Those first two months of 2017 just flew by, didn't they? I bet it feels like just last night you were watching the ball drop, blowing a noise-maker, and counting down to life's natural refresh button! Now, we are off and running into a new year and we'd be willing to bet that you're still staring at that formidable bullet journal list of resolutions for your brand. Have you checked any of them off? It's cool—we'll keep your secret.

Now that the honeymoon stage is coming to a close, consider this your mid-winter motivator and sign: Don't lose sight of those brand goals! All promises seem rose-colored in January and then fade a little just in time for Valentine's Day. But don't be ashamed! GLAD WORKS is here to play motivator and remind you that there's still plenty of time. Let's check in and get you re-focused, shall we?

Are you interacting with your base more?

In 2017, it is no longer good enough to just provide services through an invisible barrier between your brand and your followers. Across multiple sectors and industries, customers want—no, expect—a peek into the engine of companies and brands that they follow. Transparency builds loyalty and loyalty is currency in today's market. A positive interaction on any social platform has the potential to turn a follower into a brand advocate.

How To: Task an experienced social team with developing your brand's personality online. Even the fast food chains are doing it! Have you seen the interaction Taco Bell's Twitter gets?

Do you still doubt the power of temporary social media?

You promised you'd look into Snapchat marketing and geofilters two years in row and crickets! Seriously, ephemeral social media content is here to stay. Last year, saw the rise or Facebook Live and Instagram stories, proving that quick and personal sharing is more than a trend—it's a marketing revolution! This is great for your company because it allows you to offer that aforementioned transparency with less of a permanent commitment or info overload.

How To: Create an Instagram Story about your next company event and give your supporters and followers a sense of the awesome culture that powers your brand!

Have you revisited those core values recently?

There are few things that can doom a brand or company's ability to grow like outdated core values. Those few short bullet points are your brand identity and letting them get stale runs the risk that they are no longer in-line with the people you want to reach. In today's world, brands are often publically held accountable for not keeping up with shifts in societal climate. Followers can easily feel betrayed by brands that don't seem to grow with their mindsets and needs. If it's important to them, review your identity and make it important to your brand.

How To: Craft a concept for your desired follower or customer—and then go down the line and make sure each of your core values reflect that hypothetical person. This ensures that you're focused on engaging them before you actually do.

Have you made friends with data yet?

We get it! It can be a little tedious and feels calculating—but data is improving efficiency in everything from sports to marketing to politics. There is a reason why it's called the information age and not the information season. We live in a time where data and analytics (and people who are skilled readers of it) are accessible and available. To NOT utilize data to deliver optimized results for your brand is like building a sandcastle with a blindfold on!

How To: Take the rest of the winter to invest in real analytics to hear what your followers and customers are trying to say to you. Get reports and then use what you learn to deliver for the rest of 2017!

Keep this list handy and revisit it to make sure that your company or brand is paying attention to the most important areas for success this year. Implement what you can now so that you can use your Spring Cleaning for just that! It is still early enough in 2017 to see results!