It takes a great deal of work to run a successful company today.

In addition to developing a fantastic product or service, you must build a marketing plan to attract customers. That means coming up with incredible marketing ideas, which can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. 

There is, however, a way to ensure that your marketing campaigns don’t lag.

You should review both your interior and external factors to ensure that you're getting the results you’re looking for. In other words, a regular internal marketing audit is necessary to maintain your success.                                     

What is an internal marketing audit?

The main purpose of a marketing audit is to analyse your promotional environment, which may include social media marketing or SEO. The audit will show you which campaigns are working and which are wasting your money, whether you are investing in direct mail, email marketing, or in-person events.  

An external marketing audit focuses on what’s happening outside your company that might affect your campaigns. In contrast, internal marketing audits allow you to see what is happening inside your company that might affect the outcome.  

An internal marketing audit allows you to examine your goals, strategies, objectives and marketing mix. Since marketing audits are so detailed and comprehensive, some companies review only one aspect of marketing at a time. For example, you might review your content strategy before moving on to your email and social media campaigns. 

Internal Marketing Audit Checklist

So, what is the ideal time to invest in an internal marketing audit checklist for your company?

Well, that's a nuanced question in marketing. When scheduling your internal marketing audit, there aren't strict, one-size-fits-all rules to follow.

To keep your campaigns profitable, you need to remember that audits are there to help you. Preventative maintenance is not a reaction to crises after they occur but rather preventative maintenance. Putting off an audit until you have severe problems with your promotional campaigns may cost you a lot of time and money. 

We believe that there are a few great times to schedule a marketing audit in your business, including: 

  • When you’re just starting a new promotional campaign, you want to ensure that you’re focusing on the right areas. 
  • When you’ve completed one of your new marketing campaigns and you want to determine where you should be concentrating next. 
  • Every 6-12 months to ensure you’re not falling behind in marketing trends and industry performance. 
Untitled design (10)

Suggestions

Generally, the more marketing efforts you ramp up, the more frequently your internal and external marketing audits will be conducted. Gathering more data from your target audience and internal analytics will give you invaluable insights for informed decision-making. Through thorough auditing and analysis, you'll be well-equipped to plan your organisation's future with precision and confidence.

Ideally, you should consider marketing audits akin to reviewing your employees’ performance regularly. Employee reviews usually help business leaders give their staff members feedback on improving their work and getting more from their careers. Nevertheless, marketing audits will serve the same purpose for entrepreneurs. They can tell whether you have met your milestones and the potential changes you need to make.  

Download our marketing audit checklist

Our internal marketing audit checklist will help ensure your marketing efforts get the maximum return on investment.