3 ways to boost your business during the New Year break

Whether you’re shutting down or prepping for the hustle, the holiday break is a chance for small business owners around the country to ramp up their customer connections and solidify their brands, writes Elise Balsillie.

The countdown to Christmas is well and truly underway. We’re all sprinting towards an end of year that will either be busier than ever, or mark a well-deserved break, depending on your business’ demographic.

To help, I’m sharing three ways businesses can continue growing, use the downtime productively and, in the case of businesses that are busier than ever, continue providing positive customer experiences.

1. Keep posting

Now’s the chance to do all that social media posting and blogging you’ve always talked about.

If your business usually dives over the holiday period, and even if your business has a shutdown period at this time of year, now is the chance to ramp up your social media posting.

Keeping your business top-of-mind during the off-season is as important as purchasing new stock or cleaning up the office. Scheduling content ahead of time can help you ‘set it and forget it’, meaning you’re not spending your own holidays working.

The point here is not to encourage sales necessarily, but to instead show customers that you’re still around, that you’re still here and able to accept their business should they need it, or when you return.

Keeping your brand top of mind means no ‘early January hangover‘ as you start to ramp up your business again, and can hit the ground running when you return in 2023.

2. Use texts

If you’re not shutting down but need to compete with other businesses during the silly season, texting is your ace in the hole.

Text messaging will cut through the noise much better than an email could, as mobile phones are always on-hand, even when customers are away visiting relatives.

You can use text to communicate special offers to your customers and keep your brand top-of-mind. Offering customers a chance to escape an awkward conversation around the BBQ by heading to your website to make a purchase can help you look like the hero.

3. Communicate

If your business is going to be swamped over the holidays, you might have unexpected delays, reduced stock, or last-minute price changes.

Nobody is going to enjoy finding out about this at the last minute. Reduce negative experiences by communicating any issues ahead of time (using text messages, if possible). This will alleviate fears and help people understand what you’re going through.

Customers will appreciate that your business is open and honest about what’s going on with your business, and will walk away with a better experience and a positive view of your brand.

Christmas is an especially stressful time for most people, so ensuring you’re taking the time to communicate changes will help your business’ image in the long run.

This post was first published on Kochie’s Business Builders, read the original here.

Join the soloist movement. Whether you are new to Flying Solo or looking to grow your business, our membership options will help you attract more leads, grow your network and sharpen your business skills.  Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest news and advice straight to your inbox.

Now read this:

//corestage-cdn.flyingsolo.com.au/sales/sales-strategies/7-unique-marketing-ideas-for-christmas-and-boxing-day/