Over this past year, you’ve read post after post and tweet after tweet about what you should be doing to better your marketing efforts. Well, 2012 is just around the corner (crazy, right?), and it’s time to actually take action on beefing up your marketing for the upcoming year. While planning your marketing for 2012, here are a few ideas to incorporate into your plan.

QR Codes
Quick Response Codes aren’t something new, but that doesn’t mean you’ve tried them yet. It’s time to realize that using QR codes isn’t about slapping one on a marketing piece and waiting to see what happens. You need to use them strategically to grow your business. Make sure you create a landing page on your website for each QR code you have so visitors that took the time to scan have a specific call to action and you can measure results.

Start a Blog
What better addition to your website is there than a blog? Okay, that was rhetorical—you don’t need to answer that. Having a blog on your website is a great way of building your brand and positioning yourself as an expert in what you do. Posting, even just once a week, shows that your website isn’t stagnant and that it’s constantly being updated. Plus search engines will find you for the specific area of expertise; and that means your potential customers will as well.

Send Out Newsletters
No matter what those bullies on the web are saying, print isn’t dead. Direct mail is still an effective way to attract customers. Sending out a newsletter is a great way to keep your company in the minds of your customers. Make it fun and educational, with content that your readers would appreciate. Heck, you can even include posts from that blog you just started. Remember to keep the newsletter short enough to read in just a few minutes so it doesn’t get thrown in the read later pile.

Think these marketing tactics through, try them out and watch your marketing, along with your business, grow. Get 2012 off to a great start by feeling great about your marketing. You should see some leads start to pour in—and that’s not a bad thing.