How To Complete Your Marketing Year-End Review
You're here because you need a bit of help completing your end-of-year marketing review. Good. That means you're taking this seriously. This guide will walk you through each section of the workbook and show you exactly where to find the information you need. No fluff, just practical help.
Before you start
What you'll need:
30-60 minutes of uninterrupted time
Your phone (for social media insights)
Access to your website analytics
A coffee/tea/water/G&T/what ever floats your boat (optional but recommended)
Your calendar or planner from 2025
Print or digital? Both work. Some people prefer writing by hand (it helps you think), others like typing. Do what works for you.
PART 1: REFLECT
Social Media
Where to find your insights:
Instagram:
Go to your profile → Click the menu (three lines) → Insights
Look at "Accounts reached" and "Accounts engaged"
Check which posts got the most saves and shares (that's what matters)
Facebook:
Go to your business page → Insights
Look at reach, engagement, and page views
LinkedIn:
Go to your page → Analytics
Check post impressions, engagement rate, and follower demographics
What platform brought you enquiries? Think about where people actually contacted you from. Check your DMs, comments, and email enquiries. Where did they find you?
What content got the most engagement? Look for posts with high saves, shares, or comments. Ignore vanity metrics like likes.
Posts that took forever and bombed? You know the ones. The fancy carousel you spent 3 hours on that got 12 likes. Write it down.
Your Website
Where to find this info:
Google Analytics (if you have it):
Go to analytics.google.com
Click on your website property
Look at:
Visitors: Users → Overview
Most visited page: Behavior → Site Content → All Pages
Bounce rate: Behavior → Site Content → Landing Pages
Don't have Google Analytics?
Your website host (Hostinger, Wix, Squarespace) probably has basic stats
Check your hosting dashboard for visitor numbers
Bounce rate: This is the % of people who land on your site and leave without clicking anything. Over 70% = your site isn't working.
Clear call-to-action on every page? Go look at your website right now. Every page should tell people what to do next: "Book a call," "Get a quote," "Download this," etc.
Email Marketing
Where to find this info:
Mailchimp / MailerLite / ConvertKit:
Log in to your email platform
Go to Reports or Analytics
Check:
Total emails sent in 2025
Average open rate
Which email had the best clicks/replies
How many unsubscribes
List growth (compare Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
What's a good open rate? 20-30% is average. Under 20% means your subject lines are boring or your list is dead...sorry, don't shoot the messanger!
SEO & Google
Where to find this info:
Is your Google Business Profile updated?
Go to business.google.com
Log in
Check when you last updated your hours, photos, or posts
If it's been months, that's your answer
What keywords are people using to find you?
Go to search.google.com/search-console (free tool from Google)
You'll need to verify your website first (Google walks you through it)
Once verified, click "Performance"
You'll see a list of search terms people used before landing on your site
Write down your top 3
Are you on page 1 of Google for anything?
Open an incognito window (so your search history doesn't affect results)
Google: "[your service] [your location]" (e.g., "cleaning company Sussex")
Google: "[your business name]"
Are you on page 1? Write it down.
The Money Questions
Be honest here:
How much did you spend on marketing? Add it ALL up:
Social media ads
Email platform subscription
Website hosting
Canva subscription
Any courses or tools you bought
Designer/copywriter fees
How many customers came from marketing? Not how many likes or followers. Actual paying customers who found you through your marketing efforts.
Cost per customer: Total marketing spend ÷ number of customers = cost per customer
Example: Spent £1,200 on marketing, got 10 customers = £120 per customer
The Honest Questions
Prompts to help you:
What marketing task did you avoid all year? Common answers:
Video content / going live
Emailing my list consistently
Asking for reviews
Networking
Updating my website
Learning SEO
Creating a content plan
Pitching to podcasts or media
What surprised you in a good way? Maybe:
A random post went viral
A client came from an unexpected source
Something you thought wouldn't work, did
A collaboration brought in referrals
What did you waste time on? Common answers:
TikTok (when your clients aren't there)
Posting daily when 3x a week would've worked
Perfect graphics that took hours
A platform you hate using
Courses you never finished
If you could only do THREE marketing activities in 2026: Examples:
Post on Instagram 3x per week
Send 2 emails per month to my list
Update Google Business Profile monthly
Ask every client for a Google review
Network at 1 local event per month
Optimise my website for SEO
Run consistent Facebook ads
Post valuable content on LinkedIn daily
Pick the ones that would actually move your business forward. Don't feel like you have to choose from the above options, they are just prompts!
