3 Things Your Business Needs in the New Year
The holiday season is an incredibly busy time for small businesses. Right now, you’re probably just worried about getting your orders shipped, making sure customers are happy and trying to produce enough product to make this holiday season successful. You probably couldn’t care less about making plans for the upcoming 12 months when getting through the next 12 days seems stressful enough.
We know planning ahead sounds crazy — especially during this time of year — but improving your business in 2017 doesn’t take much time at all. In fact, all you really need to do is three simple things. And voila. You’ve already improved your business for the New Year.
So before the calendar flips in 18 days, write these three things down on your to-do list, and start 2017 off on the right foot. There’s no time like the present to boost your business, especially when these three things tasks take less than an hour to complete.
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Get Your Business on Social Media
It’s almost 2017. I can’t believe this even needs to be said, but your business absolutely needs to be using social media. You wouldn’t believe how many times I log into Twitter or Instagram to follow a client and can’t find an account for the company. This just can’t happen. There’s no question about it; your business needs social media. It’s one of the most important tools for businesses both small and large, and you’re missing out on a huge audience and incredible marketing tool if you refuse to use these sites.
Familiarize yourself with social media platforms in the New Year. They are invaluable marketing tools.
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are no longer just trendy sites. They’re here to stay, and you need to learn how to use them. You don’t need to be a social media guru to create a Twitter account for your company. You don’t need an extensive content calendar to post a photo of your product on Instagram every other day. It really is so much simpler than you think.
Social media can be a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be. Create an account. Post a photo or quote once a day, and you’ve already improved your business immensely.
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Advertise
Every business needs advertising. Without advertising, your company lacks publicity. If you don’t have publicity, no one will know about your business. And you’re going to have a really hard time growing a business that no one knows about.
We’re not saying you need a year-long, multi-million dollar advertising campaign to generate business. What we are saying, however, is you do need some sort of advertising in the new year, whether that’s online, video, print or any of the many other forms of advertising.
You don’t need to do everything, and you don’t need to spend your company’s entire budget on one ad. Successful advertising doesn’t have to be like that. But you do need to put a little time and effort into thinking about what kind of advertising would be best. You can also work with an agency to help you evaluate your advertising choices. Advertising your business is the only way to grow. Work on spreading the word about your company in the New Year.
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Embrace Video
If 2016 was the year of mobile, 2017 is year of the video. Video is growing faster than any other media segment, and experts predict this growth is going to continue in the New Year. That means you need to embrace it and learn how to make the most of this new form of media.
From Facebook Live to Instagram stories, video is everywhere. While you might not necessarily enjoy seeing yourself in videos online or on social media, you’re going to have to put that aside this year. Video — live streaming in particular — is an excellent way to bring customers into your life. