We all make our personal resolutions and our personal goals for the upcoming new year. We run to the gym, we make smarter eating choices, we set career goals, we try harder in our relationships, and ensure we are presenting our best selves. The same goes for our brand presences – we need to refresh according to new/revised business goals, focus on what works and shed the things that don’t.
1. Shed Those Pounds
Have some pesky pounds from last year that aren’t working out so much? Get rid of the tactics that aren’t working and revise them and/or focus on those that did work better for your audience. For example – perhaps Foursquare is not for your brand but Facebook works great. It’s ok to be present on multiple social networks but finding a home base where your brand works best is key to establishing a presence and a loyal community (along with content that rocks, of course).
2. Have a Balanced Diet
Balance is key when it comes to consuming and sharing content across channels. It’s not ok to expect your audience to binge on your content day after day. Share some 3rd party content, share stuff your audience has shared. For example – ReTweet and Mention people on Twitter rather than being robotic and only sharing your own updates. And of course focus on the content that your audience values and likes to consume (focus on the links they click on, the tweets they ReTweet, and so on and so forth).
3. Maintain Relationships
Remember how I mentioned ReTweeting? That falls suit here too. Show your audience you care about what they say. Like it, Share it, ReTweet it, Mention or Reply back, or even better – surprise and delight some extra loyal fans.
4. Meet New People
Roaming around a cocktail party and networking isn’t always easy – and neither is acquiring new fans. However if your content is valuable, easily shareable, and your brand works on making your brand awareness known throughout multiple channels and cross-promoting (through a newsletter and on social networks), it can be done. Your loyal fans can also help you attain new ones through praise and sharing your content with their friends.
5. Set Reachable Goals
After your brand has evaluated what worked last year and what didn’t, you can set new goals for the upcoming year. Whether it’s to start a tumblr blog, focus on more visual content which your audience loves to share, and/or focus on more off line events to amplify your online work, set those goals, and stick to them (as long as your analytics prove they’re working).
Last but not least, don’t forget to raise a glass of champagne to your community manager(s) who is/are working hard on your brand’s behalf. Cheers!
