Christmas is just a few weeks away.
Sorry.
If you’re anything like me, you’re yet to put up any decorations, haven’t bought a single present, and likely haven’t decided what you’re doing on the big day.
There’s still time to sort all that out, but before the jolly fellow arrives – and hopefully manages to avoid getting stuck in any chimneys – there are a few things that your business should prepare ahead of downing tools for the end of the year.
1. Send a digital Christmas card
We all like to receive a Christmas card, even in a digital form. Sending a Christmas card to your existing clients shows that, even at a busy Christmastime, you care about them.
Unless your clients are all very local, the easiest and most reliable way to get a Christmas card to them is through a digital mailer.
It’s a small gesture that goes a long way.
If you haven’t even thought about this yet, we can help set one up for you. Here is an example we’ve created to help ensure you reach all of your clients during the festive period.
2. Notify prospects of your opening hours
You’re probably going to shut down over the festive period, whether that’s only on the bank holidays or from 21 December to 4 January.
If someone comes across your business online during that time, will they know you won’t be there to pick up the phone?
Having a simple pop-up on your website and a post on your social media accounts stating that you won’t be open between certain dates will ensure prospects don’t feel like you’re ignoring them when it takes you a week or more to respond.
3. Send festive blog articles
Every month we produce a variety of blog articles for our clients, but around this time of year many of them focus on Christmas.
These could include articles discussing:
- The best unique Advent calendars you could buy this year
- Retirement planning lessons from classic Christmas films
- Interesting Christmas traditions from around the world
- A rundown of local Christmas events
- Tips on how to make your home more secure if you’re spending Christmas away.
Or any number of other Christmas-adjacent topics. Our clients have repeatedly told us how well their clients receive these sorts of articles.
Like me, lots of people won’t have Christmas “sorted” by the time their Advent calendar is half-open, let alone before the first door is touched.
As such, these types of festive blogs can help people plan their Christmas, find something fun to do in the cold and dark days leading up to the big day, or just have something interesting to read by the fire.
4. Prepare for January and the year ahead
You’ve had a wonderful Christmas, the year rolls over, you get back to the office, and it feels like there are a million jobs to do.
The last thing you want to think about at this point is what blogs you’ll be adding to your website, when your next social media post will be going out, or what the first mailer you send for the new year will look like.
A few years ago, we wrote an article about why Christmas is the perfect time to plan your blog schedule for the year ahead, and this advice hasn’t changed.
Getting these tasks out of the way before the year ends means that when you return to the office in 2027, the only thing on your plate is helping your clients (and maybe wondering whether your local supermarket still has pigs in blankets in stock – I won’t judge!).
Email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300 to learn more.
