Once the countdown confetti has settled, the start of a new year brings a natural pause — a moment to reset priorities, review what’s working, and make small improvements that can pay off over the next several months. For communications and marketing teams, this is an ideal time to tackle some of the digital maintenance tasks that get overlooked during busier times.
Most organizations don’t need a full website redesign or a brand-new social strategy to start the year strong. These ten simple improvements can be completed in a matter of days (or even hours) and will immediately strengthen your digital presence.
Looking for a practical place to start? Grab a printable checklist with these tips and check off each update as you go. ➡️ Access the Digital Fresh Start checklist
1. Audit Website Contact Information and Staff Pages
Start with the basics. Outdated contact info erodes trust and frustrates users. Make sure your site adds clarity, not confusion, by keeping these areas up to date.
- Check email addresses, phone numbers, and office locations
- Verify that contact forms are routing to the correct email inbox
- Confirm name spellings, titles, and pronouns
- Remove staff who are no longer with the organization
2. Refresh Social Media Bios and Links
Social bios are often written when an account is first created, and then forgotten. Don’t let this prime digital real estate go to waste. Is your bio making a good first impression?
- Confirm accuracy of descriptions, taglines, “about” sections, and mission statements
- Check that links work and point to the most relevant landing page
- Update pinned links if needed (e.g., Linktree, Beacons, profile links)
- Ensure brand voice is consistent across platforms
3. Confirm Platform Ownership and Access
The start of a new year or quarter is the perfect time to develop documentation that will prevent future panic and mitigate security risks. All organizations need digital housekeeping from time to time, but this step is especially critical during transitions in staffing or volunteers.
- Verify who has admin access to your CMS, social media platforms, and analytics
- Remove former staff or vendors who no longer need access
- Store login credentials securely and document platform ownership
4. Add Photo Alt-Text on Web and Social
Accessibility improvements don’t have to be overwhelming — and alt-text is a powerful place to start. These snippets of descriptive language provide equitable access to your content, improve discoverability, and support compliance with ADA regulations.
- Add descriptive alt-text to website images, especially on key pages
- Begin using alt-text consistently on social media images
- Focus on clarity: who is in the image, what’s happening, and why it matters
For more information about accessible digital content, check out accessible-social.com and W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guildelines (WCAG).
5. Identify Target Audiences by Platform
Each digital platform has its own culture, demographic makeup, and content types. When creating content for multiple channels, it’s helpful to know who you’re targeting in each space.
- For each social channel, define who you’re trying to reach
- Note details about these audiences — their overarching interests, goals, and reasons for following your account
- Document this information and share it with your team. It should serve as a reference for content planning throughout the year.
6. Review Your Top Landing Pages
Many of your website users, especially first-time visitors, aren’t coming through the homepage. Visitors may find your site through search, a link on a third-party site, or an AI chat — and those resources often direct to pages buried deeper in your site’s navigation. Small tweaks on these first-impression pages can make a big difference in engagement and conversions.
- Use site analytics to identify the top 10 landing pages over the past year
- Check those pages for outdated language and broken links
- Refresh headlines, visuals, or buttons where needed
7. Start a Content Calendar
As the new year offers a fresh start, treat yourself to a solid foundation to help plan your messaging over the next several months. It’s a great time to set up a document in a calendar tool, a spreadsheet, or even on paper. Use whatever system works best for you, but you’ll want to include a few core features:
- Map out key dates, events, or campaigns
- Plan out when you intend to post on each active platform, and briefly describe the message you’ll share
- Keep it flexible. Consistency matters more than perfection
A simple monthly or quarterly calendar can dramatically reduce stress and last-minute scrambling.
8. Block Weekly Time for Engagement — Not Just Posting
Participation is more impactful than promotion. You need to actively engage with your network before you can expect their attention in return.
- Schedule at least one hour-long time slot each week, and dedicate that time solely to connecting with others via social media
- Reply to comments and messages
- Like, share, and comment on other accounts’ posts that share your mission
- Follow relevant accounts and join conversations
9. Create a Series
If you feel stuck while brainstorming content ideas, try kick-starting your plans with one broad, repeatable, relevant theme. A tentpole series can ground all of your other content and allows for a stronger focus on priority topics.
- Pick a content category that feels exciting and plentiful. Consider member spotlights, featured resources, advocacy updates, events, behind-the-scenes insights, etc.
- Choose a frequency that feels doable. Will you share this type of content weekly? Monthly? Quarterly?
- List 5-10 ideas for specific posts (e.g., people you could feature, events to highlight, etc.)
- Use your content calendar to schedule publication times for your favorite post ideas
10. Pick One Metric, For One Platform
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are essential for data-tracking and reporting — but measuring them doesn’t have to be complicated, especially if you’re just getting started with analytics. You can gauge digital performance without being overwhelmed by back-end numbers.
- Choose a single active platform, ideally the one you feel is most impactful or has the most potential
- Pick one metric — just one piece of data — that you want to track. (Hint: If your goals are primarily about building awareness, consider tracking impressions/views. If your goals are more about engagement and community-building, track total engagements or engagement rate.)
- Monthly, go into the analytics for that platform, set the date range for the month, and look up that one metric. Record it in an easily accessible place.
- Over time, you will start to see how that data point ebbs and flows. Use it to inform small adjustments and see how the number shifts in response.
- As you become more comfortable working with the data, you can add more metrics to your reporting — but feel free to start slow and ease into the process.
➡️ Get your printable Digital Fresh Start checklist.
A Strong Start Sets the Tone for the Year
This January is about thoughtful, intentional updates that can build momentum — especially for small or lean teams managing multiple responsibilities.
If you approach this month as a chance to clean up, clarify, and recommit to your digital strategy, you’ll be setting your organization up for a more focused and effective year online.
Looking for guidance as you refresh your digital presence?
Dr. Josie Ahlquist and her team specialize in helping associations and higher education organizations strengthen their websites, social media, and engagement strategies with practical, people-centered approaches that work.
