How to use your metrics from 2019 to make 2020 your most successful year yet
Looking back at the goals you achieved and reflecting on your shortcomings will help you continue to grow and navigate your future efforts. At Yakkety Yak, this means studying the data, planning ahead, and establishing clear objectives with our clients.
Here are a few steps to point you in the right direction so you can make sure the next decade is one to remember.
Analyze 365 Days of Data
We keep our clients up to date with monthly reports throughout the year and utilize a comprehensive report to show what we accomplished during the past 12 months. This means getting a full rundown of content and social performance across the last year—and a plan for how we can improve in the coming months. We value transparency, so we need to show our clients what worked, what didn’t and how we plan to improve based on the data at hand. A comprehensive report that looks at 365 days of data is a really important way to summarize all of that information.
“End of year reports allow us to find out how we did throughout the year and drive strategy for the next year,” says Yakkety Yak Senior Analyst Chris Mueller. “They encourage clients to look back at where they were a year ago and see the progress made.”
Delivering these comprehensive reports helps us track our progress so we can set SMART marketing goals for the next year then take the action needed to achieve them.
Editorial Calendar Planning Session
Once you have an idea of what performed best in 2019, it’s time to start planning your content for next year. We use an editorial calendar to stay organized, meet best practices of SEO and create engaging content for our clients. This is why we love “ed cals”—they help us stay focused on the future of our content!
“Think of the editorial calendar as our ‘North Star’—the calendar keeps us on course and guides how we will meet our clients’ goals,” says Content Strategist Heather Budimulia. “It outlines everything we are going to publish, allowing us to align the content with our clients’ strategic imperatives.”
Goal Setting
Whether it’s producing new content or gaining business, setting goals is vital for mapping out future marketing successes.
VP of Accounts Warren Legner is an integral part of the goal-setting process at Yakkety Yak. In his role, Warren’s responsibilities include communicating with clients and outlining their goals and plans for the future.
“We set out to understand what our client’s internal goals are so we can craft our approach to help them in the next year and shape our own goals,” says Warren. “Understanding the direction the client wants to take while making sure we have a path to get there is an important part of goal setting.”
Warren also highlights the importance of being up to date in our clients’ industries. This helps us align our clients’ goals with the latest trends in their space so we can help them maintain relevance and position them as thought leaders.
Looking Back and Looking Forward
The end of the year can be jam-packed with holidays, reporting and wrapping up presents and projects. Take a moment to reflect on the accomplishments and opportunities for refinement to kick the next year off right.
It’s been a great 2019 at Yakkety Yak, and we have big plans for 2020. We can’t wait to share it all with you! If you need help figuring out your end of year details, contact us.