Finish the Year Strong

2019 is almost over, and hopefully you’re well into 2020 planning.  That being said, there is still some time to finish the year strong and set your company up for success in Q1.  Here are some evergreen ideas and best practices you can execute quickly to hopefully meet any lagging goals.

Trends! Trends! Trends!

Everyone wants to know what’s going to happen in your industry next year.  They want predictions, insights, and opinions. Even if you’re not sure, you demonstrate your leadership when you try.  If you’re the thought leader, write down 3 assumptions that are part of your planning. If you work with the thought leader, craft some questions about the future s/he can answer.  Then turn it into a blog, a media pitch, or an email to clients (or all of the above). You’ll find that some people are interested and want to know more. It can be a great way to get a press placement, drive more traffic to the website, or boost your email open rate.

Year in Review

Everyone wants to know what happened in your industry this year.  Seriously. They’re interested in what changed, why it changed, what major events happened, what new regulations went into place, and how companies responded to it all.  Same as above – this content is good for reporters, blogs, and email. And it could also lead to some speaking opportunities if you pitch it to your trade associations now.

What Do You Think?

You’re not the only one with opinions.  Your customers, partners, and centers of influence have them too.  Give them a platform to communicate with a survey or series of surveys.  Sure, this will take a little more work. You need a way to promote the survey so you get responses and you need to answer what’s in it for them.  But once you do, you can use the results for press releases, infographics, eBooks, videos, workshops, and lots of other ways to market the business.  All of these kinds of content can boost your brand and thought leadership. They may even help you find new opportunities for growth.

Giving Thanks

There’s nothing better than being appreciated.  Throughout the year, other people have helped you achieve your business and marketing goals.  Some of them are external and some are internal. This is a great time of year to thank them and show them you care.  Afterall, people like to work with people they like. Think about creating graphics and videos you can use on your social media channels and your email marketing efforts.  Create a custom, personal email to all of the important people for the business. Promote others and you may just find positive marketing benefits in return.

And the Oscar Goes To…

Not everyone deserves a trophy, but some people certainly do.  The end of the year is a great time to give out awards and recognition, internally and externally.  Create plaques and trophies for “Customer of the Year,” “New Customer of the Year,” “Customer Service Representative of the Year,” “Marketing Professional of the Year,” “Culture Champion of the Year,” or whatever fits your company best.  Have employees nominate and vote for each other and have the executive team select some as well. Make it a celebration. Put out a press release, develop videos, take photos, share on social media, and promote via email. If you’re recruiting, this culture-centered content can be invaluable.  For other ways to promote your company as an employer of choice, check out our new eBook on Employer Brand Communications .

Want help with any or all of these things? Contact our team here to see how we can support your team.

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