In marketing, deliberate, targeted efforts will earn you the greatest rewards. To make sure your marketing is as effective as it can be in 2010, take some time now to review what you did in 2009, and refine your strategies to create even more growth potential.

Take Stock
As you assess your 2009 marketing, analyze each campaign separately to determine which tactics were worth the investment and which weren't. If a specific tactic succeeded, it's always important to ask why. The challenge is to duplicate the results without mindlessly copying the message -- what worked in one quarter might have diminished results in the next.

Mix It Up
Once you've measured the success of individual campaigns and determined why they succeeded, you'll want to see which mediums were most effective. Were your e-mail campaigns twice as effective as your direct mail? Or were your online search ads outpacing your print efforts? Determine what had the greatest impact and adjust your 2010 budget accordingly, keeping in mind that for the best results, your marketing plan should feature a variety of different campaign types.

"You always want to utilize a variety of methods to advertise your business, but by measuring the relative effectiveness of your print, e-mail and event marketing efforts, you can determine where to invest more and where to spend less," says Hope McCluskey, director, campaigns and partner programs, Ingram Micro. "Measuring also allows you to see where you might need to change your strategy to improve results."

Newer tools can play an important role in your marketing plan as well, McCluskey adds. Demographic shifts, increased broadband penetration and higher consumer internet use are driving marketing toward Twitter, Facebook, corporate blogging and other social media outlets, so be sure to consider whether any of these are appropriate for your business' needs.

Stay In Touch
Assessing the effectiveness of your marketing involves more than simply gauging sales returns. Firm customer relationships are crucial to ongoing success, so consider the strength of those attachments, too. Most marketing consultants recommend keeping a close eye on customer needs by soliciting feedback in the form of surveys, follow-up calls and profiling.

"Sustained marketing is the key to building brand awareness and establishing yourself as a trusted advisor, both to existing customers and to your potential customers," says McCluskey. "Sending one e-mail or a random postcard is not an effective marketing strategy. Consistency is essential if you want to remain in the front of people's minds with your message and your brand."

Get Support
"Ingram Micro offers a host of opportunities to help resellers market to their end users," says McCluskey. "Agency Express (ingrammicro.com/agencyexpress) is a one-stop shop where you can find customizable postcard and e-mail templates to fit your specific need. We offer database rental opportunities and outcalling resources as well as newsletters, e-mails, postcards and seminar-in-a-box kits."

Other opportunities include IMStimulus, which allows resellers to compete for and win a larger share of funds to drive sales in the broadband, education, energy, healthcare, infrastructure and public-safety markets. "Government funding is now available for public-sector technology purchases," says McCluskey. "Approximately $60 to $80 billion in funds will be allocated through a 60/40 split between appropriated budgets and grants. Don't miss your piece of this very lucrative pie as you plan for 2010."