It’s a new year, which means it’s time to make resolutions, take on fresh challenges, learn new things and change our lives for the better.Mashable has been building a vast archive of how-to guides on everything from professional networking to planning a vacation online — what better time to release a combined list than at the beginning of a new decade?If you’re looking to improve your life in 2010, we hope you’ll find these How-To guides useful.
Professional Goals
Many professionals today are primed to leverage online tools for success in 2010. Here’s a list of resources that will help you increase your ROI, whether you’re a novelist or a PR rep.
HOW TO: Implement a Social Media Business Strategy
HOW TO: Measure Social Media ROI
HOW TO: Track Social Media Analytics
HOW TO: Build the Ultimate Social Media Resume
HOW TO: Launch Your Own Indie Journalism Site
HOW TO: Plan and Promote Events With Social Media
HOW TO: Make Social Media Work for Non-Consumer Brands
HOW TO: Use Wikis for Business Projects
HOW TO: Use Social Media in Your PR Pitch Plan
HOW TO: Use Social Media to Retain Customers
HOW TO: Write a Novel Using the Web
HOW TO: Choose a Smartphone for Your Small Business
HOW TO: Choose a News Reader for Keeping Tabs on Your Industry
HOW TO: Build Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn
HOW TO: Use Facebook for Professional Networking
Top 5 Business Blogging Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Lifestyle Goals
It would probably give you a serious case of the Blue Mondays, but if you so desired, you could manage your entire life without leaving your computer chair. While we don’t recommend becoming Boo Radley, Mashable does have a pretty sizable cache of stories that will show you how to shop, manage your finances and learn new skills — all from the comfort of your rolly chair.
HOW TO: Learn and Practice Languages Using Social Media
HOW TO: Use the Web for Socially Responsible Shopping
HOW TO: Plan a Vacation Using Social Media
HOW TO: Manage Bills with Social Media
HOW TO: Plan a DIY Wedding Using Social Media
HOW TO: Use Social Media for Better Health
HOW TO: Get More Responses in Online Dating
Bonus: Twitter
Twitter was the breakout success of 2009 and looks to be a vital tool for both professional and personal communications in 2010. In fact, we think Twitter is so important, we figured the microblogging site required its own run-down. If you’re not yet hip to Twitter (how’s the weather under that rock?) or if you just want to fine-tune your skills, check out these resources.
HOW TO: Use Twitter’s New Retweet Feature
HOW TO: Get Retweeted on Twitter
HOW TO: Create Custom Twitter Backgrounds
HOW TO: Get the Most Out of Twitter #Hashtags
HOW TO: Use Twitter Hashtags for Business
HOW TO: Build Your Personal Brand on Twitter
HOW TO: Organize a Successful Tweetup
HOW TO: Use Twitter for Customer Service