Birthdays, anniversaries, the start of a new semester or school year, and, of course, the beginning of a new calendar year are milestones in which many of us like to reflect, renew and recommit.

In addition to (or instead of) the usual lose weight, get organized, save money and spend more time with family resolutions, I’m asking you to make another equally serious commitment … this time to your copy.

Yep, your copy deserves a piece of you this year.

When’s the last time you reviewed your online privacy policy, your capabilities brochure or your signature speech? Do you have a copy review schedule? Have you dedicated resources to maintaining fresh content?

Resolve right now to ditch the “write-it-and-forget-it” mentality of yore (which, btw, in the Information Age is last year, last month or even last week) and the “we’ve-always-done-it-this-way” thinking.

I recently challenged one of my local television news stations via Twitter.com to stop the inane, useless teasers and start giving us real news, even in :10 soundbites. With a mobile phone, laptop or PSP I can jump online and get the news instead of waiting until “at 11.” C’mon. Gimme something now and promise something for later that will make me want to tune in. I’m not waiting to hear you tell me something I already read online, via a tweet or from a text message.

Don’t be guilty of what the entire news industry is guilty of — not keeping up with the way consumers demand their information be delivered.

Let me get you started. Say this out loud:

• I own responsibility for my copy.
• I commit to serving my customers/clients/audience/employees current information.
• Nothing is more valuable to me than providing current, credible, dynamic content.
• I will make a planned, intentional and strategic effort to update my copy and my copy practices.
• I will budget appropriate resources (time, money, staffing) to creating and maintaining amazing content both online and off

Cheers to you! You’ve taken the first, most difficult step toward creating a copy strategy that will serve you, your business and your customers well this year.

And while you’re at it, check out Guy Kawasaki’s post on the Amex Open Forum. He gives a quick-hit list of to-dos for small businesses; but his ideas translate well for any size business.

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