There is something gratifying, isn’t there, about the start of a new year.  For me, it’s the feeling that you can be done with the old and start something fresh.

In that spirit, I’ve come up with a handful of resolutions for you to consider for your marketing program. Choose one, choose them all, or just use them as a starting point for brainstorming ways to improve your marketing this year.

Update your brand. Are you still using a logo and tag line from the 1990’s? Now is the time to give your company a new image and carry it through to all your marketing materials, including your website. It will signal to customers and prospects that you aren’t resting on your laurels and continue to offer them value.

Get smarter. Learn something new about marketing and apply it to your business. The American Marketing Association offers free webcasts which generally last for about an hour and are a great way to be exposed to new marketing trends.

.Mend fences. Think back over last year. Were there customers who defected, or who expressed displeasure with your product or service? Make an effort to reconnect with them and fix whatever went wrong.  You’ll be saving and strengthening customer relationships, which can help build this year's revenues.

Learn more about competitors.  Do you know what your competitors have been up to lately? Make this the year you track the competition’s moves. For example, you can attend trade functions, scan the local papers and trade journals, routinely cruise past competitors’ facilities, and visit their websites. Google and other Internet sources also offer email alerts that you can use to track competitors more easily.

Clean up. Okay, I admit it. I don’t have the most organized customer files in the world. I think I have every version of every marketing plan or brochure I’ve ever written. So I’ll spend a few hours in January to clean out all the outdated papers from my customer files. I’ll also transfer the pertinent data to my electronic contact files.  

Ms. Kasprzak, principal of Advantage Marketing & Associates, is a certified management consultant who specializes in helping B2B clients connect with their customers to achieve greater sales revenues. She can be reached at LKasprzak@advantage-marketing.com or 908.233.6265. 

Interested in republishing The Marketing Advantage?