GET READY WITH A CHECK

The end of any year brings with it a certain number of things—reflection, goal setting, resolutions, and so forth. The end of year also allows a natural time to look back and think about certain areas affecting your brand. You can evaluate what has worked as well as what might need to be changed in the new, upcoming year. Here are some quick items to consider when it comes to your brand in the upcoming year.

Social Media.Take a look at all of your social media channels. Does each channel fall in line with your brand? Are they up-to-date with the imagery your brand is conveying. Have you found that one channel has completely fallen by the wayside? Reevaluate your brand’s social media interactions and determine the correct course for the new year. Do you need to close one channel down? Or do you need to focus on another channel more heavily in the upcoming year?

Competitive Analysis.Look over your closest competitors. What are they doing? What did they do this last year that you and your market liked and didn’t like? Does reviewing their year present you with ideas? Don’t copy them; look at what they did or didn’t do to help create a roadmap for the new year. Is there a new competitor that is disrupting your market who could be a serious competition in the new year?

Review Analytics. Your brand’s website should have some form of analytics. At the end of the year review your website’s analytics, looking for patterns that made impacts on your brand. Did you receive more traffic on the weekends? Or perhaps you find that Monday through Wednesday are your site’s peak times. These patterns can help you plan for the new year. Don’t have analytics for your site? Put that on your plan for the upcoming year.

User Ready.While looking at your site’s analytics, look and see how your customers are experiencing your brand. What device(s) are they using? If you see an increase in the number of mobile users, look at the mobile experience your customers have with your site. Is their mobile experience in line with your brand standards and the experience you expect for your customers?

Growth.During the last year is your brand’s customer base growing or shrinking? Have your numbers increased during the last year? Develop a plan for the new year to increase your customer base. These plans need to not only focus on attracting new customers but also keeping the current ones happy.

Ditch.You’ve had a busy year, so look at the new activities you initiated in the past year and grade them. Did that new tactic you’ve been implementing for the past four months work out? Did you receive the ROI you were hoping for? If it didn’t work and you’re not heavily invested, then ditch the effort and focus on a new strategy for the new year.

Communicate. Examine the ways you communicate with your customers. Is your email correspondence where you expected it to be? Should you change how you communicate with your customers? Do you need to improve your email marketing? Are there other areas where your brand can improve communication with your customers or change their customer experience?

End-of-the-year reflection allows for your brand to grow and know what is and isn’t working. After your reflection, cut the areas that are a drain on your resources while allowing you to focus on the areas that provide the growth you need.