PART 2: RESET
What Will You STOP Doing?
Examples:
I will STOP: Posting on TikTok Why: My ideal clients aren't there. I'm spending 2+ hours a week for 50 views and zero enquiries. What this has cost me: Time, energy, sanity What will change: I'll have 2 extra hours per week to focus on email marketing
I will STOP: Posting daily on Instagram Why: It's burning me out and 3x per week gets the same results What this has cost me: Stress and inconsistency when I inevitably can't keep up What will change: I'll actually post consistently instead of posting daily for 2 weeks then disappearing for a month
I will STOP: Trying to be on every platform Why: I'm spreading myself too thin and doing everything badly What this has cost me: Focus and quality content What will change: I'll master one platform instead of being mediocre on five
What Will You CONTINUE Doing?
Examples:
I will CONTINUE: Posting consistently on Instagram (3x per week) Proof it's working: 8 enquiries from Instagram DMs this year, steady engagement How to keep it going: Batch create content every Sunday, stick to my 3 content pillars
I will CONTINUE: Asking happy clients for Google reviews Proof it's working: I've gone from 3 reviews to 15 reviews, and more people mention they found me through Google How to keep it going: Send review request email immediately after finishing each project
I will CONTINUE: Sending monthly email newsletters Proof it's working: 35% open rate, people actually reply, 2 clients booked directly from emails How to keep it going: Write emails on the 1st of every month, keep a running list of content ideas
What Will You START Doing?
Examples:
I will START: Building and emailing my list consistently Why: I have no way to contact my audience if social media disappears What this will add: A direct line to potential customers that I actually own Easy first step: Sign up for MailerLite free account and add signup form to my website
I will START: Asking every happy client for a Google review Why: I only have 3 reviews and competitors have 20+. I'm losing customers before they even contact me. What this will add: More visibility, trust, social proof Easy first step: Create email template with direct review link, send to last 5 happy clients
I will START: Updating my Google Business Profile monthly Why: It's been untouched since 2022 and I'm invisible in local search What this will add: More local customers finding me when they search Easy first step: Set a monthly reminder, update hours/photos/post this week
PART 3: REFOCUS
Your ONE Marketing Goal for 2026
Full Example: Email Marketing Focus
My ONE marketing focus for 2026: Build and consistently email my list
What success looks like: I have 200+ subscribers and I send at least 2 emails per month with tips, behind-the-scenes updates, and occasional offers. People actually reply to my emails.
How I'll know I've succeeded:
Email list has grown from 0 to 200+ subscribers
I've sent 24+ emails (2 per month minimum)
Open rate is above 30%
I've had at least 3 customers come directly from email
What I need in place to make this happen:
Email marketing platform (MailerLite free plan)
Signup form on my website
Simple lead magnet (checklist or guide)
Content plan so I'm not staring at blank screen
What could get in the way: Running out of things to say, feeling like I'm bothering people, getting inconsistent when busy
My plan to handle it: Keep running list of content ideas in my phone. Batch write 2-3 emails at once. Remember people ASKED to be on my list.
First small step (THIS WEEK): Sign up for MailerLite and add "Join my email list" form to website footer
Weekly action I'll commit to: Every Monday morning, spend 15 minutes either writing an email, planning content, or promoting my signup form
Still Stuck?
Common issues:
"I don't have Google Analytics installed" → Install it now for 2026. Use your website host's basic stats for 2025.
"I can't remember what I did in 2025" → Check your phone photos, calendar, and social media posts. They'll jog your memory.
"My numbers are embarrassing" → Good. Now you know. Nobody's grading you. This is for YOU to improve.
"I don't know what to focus on for 2026" → Pick the thing that scared you most in the "What did you avoid?" question. That's usually what you need to do.
"This feels overwhelming" → You don't have to do everything. Pick ONE thing. Master it. Then add more.
Need More Help?
If you've completed the workbook and you're still not sure what to do next, or you want help actually implementing your plan, that's what I'm here for.
Email me: ellie@justthrivemarketing.com
Let's make 2026 your most intentional marketing year yet.