Dating back to ancient civilisation, New Year’s resolutions have played an important part in planning the year ahead and finding improvements needed in your personal and work life.
For businesses, this offers an opportunity to evaluate your performance and improve your strategies for the upcoming year. Whilst personal resolutions may focus on healthier eating or starting a hobby, business resolutions may focus on some of the following:
Define Clear Goals:
Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals is essential for driving business growth and success. These goals provide a clear road map, allowing businesses to focus their efforts on objectives that align with their goals and strategy.
Instead of generalising resolutions, such as ‘increase sales’, how about expanding it to ‘boost online sales by 15% in Q1’, ticking off each component of the SMART target.
Embrace Consistency in Branding:
Embracing consistency in branding across all platforms and assets not only increases recognition of your brand but also builds trust. A consistent brand helps your customers and audience to associate your visuals and messaging with your business/brand, supporting you to be recognised and trusted.
By reviewing things such as your logo(s) usage, colours, and brand voice, you can ensure you keep a consistent appearance on all platforms and assets. This will also help to differentiate you from competitors by establishing a unique identity and reinforcing brand values.
Improve Customer Service:
Having excellent customer service can act as a deciding factor in your industry. Where products and services may often be similar, good customer service could very well be the reason a customer chooses you over a competitor. Focusing on feedback using surveys and social media can be a great way to demonstrate your commitment to listening and adapting to customers’ needs. You can also implement review platforms such as Google Reviews or Trustpilot to encourage customers to share their experience with you and feedback on your service – people will be more likely to come to you if they can see a history of positive reviews and ratings.
Leverage New Marketing Trends:
Leveraging new marketing trends for the upcoming year will help retain brand relevancy and demonstrate your ability to look forward to stay ahead of the curve. Keep an eye on any emerging platforms and technologies that are relevant to your business, industry and target audience and ensure you create related content that resonates with your target audience. By regularly monitoring your competitor’s strategies, you can adapt quickly to any changes in customers' behaviour.
Commit to Continuous Learning:
Committing to continuous learning can help businesses to stay competitive and up-to-date in a rapidly changing world. Encourage your team (and yourself) to attend webinars, read blogs, and undertake relevant courses to gain insight into emerging trends and gain access to essential skills that you may not already possess. By committing to continuous learning, you can improve individual and business expertise, boosting productivity and business growth opportunities.
