It’s almost 2024, folks!
As work slows for holiday closures, now is a great time to review your Positive Impact Organization’s goals for 2024. It’s also great for personal and professional audits, too.
As we near the end of a calendar year, Digital Mountaineers uses this time to review everything we’re doing right and things we want to improve for next year. We hope that by sharing our system, it can help you as much as they help us.
1. Review over your org’s website and conduct an audit
What is an audit you might ask? Great question! Our friends over at Mailchimp have laid it out for you in this step by step blog. Basically, it is taking a look to ensure that your SEO is optimized, taking note of any technical errors, reviewing design & content, and the user experience.
When you review the user experience of your site, it’s important to look at your website from the lens of a newcomer who knows nothing about your website, and ask yourself these questions:
- Does the page/wording/imagery accurately convey your org and all you do?
- Does it feel welcoming, warm, and hand holding for a new audience?
- Is your vision/mission statement easily seen and accessible?
- Is your donate button visible on every page?
It’s important to remember that Positive Impact Organizations are not static. They are ever evolving because the people running them are evolving. Your digital content should reflect that.
2. Review your social media platforms
If you haven’t heard us say this before, listen to us now – don’t use your social media as a digital bulletin board. Social media was created so that you could do just that, be social. Check in and see how your engagement is compared to last year. How often do you connect with volunteers and donors via social media?
Once you evaluate your platforms, you’ll want to create some concrete attainable goals for 2024. Pro Tip: Create quarterly goals, they are easier to track.
3. Role assessment – Review what’s working and what could be better
In order to fix an issue, you need to identify it first! Now is a great time to look back on the year and evaluate your role. Is there a workflow that could be improved? Take the initiative to problem solve areas that can help the organization as a whole. Your boss will thank you for it!
4. What is a professional development goal for 2024 and how can your org support that growth?
Part of making sure that your organization is ever evolving means that you have to stay in the know as well. A great way to do that is by enrolling in certification courses or keeping up to date on the latest trends by attending a conference. Highlight the ways that these trainings will benefit the organization and get the approval you need to do it!
5. Let inspiration strike
You know your organization best. You know your department best. Is there a vision, a program, or an idea you’ve been thinking about for your org? Now is the time to share it and invite others to help you brainstorm it into fruition. Everyone loves a go-getter, and when the getting helps everyone, including the communities you serve, it’s a win-win.
Congratulations on doing your best in 2023. It’s all a process in learning, growing, and evolving. And we are honored to grow alongside you!
Here’s to a successful digital review and a calm end of the year. Happy Holidays to you from all of us here at Digital Mountaineers.
P.S. Have you signed up for our quarterly newsletter yet? We don’t mean to toot our own horn, but it’s powered by Mailchimp and it’s awesome! *toot toot* Sign up for free in the footer of our website!
