10 signs which mean you need a marketing audit

Working in any fast paced environment it's imperative that you take time to reflect on where you are and where you've come from. I see quite frequently examples of businesses who have a "tired" marketing look and processes to their portfolio. At Parallel Marketing we are asked quite frequently "when is the right time to review my marketing". In response to this I've listed below what I consider to be the top ten signs for a review -

1. Nothing matches - take all your materials and lay them out on the table and ask yourself "do they look like they've come from the same company?"
2. You have a great Customer Exit Process - Spend time to review your welcome and retention processes to ensure they are working.
3. Your competitors marketing looks better - Review who your competitors are and how you stack up against them, the look, feel and offerings.
4. How true is my marketing to the brand values? - Check your communications and customer journey reflects your true brand values at each stage.
5. No one writes about us any more - You've become wall paper to the trade journalists as you don't produce anything of interest to them any more.
6. We only talk about ourselves - Your copy may have become very insular and the tone one dimension.
7. We sell very little from our website - Falling sales from your e-commerce platform suggests a tired look and feel or a customer journey cut short.
8. I have irregular contact with my customers - In order to keep your data clean and fresh it's important you have a programme of communications to your customers to allow them to update you with life changes , so keeping your database clean.
9. I've used the same supplier for the last 10 years - Even though it's an advantage to have a good relationship with your suppliers it's also just as important to review that relationship every 2 to 3 years. Your requirements from your suppliers may change and prices may go down for some services you use.
10. Can't remember the last time I reviewed my marketing processes - It's important to review the way you deliver your marketing at least every 6 months to leverage out improvements and increased effectiveness plus cost savings.

You may be able to add some more to this list but to be honest if you find empathy with just one of these you are likely to be in need of a marketing review.

If you have any further questions respond to me direct at simon@parallelmarketing.co.uk.

Many thanks

Simon