Well friends, it’s that time of year. The time when we’re supposed to take a long, hard look at ourselves in the mirror and ask, “How can I be a better me?”

If you haven’t already, chances are you’re finalizing your list of New Year’s resolutions. You know, go to the gym more, get organized, eat healthier, stick to a tighter budget, stress less …

Which got me thinking. Now is also the perfect time of year for organizations to really think about improvements they can make when it comes to their advertising plans. I’m not talking about an entire overhaul here, just some simple suggestions. Minor tweaks, if you will.

1. Be more social. Launch a new blog or a new Twitter feed in support of a specific product or service. Really go after that niche audience. A very specific blog or Twitter feed is a great way to differentiate yourself without the worry that it might undermine your existing marketing efforts.
2. Help others. Build a contest tab on your Facebook page to benefit charity. Ask your followers to vote on a charity, or perhaps recommend their own, and then make a donation to the most popular choice. It helps you build Facebook traffic, generates some viral buzz around your brand and makes life better for those around you.
3. Be more eco-friendly. There are lots of ways to make your organization green, but what about your advertising? We say, save a tree and try digital if you haven’t already. Scrap that brochure for a QR code. Or turn that annual report into a microsite. It’s the perfect way to test the effectiveness of a new media and help the environment at the same time.
4. Push yourself. Let’s face it, at one time or another, every client has been presented with more than one creative concept at a time. If your concepts tend to gravitate toward more conservative ideas, 2012 is your chance to try being a little bolder. I’d venture to say that the more creative the concept, the more it resonates with your audience. And the more attention-grabbing and memorable it is, the better your return on investment. Thus, what you might tend to view as a “risky” choice, in actuality is the “safe” one.
5. Look to the future, not to the past. If 2011 was a great year for you, “Congratulations!” If not, there’s nothing you can do about it now. It’s a new year, which means a new beginning. Figure out what worked and what didn’t. Learn from your mistakes and move on.

Now that we’ve got some ideas out on the table, here are some tips to help you follow through.

First off, commit yourself to trying just one to start. Then, make a plan on how you’re going to achieve it … and tell someone. That’s right, stick your head outside of your office right now and yell, “Attention everyone! I am going to (insert New Year’s resolution here). Ok, maybe not, but you get the idea. Not only can colleagues hold you accountable (oftentimes with just the right amount of good-natured peer pressure), they can also be there with a little positive encouragement when you need it most.

Have any other advertising New Year’s resolution ideas? We’d love to hear them.

Chances are we’ve all been in that meeting where someone says, “Can we add more benefits to the headline?” (Or commercial, or billboard, or digital banner. Take your pick.) Then, someone politely counters, “I think it’s best if we try to keep the message succinct.” (Now in my admittedly biased opinion, 99.9% of the time he or she hails from the creative department.)

As copywriter, I’m here to tell you it’s not because we don’t want to go back and tweak what we already created. Or that our feelings are hurt. (Our skin is thick and we’re not afraid of eating dinner at our desks.) It’s truly because we want someone besides our parents to truly remember not just the creative, but the message.

After all, when you tend to go on and on and on about who did this, why they didn’t do that, where it was or wasn’t done, who it affected, how much it cost, why they may or may not do it again, why we didn’t say this before, and where this or that is going, people become lost. Confused. Uninterested.

TARTA (click work to expand)

As you can see, this campaign has one simple message with one very arresting visual. There’s no picture of a bus. No full-page report explaining every detail of why TARTA is better than driving. By telling people to simply stop guzzling gas and ride TARTA instead, I walk away understanding (and remembering) what TARTA was trying to say.

HCR ManorCare (click work to expand)

This example is similar to TARTA in that the headline and visual are quick reads that are intriguing and draw you in. HCR ManorCare has more extensive body copy, but the visual and headline remain clear and concise. I get it. I understand it. And I won’t look at a razor the same way ever again.

Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank (click to play spot)

Sometimes people think that tight budgets are a bad thing. Not necessarily. Often, it forces to you really get at the heart of what you’re saying. This is a prime example. We had to quickly and effectively draw people in and get then to understand that people in Toledo aren’t able to feed their families.

If you have any examples of advertising you’d like to share that show why sticking to one message is so important, we’d love to see them. Of course, if you have examples of an ad that’s got everything but the kitchen sink in it, feel free to share those, too.