As we enter the final quarter of 2025 you may be starting to reflect on the year so far, in order to make 2026 a great one.
- How has the business performed?
- Has your marketing been a key driver of your business performance this year?
If you want to make 2026 a great year, its time to start planning now, and not leave it until January. Here’s what you need to review and consider to make sure you get the results you’re looking for when then New Year arrives
1. Review What Has and Hasn’t Worked
The first step is a audit of your current marketing activities (here’s some tools to help with this). Look at your marketing channels: across email, social media, paid advertising, networking, events, and content (delete as appropriate). Which channels have driven leads? Which ones are costing you money without measurable results?
Use the right metrics. Impressions and Likes are indicators but traffic, leads and sales are the real measures.
By cutting what underperforms and doubling down on what delivers, you make your budget work harder well before January.
2. Refresh Your Brand Message
When was the last time you properly reviewed what your marketing is actually saying to your target audiences? Are your brand messages even aimed at specific target audiences or (heaven forbid) at “anyone who….”
Do your messages talk about you or do they talk about your target audiences and how you can help them? The latter is always going to be more effective.
3. Optimise Your Website and Landing Pages
Your website is often the first place people encounter your brand. If it’s slow, unclear, or cluttered, potential customers won’t stick around. Before the new year rush, review your site’s performance.
- Test loading speeds on mobile and desktop.
- Check that calls to action are clear and prominent.
- Update landing pages so they match the promise of your ads or emails.
- Make sure contact forms work smoothly and are easy to complete.
Small tweaks now can dramatically increase conversion rates, making all your marketing spend far more efficient. If you don’t have (or know anyone) with a SEMrush account, Google Analytics and Search Console can give you a real steer on what is happening on your site.
4. Get Ahead with Content Planning
Content is the engine that powers many marketing channels, from SEO to social media. If you’re creating content on the fly, it’s likely inconsistent and less effective. Plan at least the first quarter of next year now. Outline themes, campaigns, and key messages you want to push. Map these across your blog, newsletters, social media, and video output. Creating a content calendar means you start January with a strong pipeline of material ready to go, rather than scrambling to produce pieces at the last minute.
5. Do you have the right tool set?
Marketing technology has become more accessible than ever, with automation platforms helping even smaller businesses run sophisticated campaigns. If you’re still manually sending newsletters or juggling spreadsheets of contacts, now is the time to invest in tools that save time and improve results.
Email automation, social media scheduling, and CRM integrations can nurture prospects automatically, freeing you to focus on strategy rather than admin. Pair this with data analytics tools, and you’ll have sharper insights into customer behaviour and campaign performance. The sooner these systems are in place, the smoother your new year campaigns will run.
6. What about current clients?
Many of SME Needs’ clients work long term with their clients, rather than on a transactional basis, but these questions still need to be asked:
- Can your current clients buy more of the same thing?
- Can your current clients buy more of the full range of products/services you provide?
Making sure that your clients know the full range of products/services you sell can uplift sales quickly. Many of them, if you ask, will say “I didn’t know you did that”.
7. Strengthen Your Social Presence
Social media evolves rapidly, with algorithms rewarding brands that create consistent, valuable content. If you’ve been posting sporadically or relying on generic updates, now is the time to rethink your approach.
Focus on platforms where your target audience actually spends time, and commit to a schedule of meaningful posts that encourage interaction. Consider experimenting with live video, polls, or behind-the-scenes content to make your brand feel more authentic and engaging. By building momentum now, your social profiles will quickly start to deliver results. That means traffic to your site and enquiries – not impressions and Likes!
8. Align Sales and Marketing
Even the best marketing falls flat if it isn’t aligned with sales. Ensure your sales team (if you have one that isn’t you) knows what campaigns are running, what offers are being promoted, and what messaging customers are hearing. Ensure that they agree with what you are doing too. If your marketing is making promises Sales, or even Operations, cannot deliver, you’ve got a problem.
Take a look at your pipeline and see how much is qualified out. That will give you a good steer on what is and isn’t working.
9. Set Clear Goals for the New Year
Finally, don’t go into January with vague ambitions. Set measurable goals now. Whether it’s increasing web traffic by 20 per cent, generating a specific number of qualified leads, or improving conversion rates, clear objectives keep everyone focused.
Break these down into monthly or quarterly targets so progress can be tracked and adjusted as needed. By knowing where you want to be by mid-year, you can course-correct early instead of wasting time.
Getting your marketing performing by the new year isn’t about a frantic December push. It’s about preparing smartly, refreshing your approach, and equipping yourself with the tools and strategy to hit the ground running in January.
Audit your past performance, sharpen your brand message, optimise your digital presence, and plan content in advance. Invest in automation, re-engage existing customers, and build momentum on social platforms. Aligning sales with marketing and setting clear goals ensures your team stays focused.
By taking action now, you’ll transform January from a slow start into a launchpad for sustained growth throughout the year ahead. If you need a hand, please get in touch.
