I can’t believe another year has passed. So many great things happened in 2013 (especially with the arrival of my little munchkin) but l am really excited for the new opportunities and the clean slate that 2014 brings. I think that with the change of the calendar on January 1st there is also a change in perspective for most people. It is a time when we commit ourselves to new goals and self-improvement with a positive attitude. We can shed the disappointments of the past and start fresh.
Since we all know that the first step toward realizing our goals is to set them, New Year’s resolutions offer the perfect opportunity to put those goals in writing. If you are like me, you have already outlined a few New Year’s resolutions for this year but if not it isn’t too late. January isn’t over yet so set aside some time before the end of the month and try to review your organization’s goals and create new ones. If you are struggling to come up with ideas, here are a few great New Year’s resolutions that we think should be on your list and that can help you today’s competitive environment.
1. Make an effort to learn a new marketing skill.
It is never too late to learn a new skill set. Maybe you are clueless about social networking or you would like to sharpen your public speaking skills. Make it a goal to learn at least one new marketing skill this year, it can only make you better at what you do. The best way to do this is to reach out to experts in the skill you want to learn. Experts love sharing their skills and tactics with others so with a little research you are sure to stumble upon a podcast, webinar or book that can help you fulfill your goal.
2. Attend a new event this year.
Sometimes we get stuck in a rut and don’t branch out. Going to the same events every year is great if they bring in business but they are normally filled with people and information that you are already familiar with. Challenge yourself to try attending something new this year. It is a chance to expose yourself to brand new things and people, thus expanding your network and hopefully helping to bring in new business.
3. Test out a new tool or tactic.
This is similar to learning a new skill, but applies to your business strategy as a whole. Perform an evaluation to see what tools and tactics are working and which are not. Maybe you tested out Twitter this past year but you feel like it isn’t getting you the results you expected. Consider swapping it out for a new, untested tool or tactic. You don’t have to dedicate all your resources to this new venture. Try giving it a trial run first. Set some goals and then re-evaluate after a set amount of time. You may find that a new tool or tactic is just what your business needs as a jumpstart.
These ideas should help get your wheels turning. If you already have a list, I would love to hear what some of your New Year’s resolutions are. I think that sharing often helps spur ideas that we may not have considered. So, in the spirit of sharing here are a few goals that I have on my list that you may want to consider for yourself:
- Deepen my understanding of social media outlets and the new platforms that are out there. It seems the younger generation is spearheading this movement and luckily we have a social media guru here at the office (Tara) that keeps me up to speed. It may never be my specialty but I think it is a very interesting way of communicating in today’s world.
- Keep exploring for visual inspiration. I get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest but I need to make an effort to read more about trends and what drives success in the world of marketing and design. I like to see what is out there, it gets me excited but I need to make time to do that.
- Take a refresher course in HTML. I like the challenges of coding and HTML is constantly evolving so I would like to learn some of the new tricks of the trade.
I wish you all the best in 2014 and I can’t wait to hear how you do in keeping up with your resolutions this year!
~ Bethany Howell, art director
