If you're doing a little spring cleaning this time of year, don't overlook your marketing. It's important to perform regular maintenance to ensure your efforts are paying off. However, many businesses fall into a rut or simply delay updates that could end up saving them time and money in the long run.

Colleen Cropley, marketing manager at Pulse Marketing, says spring is a great time to tidy up your marketing. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we highlight Cropley's thoughts on five ways to freshen up your marketing efforts this spring.

1. Refresh social media. When was the last time you changed your profile picture or cover photos on your social media accounts? If you can't remember, or if it was a long time ago, now is a perfect time to make an update, says Cropley. Be sure that these images are consistent among all of your social media platforms, as this is not only important for a strong brand identity but can also make your brand feel more credible. It also gives followers an opportunity for engagement as they react to your fresh new look. While you're updating graphics, double check your contact information and other descriptions to make sure everything is current.

2. Evaluate your website. Even if you have a smaller website, return visitors will notice if images, content and news on your site is out of date. Not only does having accurate content on your website help maintain strong search engine optimization but it also shows web visitors that your brand is active, notes Cropley. Update images so your visitors have a new experience when they visit your site, keep your calendar current with upcoming event information and do a thorough sweep of your website to be confident that there aren't any broken links or outdated information.

3. Update passwords. Did you know that one of the most important elements of cybersecurity is often forgotten or overlooked? Not changing your passwords or using the same password for every program you use leaves your business vulnerable to a cyberattack. In fact, 50 percent of people haven't changed their passwords in more than a year, and 20 percent haven't ever changed them, says Cropley. The last thing you want is to have your accounts hacked or disabled. Change those passwords this spring and set a schedule for changing passwords regularly in the future.

4. Review contact lists. If your business uses contact lists to keep track of emails and phone numbers of media contacts and current and prospective customers, it's important to have the most up-to-date information possible to help you keep in touch with them, notes Cropley. To start, remove any undeliverable email addresses from your contacts. Take a look at the email addresses that have bounced and make sure there are no syntax errors. If you have long-standing contacts that you don't communicate with regularly, ensure that the contact information you have for them is correct.

5. Update SEO strategies. Make sure your website has strong readability as well as optimization around Google's search algorithm. Typically, a good place to start is to present your web pages with strong, clear titles and captivating meta descriptions so site visitors know what to expect from your website, says Cropley. Content for each page should reach at least 300 words, and it's usually a good idea to include inbound links within the body text to encourage visitors to explore other pages on your website. All images on the page should have alt-tags, or a short description or keyword, so that crawlers are able to identify them. Lastly, and most importantly, verify that your website's keywords align with the website content, as well as your company's brand and services.

Don't let spring go by without taking time to refresh your marketing. Tidy up outdated websites and social media profiles, make important updates and go through your contact list. Just as you feel satisfied after a deep clean at home, you'll feel the same sense of renewal and relief when you spruce up your marketing.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Colleen Cropley is marketing manager at Pulse Marketing, a full-service marketing team and advertising agency.