Does this sound familiar?
Mid-November – December 2021: Look who’s in the holiday spirit! ME! I’m in for alllllll the holiday fun with family and friends. I’m looking forward to some time off and maybe a trip or two. So I’m just a teensy bit distracted at the office and definitely not planning my marketing content for the coming year.
January: Hmph… Fine, I’m back in the office, but I’m not ready to let go of the holidays just yet. I guess it would be a good idea to get all New Years-y and plan for marketing in 2022. Eventually.
February: Welp, eventually is here, and I really need to figure out what the heck the plan is. Like, STAT. Where do I even start?
Ask and ye shall receive. Here are 4 things you can do – starting TODAY – to get your 2022 marketing content rolling:
- Repeat the Past.
I know, I know… repeating anything from the last couple of years is probably the absolute last thing you want to do. The thing is, you’re likely sitting on a marketing goldmine because of what you were forced to do to get your business through the chaos of 2020 and 2021. So start with what you already have, like those Zoom presentations, digital brochures, sales decks, website copy, company and team bios, press release boilerplates, phone messages, and even your COVID-19 policy. Freshen them up, make them current/relevant again, so they can be used right away. - Make the Old New Again.
All those pieces you just updated? You’re not done with them just yet. Go ahead and pull up your blog and old newsletters while you’re at it. Now’s when you recycle all that great content in fresh, new ways. Pull snippets from your blog posts, and gather testimonials for social media. Gather tips from your newsletters to create a lead magnet. Compile data from last year for a case study. Transcribe videos from social media, speaking engagements, and online presentations to add to your website for a rich SEO hit. And vice versa… turn your best written blog posts and presentations into videos. The repurposing list is endless. What’s going to give you the most bang for your already-spent buck? Start there. - Make a List; Check It Twice.
Holiday lovers, here’s your chance to channel your inner Santa Claus all year long. After all, even if he’s not part of your holiday traditions, you still have to appreciate the man’s efficiency. So consider… what is it you’ve repeatedly wished you had in your marketing arsenal? What have you noticed your competitors doing… that you’re not? What are you missing that – be honest – held your business back last year? Email campaigns, a lead magnet, E-newsletter, a regularly updated blog, case studies, a new website, landing page, something else? Make a list, order it based on what you need first or most critically, delegate internally and/or outsource so it’s not all falling on you, and then check off your marketing content list one by one throughout the year. - Plug Into PR.
It’s time to commit to your public relations strategy. Sending just one press release a month can work wonders when it comes to building trust with your industry’s media and positioning your company as a leader in its field. Not to mention many media outlets, especially those in smaller industries, are facing staff and budget challenges and would heartily welcome done-for-them content. So again, create a simple list with each month of 2022. First add in the news you know you’ll have throughout the year, like company anniversaries, when you’ll be attending trade shows, annual events, charitable donations, and holiday-related sales. Then, as the year goes on, fill in the blanks with the news that develops over time, like if you’ll be moving or expanding, launching a new website, or announcing new products/services, clients or team members. Pick a date to have the press releases written and edited every month, send individual emails to each of your media contacts, and just THINK of all the eyeballs that will see your news!
So the holiday season might be over, but we’re in a new, just-as-exciting one: the time-to-build-your-business season. You know how it goes anyway… another year will fly by and, before you know it, the holiday season will be here again. Only this year will be extra festive because you nailed your marketing content in 2022. You’ll make Santa’s nice list for that.