Here we are, at the end of the calendar year, it’s time to create your brand’s year-end checklist. Even if you’re busy meeting deadlines and catching up on work at the end of the year, do not forget to take stock of where your company has been in the last 12 months, how it got there, and where you want to go next.
I. 5 Year-End Checklist Items for Businesses
Before going any further, you should understand what a year-end checklist is. Year-end checklist is a formalized list of tasks that you assign to yourself at the end of the fiscal, business, or calendar year. So here’re some year-end checklist items that will help your business get off to a good start in the new year.
Brand Audit
What is Brand Audit?
Brand Audit is the process of evaluating your brand’s position in the marketplace. It’s an analytical strategy that studies the aspects that make up a brand, which should cover three essential areas:
- Internal branding: Core values, culture, vision and mission.
- External branding: Logo, visual assets and brand messaging.
- Customer experience: Sales processes, customer support and user experience.
With data on market research, competitors, target customers, competitive landscape,… a brand audit can provide an in-depth look into your business’s current state, point out its strengths, shortcomings and help you chart new paths for 2023.
How to Conduct a Brand Audit?
Establish your goals and objectives: The most important thing is to know what you want. Therefore, do not forget to set goals and objectives following the SMART rule: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This way, you’ll know exactly what your brand needs to focus on from the start.
Review your current results: Collect and review all the important data such as website data, social media analytics, sales data,… This can teach you what your brand does well, what you might stop doing and how you can improve.
Talk to your customers: Customer’s feedback and suggestions are essential for your brand evaluation. Pay attention to what they said about your brand and try to understand their experiences.
Competitor research: A thorough examination of your competitors allows you to avoid falling behind others in the market. This helps you to gain a clear picture of what other brands are doing, then improve your marketing activities and identify opportunities to increase your market share.
Take action: Based on your findings, it is time to make a change. Check to see if the changes you made are having the desired effect. When you take action in a specific area, monitor the progress and results and make adjustments as needed.
Brand Identity Review
This is the second task should be on your year-end checklist. A brand identity is the set of sensory elements – visual, verbal and more – that allows your brand to communicate effectively, and enable it to be recognized and loved.
Your brand identity is the public face that your company presents to the world. Taking the time to review and update your brand identity on a regular basis to make sure it is exactly what you want, that it stays relevant with your business and reflects the changing needs of your consumers.
Social Media Management
Before the new year begins, you should review your company’s social media performance. Which platforms do your target audiences use? Is the content on these channels relevant to your brand and engaging with the readers? And have you created content for special occasions throughout the year to evoke interactions? v.v
Here are some KPIs and metrics you should keep an eye on:
- Cost per Mille (CPM)
- Cost per Click (CPC)
- Cost per Lead / Cost per Conversion
- Days and times when the majority of your followers are online
- Organic reach
- Organic engagement
Website Evaluation
An annual website review is a must-do on your year-end checklist to make sure your website is actually working for you around the clock!
Here is a straightforward website audit checklist to help you get started:
Page views: Views of each page and Views of the entire Website are the two main types. The total number of views on the website is equal to the total number of each page views, including the homepage.
Bounce rate: This is the percentage of visitors who leave a website without taking any action. The higher this ratio, in most cases, the worse the website performance. Users do not click on a link, fill out a form, or make a purchase,..; instead, they exit the page as soon as they arrive at the website.
Time on page: The fact that users are staying on the site for longer periods of time is a good sign. To do this, you need to have quality content, hit reader insights, invest in a good image,…
Review your SEO keywords: Think about whether the keywords you’re using are ones that people will type into the search bar. Good keywords have a high Search Volume but a low word Competition. These keywords receive a lot of traffic and are simpler to rank for.
Evaluate and update your website content, images
Check all links and buttons to make sure they work
View your website on multiple platforms, to make sure it’s user-friendly, whether on PC or Mobile
Year-end Campaigns Launch
The end of the year, as we approach the festive season and the Lunar New Year, is an ideal time for marketing campaigns, particularly in the FMCG, F&B, and Hospitality industries.
There are a few things you should keep in mind when implementing year-end campaigns:
Identify the goals and objectives
Set the budget
Define the audience
Align your messages: Take the time to gain customer’s insights, then write a customized message for them that is still related to your products/ services.
Choose the appropriate communication channels
Choose the best time to launch the campaign: It will depend on your products/services and the campaign’s objectives. For FMCG products, for example, you should launch the campaign early because customers tend to plan ahead of time for the holidays. Jewelry, cosmetics, and other high-end items should have marketing campaigns in place by the end of the year, when people will have an abundance of bonuses to reward themselves.
Evaluate and make improvements: Take time to review the campaign once it is finished, or partially finished, to determine whether it is on track and accomplishing the objectives, and to suggest any areas that could be improved.
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II. How can Enosta help you?
Above are some key things that should be included in the year-end checklist for your brand. Hope you can gain useful knowledge and experiences from this article.
Depending on the characteristics of the market, industry, and customers, you will need different strategies and checklists for a successful year-end milestone. As a companion for many years with SMEs and Startups, Enosta, with a team of experienced professionals, will bring you the optimal solution for your year-end checklist. If you’re having trouble knowing where to start, contact Enosta for a free consultation!
