We live in a culture obsessed by finding what's new and exciting. That means, if you want your business and organization to prosper, you'll not only have to deliver your product or service, but do it in a way that captures people's imagination with the latest social media trends.
Champagne doesn't just taste good; it has bubbles.
New Year's is a great time to reflect on how you can prepare your business for a better year ahead.
#1. Update your social media profile with the latest trends.
You might be posting regularly, but your repeat traffic will lose interest if you don't keep the environment fresh. Maybe so-and-so isn't working here anymore (thank heavens)—click. New star employee? Upload that cheerful picture and bio. Facebook cover pictures were made to be changed (especially now that you can create AI pictures)—they are just another example of the ephemeral nature of existence, for brands.
Although this kind of work may feel like administrative drudgery, it is not.
Even if you can't afford to hire someone to continually freshen up their social media and web profiles, think of this work as an opportunity to reflect on how your business is evolving and to use your reflections to freshen up your brand. Searching for a new cover photo is like taking a bubble bath so you can let your mind wander into a profitable future.
#2 Take your brand's pulse and refresh.
A vital way to get your business prepared for a better new year is to click "Refresh" on your brand and see what comes up. Did customers respond as well to you as they did the year before? Do you see any trends? Is a competitor slicing off a bit of your pie? What is attracting people to them? Perhaps all is well, and all you might need is a bit of fine-tuning.
Something we often forget to assess is; what our seasonal sweet spot is.
An obvious example of a seasonal sweet spot is "spring" for "bicycle stores." But far too many of us without obvious patterns of customer engagement don't pay enough attention to the seasonal ebb and flow of sales. Year-end is a great time to look back and identify annual opportunities we might be missing by not being prepared, and make a few plans to cash in on timing.
#3. Update your communications.
Another New Year's business preparation that is purely administrative is to have a quick look at how well everyone on your team communicates, both in-house, and with customers. Although keeping up with new communication tech may not feel like the most exciting way to get ready for New Year's Eve, it might just be the cheapest, simplest, and easiest way to make a significant boost to your profit.
Take free conference calls, for example.
Using conference call technology is a no brainer for global organizations, but you can also save up to 20% on the cost of meetings held within the same building by eliminating employee disruption and travel time. Web Conferencing is a far more efficient way to share data-driven decision-making than traditional meetings with one person standing at the front of a room reading a power point.
New Features on FreeConference.com
If you already use conference calling, you will still be surprised how many new Features have been cooked up even in the last year. Santa's communication technology workshop never sleeps, and the little elves are constantly making communication easier.
Did you know that many places of worship are using Call Recording to get an MP3 file of their weekly sermons emailed to them to post on the web for their wandering flocks?
Call Recording is great for creating instant, free podcasts and videos of presentations too.
Transcription of recorded calls is a new feature that churns out meeting minutes in, well, minutes, without burdening staff, letting your company skip the stenography and focus on what you are good at.
Keep your business fresh.
Keeping up with evolution is what getting your business prepared for a better New Year is all about.
Your social media profiles and brand take a little time and reflection, and you won't see immediate results.
For instant gratification, try incorporating some new communication tricks like Screen Sharing, or checking out this year's more sophisticated Moderator Controls. FreeConference.com call features have extremely easy learning curves, and promote happier employees, better communication, and more profit.
Blending long and short term New Year's Resolutions is a great way to keep your business as bubbly and attractive as a fresh glass of champagne.