It's time for a brand-check!




As the new year gets underway, it's an opportunity to have a look at how your brand is showing itself to the world and whether you may have let things slide just a little.

1. Social media: Are your accounts active? If not, should you scale back, perhaps cutting a platform or two, or should you be planning and scheduling your content? Are you following good social media practices such as sharing and commenting on others' posts?

2. Blog: If you have a blog, when was the last time you posted new content? Sharing your knowledge can be valuable to your clients as well as provide you with original content for your other platforms. Focus information on what you offer and create a publication schedule for the first quarter. Block off  time to in your calendar.

3. Customer service: Are your employees trained in great customer service? Are they engaged with company goals? Both of these things need attention if you've hired new staff, heard complaints or seen interactions that don't meet your standards.

4. Advertising or promotions: Are you investing in keeping your brand in front of customers and potential customers? Whether you're facing a downturn or an upturn, this is an investment that you can't afford not to make.



5. Community contribution: Are you investing in your community? This can be one of the cornerstones of your brand and has proven to be a successful win-win strategy for many businesses. It might be time to assess your efforts to gauge whether you're aligning with organizations or causes that you want to support.

It's also a good time to remember that you are the best ambassador of your brand. What people see you doing, matters.

Colleen



 


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