If you’re here, it’s probably because you’ve seen the word “marketing audit” floating around – especially this time of the year – and you just want answers: “What the hell is a marketing audit, and what is it good for?!”

Don’t stress – you know we’ve always got your back with the most pressing questions!

Keep reading for a beginner-friendly guide to all things “marketing audits” and how doing one can boost your business in the upcoming months.

Ok, let’s start with the basics: What is a marketing audit?

Put simply, a marketing audit is a close look at your business marketing strategy: from your goals to the processes you’ve put in place to achieve these, the content you’re producing, etc.

A marketing audit is a great way to pinpoint possible problem areas in your marketing strategy – as well as highlight things that have performed successfully – in order to update and improve them so you can achieve better results.

Think of it as some much-needed seasonal cleaning: a well-done marketing audit can help you get rid of those metaphorical shoes that give you blisters… and exchange them for the pair of comfy Crocs that you’ve always dreamed of.

(Did we lose ya there? Hope not! 😅)

Personally, we believe that a marketing audit should be done at the very, veeeeery least once a year. 

Why? Because times change and so do businesses, so it’s no surprise that you might need to update your strategy at least once every 12 months. This, in order to keep up with the trends, adapt to how your business has grown, and incorporate more of what you’ve started to love after being in the game for X amount of time.

Can your business benefit from a marketing audit?

The short answer is yes. 

Most business can benefit from a periodical marketing audit because it helps them understand the back-end of their marketing better – which, in turn, helps the front-end of the business continue to perform successfully (ie: reach, engagement, inquiries, and sales). And that’s always a win-win!

Even if you’re so sure that you have a strong marketing strategy already in place, it’s still important to take a closer look at what you’re doing, how your efforts are performing, and how audiences are reacting to your brand. 

Nothing is ever perfect – and that goes for marketing strategies, too.

So if you have the time to conduct a marketing audit, we say… go for it! 

Whether it’s a self-audit or you decide to outsource the job to someone a lil’ less connected to the business, there will be tons of key learnings that can help you plan for the future and help you gain a better understanding of how to move forward with your brand or business.

5 steps for a successful marketing audit

Hop on Google and search “What is a marketing audit” and you’ll come face-to-face with thousands of technical, hard-to-read articles written for professionals in the field.

However, we believe that marketing should be made a lot more accessible. It doesn’t matter if you’re a first-time business owner trying to learn the ropes or a seasoned pro: everyone deserves to understand things simply and clearly.

That’s why we decided to break down how to conduct a marketing audit into five actionable steps.

So let’s dig in!

1. Write down your marketing goals and objectives

A good marketing strategy needs to have goals – and these need to be clear for everyone involved.

To kick off your marketing audit, make sure you write down a list of all the short and long-term goals and objectives related to your marketing.

Do you want to increase your reach? 
Do you want more people to know your brand? 
Are you looking to make $500,000 in sales?

Write 👏 that 👏 sh*t 👏 down!

When you know where you want to go, you’ll have a much easier time paving the path that will take you there – and yes, that was an inspirational quote we had to throw in!

2. Write down a list of the marketing channels you’re most active on

This means looking at everything you’re doing marketing-wise – email marketing, social media marketing, paid ads, etc. – and making a list that ranks where most of your efforts are directed.

PRO TIP: When we say “most of your efforts” this could mean time, energy, capacity, or budget! You don’t *need* to categorize them this way, but making note of these things can help you see which marketing channel is the most profitable and yields the most results.

Understanding where you are at the moment is a great way to break down how your marketing strategy is performing. It’s also an important way to keep much-needed inventory of where you’re present, online or in-person.

Writing this list will also give you a better idea of what channels you should start paying more attention to and what channels can be, for lack of a better word… ditched for good.

3. Create a table that outlines your strengths and weaknesses

For each platform that you’re present on, create a table that highlights where you’re succeeding at your goals and where you might have missed the mark.

This means going deep into your platform insights and results and looking at the numbers – they never lie!

PRO TIP: There is nothing to be afraid of or intimidated by when it comes to analyzing your results! As a business owner, it’s important to understand what your “Insights” are telling you because they’re the key to your success. And if you’re still finding your footing and reporting makes you nervous, the social media folx at Later have a great collection of resources to help you get started!

Actually seeing your “wins and losses” is a great way to understand whether your efforts are falling short because of lack of planning, time, budget, etc. 

It’s also a great way to celebrate the things you’re doing right and that are getting you closer and closer to your goals.

4. Take a peek at your competitors

A lil’ inspiration here and a dash of motivation there… 

Taking a look at what other businesses like yours are currently doing can help you set the tone for what comes next.

Now, we’re not saying just go out there and write down ways to replicate their exact strategy. Remember: what works for them might not work for you in the same ways.

Your audiences might be different, your brand voice might be different, and your goals are probably different… so flat-out “copying” these strategies will only get you so far.

However, understanding other businesses and assessing their performance can give you an insight into how different processes are done and how different businesses in the same field operate.

5. Update your marketing plan

Easier said than done, right? Well… it doesn’t have to be!

Once you’ve had a look through your current marketing plan, written down your long and short-term goals, and outlined your strengths and weaknesses… the next step is putting these all together to create a shiny, new marketing strategy that hits all the right notes.

Want to make updating your marketing plan as easy as can be? You’re in luck! The Quirky Pineapple’s Tempate Vault gives you firsthand access to all of the templates and formats we use in business and marketing! Grab your all-access pass today and get ready to make this entire process a breeze!

Think of it this way, if you know that you want to generate more brand awareness, and you know that your customers are responding well to your Instagram Lives… it might be time to add more of those into your content marketing plan!

The great thing about a marketing strategy is that it can be updated – it’s never set in stone! And, as a business owner, you’re free to move things around in ways that will continue to inspire you. 

That’s the beauty of sitting behind the wheel of your own business. 😍

TL;DR: Why you should consider a marketing audit

The end of the year is quickly approaching (yeah, we know… that terrifies us, too!) and what better time to update and upgrade your marketing strategy than right now?!

Marketing audit on your mind but don’t have enough time to work through it on your own? Our Amplify Your Message Intensive will help you get to the core of what makes your brand unique and how you can stand out! Book a call with us today and let’s work together to ensure that your vision is aligned with your brand message and marketing strategy!

A season of change, a moment to reflect, a time to prepare for next year – you can make the most of this end-of-year inspiration high to conduct a marketing audit that will keep your efforts in line and – more importantly – keep you excited for what’s to come.

To help you prep for that upcoming marketing audit, here’s a five-step how-to guide that we recommend you follow to make it a lot easier:
1. Get clear on your marketing goals and objectives
2. Write down a list of the marketing channels you’re most active on
3. Outline your strengths and weaknesses
4. Take a peek at your competitors
5. Update your marketing plan

At the end of the day, a marketing audit is, in our eyes, a must-do for any business that wants to get clear on how they’re currently performing and how they can possibly improve. 

Because you know what they say: “If you don’t know where you’ve been, there’s really no way of telling where you’re going.” (yep, that’s another Pinterest-inspired inspirational quote to get you excited about your own marketing audit! 😉)