When Alice falls down the rabbit hole and tumbles into the strange world of Wonderland, she is lost and confused about which direction to take. The giant caterpillar asks where she wants to go.

“I don’t know,” Alice replies.

“Well then, any road will get you there,” the caterpillar answers.

Too often, marketing strategies are like Alice, starting with good intentions, but eventually falling down rabbit holes, wandering for solid direction when, in actuality, the destination was never clearly established.

It’s time to make sure you have a solid destination in mind. Here are four tips to help you do just that:

Measure your marketing goals

It’s not enough to say you want to increase traffic to your website. You must first determine how many hits is considered an increase.

If you’re not able to measure these goals, you have no idea if you’ve met them. Even worse, it will be difficult to determine which strategies were most effective. “Increasing the number of likes on our Facebook page” is not a specific goal. “Show a 20 percent increase in the number of likes on our Facebook page by the end of the first quarter” provides a better way to measure success and a deadline by which you want to achieve it.

No man (or marketing plan) is an island

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, blogging, websites—after a while they all sound alike. It’s easy to get bogged down in a marketing strategy for each platform and forget that they must all work together toward a common goal.

Remember that social media should be seen as a channel, and not as a strategy within itself. It will not carry your plan where you need to go if it does not tie into your overall message and branding.  Use it to support your broad campaign.

The times, they are a-changin’

When it comes to successful marketing campaigns, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to “set it and forget it.” Consider how frequently Google and Facebook change their algorithms. You must keep up with these changes and adjust accordingly.

For an example of how quickly things are changing, consider 3D marketing. Are interactive experiences a part of your upcoming campaigns? With Google cardboard making virtual reality experiences accessible to anyone with $20 and an iPhone, 3D platforms could be valuable to your brand in the future.

Mobile responsiveness also exemplifies the ever-changing nature of the marketing landscape. The number of people finding you online with a phone or tablet is increasing. It’s time to design your website and marketing campaigns for mobile first.

Google has already made an official move in the direction of favoring mobile-friendly sites for search engine rankings. Don’t get left behind because you’ve set it and forgotten it. Make sure your marketing team is up to date on the latest trends.

Focus on the customer experience

There’s a reason people line up around the block to get the latest Apple product.

Nothing trumps customer loyalty. Period.

Brands that focus on the experience and providing good customer service will see better reviews on sites such as Google and Yelp, which in turn can affect your search engine visibility. A solid foundation in customer services should be an integral part of any marketing campaign.

According to a BrightLocal recent consumer review survey, 92 percent of consumers read online reviews and 40 percent form an opinion after reading only 1 to 3 reviews. The survey also indicated that star rating is the number one factor consumers use to judge a business.

Of course, this list is far from exhaustive, but these principles should be at the forefront of your plan. There are many ways to amplify your message— just be sure to have a customized strategy in plan or you’re in danger, like Alice in Wonderland, of falling down the rabbit hole.

If, like Alice, you want some sense of direction with your marketing strategy, check out these useful articles:

5 Marketing Myths You Need to Stop Believing

Landing Pages: Essential for Generating Leads

How to Market My Medical Practice

Established in 2000, Proclaim Interactive is a think-out-of-the-box digital marketing agency located in Wilmington, NC. Proclaim Interactive provides website design, social media management, SEO and general marketing services designed to amplify clients’ messages. For more information, visit www.proclaiminteractive.com or call 910.795.4143.