Happy New Year’s! Welcome to 2014! We love the beginning of the year: it’s a time rich with promise and opportunity. The possibility exists to make 2014 the best year your business ever had. It all depends on the choices you make in the days and weeks to come.

With that in mind, we came up with 3 Digital Marketing Resolutions every business owner needs to make.

Resolution #1: Accept that Social Media is Here to Stay

There are people out there – more than a few of whom are small business owners – who insist that social media is a fad, and certainly not a fad that their customers are the least bit interested in. 2014 is the year to give that story up. Social media is here to stay – and more important than that, for many people, it’s become their primary source of information. Social media has a tremendous impact on your customers’ purchasing decisions. You can’t opt out any longer. If you’re going to stay in business, you need an effective social media presence.

Resolution #2: Determine Your Top 3 Marketing Objectives

Every aspect of your digital presence – which includes your website, your mobile site, your email marketing campaigns and your social media – needs to be working to build your business. Now is the ideal time to clearly articulate what you want to accomplish with each of your digital tools. Create concrete, quantifiable goals for your 2014 marketing campaigns. For example, determine how many new customers you want to attract, or what percentage of sales growth you’d like to see over a given time period. Every choice you make with your digital marketing should be designed to move you closer to achieving those objectives.

Resolution #3: Build Your Story Telling Skills

Our customers are continually being deluged with content. To stand out in the crowd of commercial messaging, you’re going to need to share stories that resonate quickly and effectively with your customers. This is easier said than done. The process begins by understanding who your best, most profitable customers are and what factors drive their purchasing decisions. Then you can create narratives and imagery that will influence them to choose your company first. Begin 2014 on a high note with a fresh commitment to understanding your customers’ wants and needs.

Bonus Resolution: Don’t Be Afraid To Ask for Help

As we all know, it’s easy to make promises – but it can be tough to keep them! That’s why gyms have trainers and classrooms have teachers: instruction and guidance play a critical role in turning any resolution into an achievement. If you need help implementing your digital marketing resolutions, give us a call. We’re here to support you as you work to make 2014 your best year yet!