A new year signifies new beginnings and of course, new opportunities. To prepare yourself for what may come your way, take a moment to get your business in order from a social media and marketing perspective.
Here are six ways to get your business ready for the new year:
1. Update your social profiles
Now is the time to update your social media profiles, photos and make sure your links are working on your website and platforms. Think about strengthening your bio, adding in accomplishments and optimizing the real estate given to you so people walk away with a clear idea of your brand and can easily find your contact information.
2. Get your tool kit in order
Having a physical and electronic tool kit is a must because it will help you fulfill requests easily and keep you organized. Review what’s inside and make sure it is updated with the correct year, season, logo and double check that everything looks consistent.
3. Put reading days on the calendar
Reading days allow you to learn, get inspired, and help you understand what’s going on in popular culture. Often times, setting aside the time to do this is difficult because you have so many other things to get done. However, if you plan ahead and put these days on your calendar, you will have accounted for them in your schedule.
4. Commit to a schedule
Planning ahead and committing to a schedule will help you focus. Selecting days where you will work on social media, press outreach and marketing will make these tasks easier. Providing consistency in your business is a good thing and implementing attainable productivity habits at the start of the year will hopefully lead you to success. And, don’t be afraid to use a timer!
5. Revise your media and store list
Since you’ll be pitching various media and retailers throughout the year, take the time to freshen up your list and make sure you know of any job changes. The Daily and Mediabistro’s Revolving Door section have updates on who has gone where.
6. Get key events and season on your calendar
Making sure your brand stays relevant to your target customer is an important part of brand building. This is why you should take the time to map out key events and seasons where your brand can shine. As a designer, you don’t want to miss out on your brand’s seasonal sweet spot.
In the end, planning and staying organized will help your brand grow and make you more confident. Plus, getting prepared in the new year will allow you to focus on designing and doing the things that you enjoy.