9 Clouds’ Digital Advice Checklist
New Year’s resolutions are kind of trash.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about goal setting and development — but waiting until the new year to make a change is usually ineffective. Only about 9% of people actually achieve that resolution they set out to achieve.
We do have some digital advice for you, but let’s not call them digital resolutions. We actually want you to get these changes done and not let it fall by the wayside in February like all of our gym memberships.
None of our advice to improve your marketing requires a massive investment of time or money. We understand most businesses don’t have a surplus of either.
Instead, these are small improvements you can make to incrementally increase your marketing success throughout the year.
So here is a checklist of digital must-dos and advice — from our team to yours.
✅ Get Set Up in GA4
If you only do one thing on this list of definitely-not resolutions, please make sure GA4 is set up.
Although the deadline for the sunset of Universal Analytics (GA3) was a bit of a moving target, it officially stopped collecting data as of July 1, 2024 .
If it’s not done already, make sure you get the GA4 tag installed and goals defined right away in the new year. Launching GA4 now will give you historical data to use in reporting, making the switch less of a headache for your business.
And you’re in luck, because 9 Clouds is offering to take care of it all for you with our GA4 Setup Package.
✅ Track Your Success
Speaking of reporting, another piece of advice from our team is to actually do it! Reporting even the most basic stats will give you data to make better decisions in the future.
There’s truly no point in marketing without reporting the results. Without the data, you have no idea what — if anything — is working, and finding out what doesn’t work is just as important as knowing what does.
✅ Utilize Google Business Profile
Gone are the days when people call a business to check hours. Instead, people search your business online and check to see if you’re open.
You might think that Google pulls this information automatically, but you control the hours that show up for your business. You can update them in your Google Business Profile — and you can update your profile with special hours when you’re closed for holidays or special events.
If you are a local restaurant and you’re going to be closed on a Tuesday night for a private party, set special hours to let people know that you’ll be closed.
✅ A/B Test and Adjust Based on Results
Don’t be afraid to test your assumptions.
A/B testing is an informative way to learn more about how consumers interact with your content. When data shows you what is working best for your customers, you can adapt your strategies based on those results.
These results can change over time and with platform updates, which means A/B testing should be on your radar throughout the year. As you analyze the results, use your Google Analytics data to measure the test’s success.
✅ Put Together a Process
Say you win the lottery (or in a more macabre example, get hit by a bus). Does everyone on your team know how to pick up where you left off?
Although process is probably the least sexy part of business, it’s one of the most important. Develop naming conventions and easy access to the projects and accounts your team uses most.
This will save you time and stress when your marketing manager wins the Mega Millions.
✅ Listen to Your CTO
If there’s anything less exciting than process, it’s probably digital security. You absolutely must be mindful of security best practices.
After all, you’re not just responsible for yourself or your team, but your leads and customers, as well. Make sure your whole team uses a password manager and implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) everywhere possible.
✅ Focus Your Energy
Everyone is busy, and there are only so many hours in the day. This means you can’t jump on every marketing trend and expect to see instant results.
We’d recommend focusing your energy on the platforms and content you have time for. A strong marketing foundation will be more effective than thin, intermittent content.
We’ve discussed this a lot on our blog, and whether you call it low-hanging fruit or the ice cream in your sundae, those foundational platforms are worth more of your energy than the flash-in-the-pan trends.
✅ Prepare for Change
When asking our team for their individual advice, one particular answer stuck out.
“Don’t be afraid of something new. Embrace the unknown.”
Tyrel Finck
This is possibly some of the best advice anyone can give about digital marketing. All learning is lifelong, but things move especially quick in the digital space. Don’t be intimidated by something new or something you don’t know much about (yet).
There are a lot of resources out there — including the resources on our own site — that can help you learn and grow your business with digital marketing.
Check Finding an Agency Off Your List
If you need help finding direction or the time to implement these changes, let us help. We’re very good at helping our clients achieve their goals.
Start with our free digital marketing assessment. We’ll help you identify opportunities for your business to grow with digital marketing in 2024 and beyond.
set yourself up for success in the new year
