then, we use performance metrics to create a list of tactical changes we’re making to our 2021 strategy. Finally, we plug story ideas into a content calendar and build it into our project management system so it gets done because we have learned the hard way that if we don’t put together a plan, it’s never going to happen! Did you know …

“You are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. ~ Dr. Gail Matthews, Dominican University of California

5 IDEAS TO SPARK YOUR STRATEGY 

You can get a lot of great ideas for your business at conferences, but thanks to COVID, those in-person immersive experiences have been few and far between. It wasn’t until September that Idea Decanter hit the conference circuit again. While it gave us a chance to present, we also got to sit in on some great sessions where we scribbled down the best ideas.

Here are 5 we’re using in 2022 that you can steal, too:

#1 DR. BEN SORENSEN’S SMALL CHANGES

Dr. Ben Sorensen, a leadership trainer and executive coach (and likely a fan of golf), had a great story about Brandt Snedeker. On the 2020 PGA Tour Money List, Brandt was #100. At the top of the list, Justin Thomas held the #1 spot.

Translate that to earnings and Brandt was bringing home $1M while Justin was raking in $7M. Yet, there was a .06 difference stroke per hole between the two players.

Ben’s advice: Look for your .06 of a stroke. How can you change small things to make a big difference?

#2 MATTHEW JACKSON’S WORDS WITH POWER

Matthew Jackson of 401(k) Maneuver led a session on influencing your prospects with non-verbal communication. He explained that researchers found 12 words that activate your reptilian brain and make messages more memorable.

How can you start using these words in conversations in meetings, emails and videos? Try printing out this list and keeping it handy:

#3 MATTHEW JACKSON’S COMMUNICATING WITH COLOR

When you stand in the closet in the morning choosing what to wear, are you thinking about psychology? Matthew earned two spots on our top 5 ideas list because we were intrigued by the research he shared on color.

  • Blue builds trust.

  • Dove gray resonates with people who are high net worth.

  • Hunter green is soothing.

  • Do not wear black, purple, or yellow … they send the wrong message!

Want to take those color tips to the next level when you’re picking an outfit for your video shoot? Check out this video for more on the best on-cam wardrobe choices.

#4 JEANNE FISHER’S LINKEDIN LESSON

I had the chance to moderate the “What’s Your Social Media Strategy?” panel that featured Jeanne Fisher of Strategic Retirement Partners, and it was like being on a social media bullet train. The session at Advisor2X’s Wealth@wor(k) conference was packed with social media secrets. Jeanne, who has 8k+ followers on her social platforms (the last time I checked), shared some great insider tips.

One of her secrets to getting results on LinkedIn … post & close. So, the next time you share content (like a video!) on LinkedIn, leave the platform. And don’t immediately respond to all the comments. Then, the next time you’re about to post content, first go to your old post and RESPOND to those comments. After that, post your new content. The algorithm will show your new post to more people and give you more organic reach!

As a bonus from Jeanne: remember to take time during the week to post thoughtful comments on other people’s content. Social media is about community building, so you have to be engaged if you want it to work for you.

#5 JAKE RUSHTON’S CONTENT HACK

Jake Rushton of 401(k)lub also lobbed plenty of social media tricks at the audience during our “What’s Your Social Media Strategy?” session in Nashville. This dude is on Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn … in short, he gets attention from the masses.

Jake says the biggest mistake you can make is getting stuck before you ever really get going. “What’s stopping you from creating content?” he asked the audience. If it’s editing, find an easier way to get that done (Jake uses an app on his phone). If it’s perfection, just get over it. Here’s more from him (and me) on that …

These 5 simple strategies can help get you inspired and help make your 2022 plan more effective. Who doesn’t want tricks that make things work better? And if you’re looking for an easy button for creating videos, be sure to check out Idea Kit.

Related: Newsletter Best Practices for Financial Advisors