How to Set Your Marketing Team Up for Success This Year
Let’s clear something up right away: when marketing “isn’t working,” it’s rarely because the marketing team doesn’t know what they’re doing.
More often, it’s because they’re being asked to hit vague goals, work with outdated materials, or somehow deliver big results without clear direction. Whether your marketing is handled in-house, outsourced, or a mix of both, success depends just as much on what the business provides as it does on who’s executing.
At TargetMarket, we’ve worked with businesses across industries and growth stages, and one thing is always true: the companies that see the best results don’t just hire a marketing team; they prepare for it.
If you want your marketing team to actually succeed this year, here’s where to start.
1. Define the Goal (And No, “More Leads” Is Not a Strategy)
“More leads” is a wish, not a plan.
Marketing teams need clear direction to prioritize channels, messaging, budgets, and timelines. Without it, everything becomes urgent, everything gets tested at once, and nothing moves the needle in a meaningful way.
Before launching campaigns or approving content, get clear on:
- Revenue or growth goals
- Priority services or products this year
- Geographic or audience focus
- What success looks like in real numbers
If everything is a priority, nothing is. And when goals are fuzzy, marketing becomes reactive instead of strategic.
One of the first things we focus on at TargetMarket is goal clarity, because marketing works best when it pulls in a specific direction, not spins its wheels.
2. Update Your Photos and Video (Your Brand Is Not a Time Capsule)
If your website still shows team members who left years ago or a space you no longer occupy, that’s a problem. People can tell when a brand hasn’t been updated, and it quietly erodes trust.
Strong marketing needs:
- Current team photos
- Updated office or location images
- Real visuals of your work or process
- Short-form video (yes, even simple ones)
This isn’t about being trendy or overproduced. It’s about showing potential customers who you are now, not who you were five years ago.
Marketing performance improves when visuals feel real and current. At TargetMarket, we’ve seen firsthand how updated photos and videos can improve engagement, conversion rates, and overall brand perception, sometimes faster than any copy tweak ever could.
3. Align on Brand Voice, Messaging, and What Actually Makes You Different
Consistency beats clever every time.
If your website sounds buttoned-up, your social media sounds casual, and your ads sound like a completely different company, you’re creating confusion. And confused audiences don’t convert.
Every marketing team, internal or external, needs clarity on:
- Brand voice and tone
- Key messaging pillars
- What truly differentiates your business
- Words, phrases, or claims to avoid
- Industry or compliance considerations
This alignment saves time, prevents rewrites, and creates a more cohesive brand experience. At TargetMarket, we spend a lot of time here because good messaging isn’t just about sounding nice; it’s about being understood and remembered.
4. Give Your Marketing Team Access (To Info, People, and Answers)
Even the best marketing team can’t move fast if they’re waiting days for answers.
Access matters. That includes:
- A clear point of contact
- Quick answers to questions
- Access to brand assets and data
- Defined approval processes
Marketing slows down dramatically when everything has to go through three inboxes and a meeting. The smoother the communication, the better the output and the less frustration on all sides.
Strong partnerships (the kind we aim for at TargetMarket) are built on transparency and access, not gatekeeping.
5. Share What’s Worked Before (And What Definitely Hasn’t)
Your marketing history is valuable; don’t make your team guess.
Sharing past insights helps avoid repeating mistakes and speeds up success. This includes:
- Campaigns that performed well (and why)
- Offers that flopped
- Seasonal trends
- Feedback from sales or customer-facing teams
Marketing works best when it builds on what’s already been learned. At TargetMarket, we use historical data and client insights to guide smarter decisions because starting from scratch every time is inefficient and expensive.
6. Set Realistic Expectations (Marketing Is Not a Light Switch)
Some tactics deliver quick wins. Others take time. Pretending everything should work instantly is a recipe for frustration.
Understanding timelines helps everyone stay aligned:
- Paid ads can move faster, but still require testing
- SEO and content are long-term investments
- Brand-building compounds over time
Good marketing compounds. Bad marketing panics.
At TargetMarket, we help clients balance short-term momentum with long-term growth so marketing feels intentional, not reactive.
7. Communicate Regularly (Marketing Is Ongoing, Not “Set It and Forget It”)
The businesses that get the most out of marketing treat it as an evolving process, not a one-time project.
That means:
- Regular check-ins
- Sharing business updates
- Adjusting strategy as goals shift
- Reviewing performance and refining approach
Marketing doesn’t live in a silo. When businesses and marketing teams communicate consistently, results improve, and frustration drops dramatically.
Marketing success isn’t about whether your team is in-house or outsourced. It’s about clarity, collaboration, and commitment.
When businesses provide clear goals, updated assets, honest insights, and open communication, marketing teams can do what they do best: drive real, measurable growth.
At TargetMarket, we don’t just execute tactics; we partner with businesses to build marketing that actually works. And it all starts with setting your team up for success.
If you’re planning to invest in marketing this year and want to make sure it’s set up to succeed, a fresh perspective can go a long way. The team at TargetMarket is always happy to help businesses clarify goals, align strategy, and build marketing that actually works.
