Diana Podaski, Linear Retail Properties

It’s a new year, a time for new goals and ambitions across home life and work life – it’s time to set some new work resolutions. If you haven’t gotten around to yours yet, I thought I’d help you out and list a few that are good targets for 2016 along the lines of marketing, tech and social media in the commercial real estate industry. Cheers to being more productive, more creative and embracing the new year.

Social Media

• Don’t post the same message across all your social media platforms – It’s easy to post your company news across your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn but it’s not very creative and when people see a post on all three social media platforms in addition to an email blast it can be too redundant. Strive to be more creative. Even if you do post an acquisition or other big company news, change up the content verbiage and use various photos.

• Create a content strategy and calendar – Look at the year as a whole and project company news and other happenings. Create a marker-board calendar with content and use social media publishing tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to post content accordingly.

• Build relationships with media via social media – Let’s face it, the press release is a dying breed. Its 2016, get with the program and more into building relationships with reporters and editors via social media.

Tech

• Go on a phone diet – When a new year is upon us everyone is back in the gym (for a few months anyway) and trying to slim down. Why not try going on a phone diet? By this I mean limit your phone usage when you get home. Put it in your bedroom to charge and don’t touch it again until you go to bed and set your alarm. This will make for a happier family and a happier you, I guarantee it.

• Update all electronic devices throughout the year in a timely manner – We constantly get reminders on our phones and tablets about updating our software and we hit the snooze or “remind me later” button. This year update all electronics when prompted and stop getting annoyed by seeing the same message pop up over and over. In case you forgot, the updates are supposed to make life easier.

• Keep the company website fresh – First, make sure your website is responsive. Second, make sure you always keep your website fresh with new content and continue to change your homepage sliders.

Marketing

Think more inbound marketing and less outbound marketing (but ok to have both) – Try to think about what you can do to attract people to your company instead of throwing out the fishing pole and trying to land the big catch.

Be better prepared for tradeshows in all ways – Tradeshows are one of the most stressful times of the year for us. Do a search on the ICSC website and put all of the show dates in your calendar. Work backwards starting with when you need to first reach out to contacts to book meetings. Now that you know the dates and deadlines, work harder to submit items on time. This will help avoid rush fees and save money, a win-win for you and the boss.

Other

• Volunteer more, either through work or on your own – Volunteering is great for networking and for expanding your social circle. I recently started volunteering with Make-A-Wish MA/RI chapter for their Wine & Wishes program and I’ve so enjoyed my experiences thus far. I’m making a difference, having fun and meeting new people from various industries.

• Send more handwritten thank you notes – You probably questioned this one, given I’m “Miss Digital,” BUT I strongly believe in the handwritten paper thank you note. Most people get junk in the mail so it’s a treat to get a note from someone you care about especially when it’s on thick Crane-branded cardstock. It’s more personal and leaves a lasting impression. Try to write your thank you notes before you go to bed; this will put your mind in a good state as you doze off to sleep, feeling thankful. (I believe I got this tip from Lisa Nickerson of Nickerson PR at a Lunch with CEOs MA Next Gen event.)

Fun Fact: People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t explicitly make resolutions (according to Statistic Brain, Research Institute)

Diana Podaski is VP - marketing and social media at Linear Retail Properties, Burlington, Mass.