Ah, the New Year – a great time to take stock in last year’s performance and make vows for improvements.

What about social media? Did your program meet expectations or were you left dazed and confused? Are you ready to tackle the new challenges and opportunities in the ever-evolving social media landscape?

Here are some online marketing/social media resolutions for 2013 for you to consider:

Embrace Mobile Devices: Almost half of all cell phones in the U.S. are now smart phones. According to Mobile Marketer, 70% of all mobile searches result in action within one hour. Google says that 95% of smartphone users look up local information, and of those, 59% ultimately visit the business.

In my opinion, many companies in the tire/auto service industry are still focusing on targeting home computer users. This is a huge mistake that will cost you more and more as consumers turn to smartphones and tablets as their primary Web-searching platforms.

Make sure your website and any other pertinent online properties are optimized for mobile devices. Instead of the consumer searching around for your address or special offers on your standard website, these critical areas should be front and center on the phone screen. Studies show that a large majority of people who get frustrated by trying to find company information on their smart phone, never return!

The good news is, optimizing your Web properties is quite inexpensive, especially considering the benefits.

Set Measurable, Achievable Goals: Do you want to increase your fan engagement levels on Facebook? A really good goal, by the way! Measure your current “Talking About This” percentage and set a goal.

Free or low-cost tools such as Hootsuite and Facebook Insights provide valuable information for tracking the performance of your social media activities. More robust social media monitoring programs, such as Radian6 and Sysomos, provide a wealth of information on your social media audiences and your brand’s online health. These particular services can cost $1,000 per month and up, but for a national brand or retailer, they should certainly be considered.

Keep up with New Developments: Social media sites are constantly changing and adding new tools for businesses. New sites are cropping up continuously. It can be overwhelming, so ask each member of your marketing team to research the latest developments at one site – Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Ask them to report to the team. It’s a great way to keep everyone up-to-date and foster collaboration.

Get Your People Involved: People buy from people. Social media is a great way to humanize your company or brand to consumers. Encourage your associates to get behind your social media efforts – they can and should be your best advocates. Develop campaigns and programs that facilitate this. But by all means, make sure they are educated on social media do’s and don’ts. A social media policy is a must. You can see examples of great social media policies at socialmediagovernance.com.

So, here’s to a great year in the tire business and to fully leveraging the growing power of social media for your business!