Most organizations start the year with a strategy in place, but never revisit it. Unfortunately, if you don’t periodically check in, things can start to drift, you may miss opportunities, and you risk your brand being represented inconsistently. That’s why it’s time to take a self-audit so you can realign and feel ready to enter the second half of the year.
Check out the prompts below to help you take inventory of where your brand, marketing, and website currently stand and prioritize the next steps to get back on track.
Is Your Brand Showing Up Clearly + Consistently?
Your brand extends beyond your logo and visual identity. It’s the experience that people remember. That’s why you need to ensure that your brand is clearly and consistently showing up at every possible touch point.
- Are you using current fonts, colors, and design elements across all platforms?
- Are there any instances of old versions of your brand that need to be updated?
- Is your imagery style cohesive for photos, illustrations and graphics?
- Do templates exist for common materials like social media posts, presentations, or proposals?
- Is your tone of voice consistent? Does it sound like the same person is writing it?
- Does your messaging clearly communicate what you do and who you serve?
- Have you drifted from your original positioning over time?
- Could a new customer understand your value in just a few seconds? (Donald Miller’s Grunt Test is a great exercise for ensuring messaging simplicity!)
- Is what makes you different obvious in your materials, or are you blending in with competitors?
- Do your team members describe your organization and offerings the same way?
- Do brand guidelines exist (visual, tone, etc.) and are they actually used? Does your team know where to find this document?
- Does your brand still reflect your current services, audience, and goals?
- Have you outgrown your visual identity or messaging?
Pro Tip: Learn how our Brand Personality + Positioning and Messaging workshops helped one client realize the need to not only update the language they used to communicate what they do and who they serve, but also complete a visual rebrand that aligns with their current impact, growth, and future goals.
Key Takeaway: If your brand feels inconsistent internally, it's confusing externally.
Are Your Marketing Efforts Driving Results?
Just because you’re regularly posting on social media or publishing a new blog each month doesn’t mean your marketing activity is effective. You need to put your energy into efforts that move the needle; otherwise, what’s the point of posting?
- Are the channels you’re investing in actually supporting your goals?
- Are you showing up in the spaces where your audience spends time?
- Do you clearly know your target audience right now?
- Remember, your current audience and target audience are two different groups of people. Different audiences require different channels.
- Remember, your current audience and target audience are two different groups of people. Different audiences require different channels.
- Has your audience behavior changed recently?
- Are you regularly getting new leads?
- Are those leads qualified?
- Do you have a documented lead qualification process?
- Are your leads converting into customers, clients, volunteers, or donors?
- Are your campaigns clearly communicating the value your product or service offers?
- Do you test and refine messaging?
- Do you have processes or tools in place that make marketing more efficient?
- Are you automating where it’s appropriate? (i.e. email, CRM, follow-ups)
- Is your team spending time strategically, or reactively?
- Are your business listings, like Google Business Profile, accurate and up to date?
- Are you monitoring and responding to reviews?
Key Takeaway: Good marketing isn't more. It's doing more of what works and culling what doesn't.
Is Your Website Working + Converting?
Your website should convert, not just exist! To convert, it needs to be user-friendly and up to date. If it looks like you haven’t touched it since 2001, people are probably going to go elsewhere.
- How long has it been since you updated the overall look?
- Does the site still feel modern and credible?
- Is it easy to navigate?
- Is your site mobile-friendly across devices?
- Are you using tools or practices that support accessibility for all users?
- Are there broken links or missing pages?
- Do all forms work properly?
- Are calls to action clear and easy to complete?
- Is your Google Analytics (or equivalent) connected and tracking data?
- How often do you review the data?
- Weekly
- Monthly
- Quarterly
- Yearly
- Never
We recommend reviewing data at least quarterly to help you see what’s working and turn metrics into meaningful data that helps you make smarter marketing decisions.
- Is your content up to date and accurate?
- Are you regularly adding new content or refreshing existing content?
- Does your content answer real customer or audience questions?
- Do key pages guide users toward action?
- Is it clear what to do next on every page?
- Are you capturing leads effectively?
Key Takeaway: If your website isn't converting and people aren't using it, it's just an expensive brochure.
Setting Priorities for Improvements
Take a look at your list. Whether you only have a couple of action items or a more comprehensive list, we know prioritization is the name of the game to ensure you get the improvements you need to make on the calendar–especially if you have to do the work alone or need to spread it over a few team members.
Our recommendation is to prioritize what feels most critical first, then plan the rest of the work, tackling a few items at a time. Prioritization helps you avoid feeling overwhelmed with the actions you need to take. Think quick wins that help build long-term momentum.
Resetting for the Rest of the Year
Remember, this health check is meant to help you spot opportunities rather than serve as a critique. It’s all about setting you up to build momentum and ensure your brand is presented clearly and consistently across the board.
