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So you haven't created a 2020 digital marketing strategy yet? Never fear...we've got your back!

Here are five things you should keep in mind as you're developing your strategic plan for 2020:

1. Keep it simple. Don't have time to create a full strategic plan that includes all digital marketing tactics you need to implement this year? Start small and create a high-level summary.
2. Set goals. You absolutely must have clear, measurable and specific goals in mind as you head into the new year. Think about what your primary goals are for 2020...do you need more traffic, better leads or higher conversions (i.e. more customers)? Document those goals, including progress you plan to make by month or quarter.
   

Digital marketing is a proven, strategic way you and your brand can stand out from the competition. It’s also something that changes regularly, so you need to do what you can to keep up with industry best-practices.

Didn’t have time to read all the great digital marketing news that came out last week? Have no fear, the Flair weekly roundup is here! 

The top 10 digital marketing tools for 2020 (KnowTechie)
What are your favorite tools to help you manage your digital marketing efforts? KnowTechie breaks down their faves. Can you guess which Flair already uses? (HINT: there are seven)...

If you're into inbound marketing even just a little bit, you should know the name Tom Fishburne. Founder and CEO of Marketoonist, which parodies the world of marketing in the form of comics, Tom delights with his creative take on various marketing ideologies and subtopics.

But of my many favorite Fishburne-isms, it's something he says in a recent CustomerThink interview that rings truest of all for me:

"The best marketing doesn't feel like marketing"

I couldn't agree more. In a world of research-at-our-fingertips and Google-searches-galore, consumers are savvier than ever. In-authenticity reeks, and brands that aren't true to their mission (or those who haven't taken the time to explore what their mission actually is) are going to have an increasingly harder time finding marketing that works.

Worse? Those same savvy consumers are also unforgiving. Making the wrong move with your inbound strategy could just mean the death of your brand. Don't get me wrong, we all make honest mistakes, and the brands who make them (and get caught), if they're smart, will own up and charge forward. But the brands who think they can scheme their way into the hearts and wallets of their consumers are in for a rude awakening. 

Marketing, inbound marketing, is about taking the time to:

• Understand your audience
• Think about how you can help them
• Figure out what problem you'll solve
• Create content that speaks to them
• Publish on a dependable schedule 

So often, as content marketers and online digital strategists, we see the same thing in our clients. Fear.

Despite what they may say the reason is for not biting the proverbial bullet and taking the reins on their digital presence, more often than not, it’s the result of one little thing: fear of charging the unknown.

You just finished tweaking your marketing project plan with the latest timelines. You’ve reconciled your budget for the month. You’ve completed all of your web updates for the week. And you’ve updated the marketing report card for your newest campaign.

It’s time for a walk outside. Maybe even have a latte. Or so you think. Just before you breathe in a sigh of restful relief, your all-too-familiar Outlook reminder pops up. You have 15 minutes before your next meeting. Break’s over.

Everyone reading this can relate. It isn’t a unique problem, as demonstrated by this hilarious video by Tripp and Tyler:

According to HubSpot, companies who invest in inbound marketing are FOUR TIMES more likely to be effective. Most of us would love to get results that are four times better than what we're getting right now!

Do you have an effective inbound marketing strategy in place?

If not, we can help you build one. In two weeks, we'll work with you to:

• Audit your current marketing strategy
• Compare your web rankings to your competitors
• Identify and develop buyer profiles and approaches
• Bridge the gap with marketing tactics and channels
• Optimize your platforms for inbound marketing
• Design a marketing plan that yields results

Improve your marketing effectiveness through inbound marketing with our Inbound Marketing Game Plan package. Click on the buttons below to download the "ABCs of Inbound Marketing" ebook or to get a free, no-obligation Inbound Marketing Game Plan quote:

Clamoring for new ideas to apply to your content marketing strategy? Get helpful content marketing insights from February's top five infographics:

 No matter where you land on the marketing spectrum, these helpful infographics will give you some bold new ideas for your 2017 projects and plans:

If Collette, the CMO of a leading ERP software company, opened up a meeting with, “We’re not getting a lot of traffic on social media. I don’t think it’s necessary to maintain a presence anymore,” more than likely she’ll be laughed out of the meeting (at best). At worst, she’ll be packing up her desk.

Social media has made its mark as a viable marketing channel, and it’s not going anywhere any time soon. And for good reason…it works when executed in the right way.

But all too often, businesses set up their profiles and, after a few months, throw their hands in the air when they don’t instantly see a return on their efforts and investments. Having a social media presence simply becomes one of those "marketing things” that gets a checkmark on the list with very little strategy or structure behind it. Companies who don't wrap strategy around their social media profiles will undoubtedly see it less as a lead generator and more as a resource drain.

So how does Collette get the traffic she needs to meet her top-of-the-funnel goals?

You have some ideas. You want to share them. They seem interesting to you. You think others will be interested as well.

So you write and post a few blogs. And…crickets.

Why aren’t your blogs getting the red carpet treatment you thought they would? Well we at Flair Interactive gave you some potential reasons why in our #TBT April 2015 blog post, Why Aren’t my Blog Posts Generating Any Traffic? We offered some insights on how to set your blogs up for success.

Now, we’re sure you’ve since applied some of our tips to your overall approach and you’re now topping the ‘best bloggers of 2016’ list. In the event you’re not, or you’re just looking to hold that steady crown for 2017, here are a few more tips to get your blogs the recognition they deserve: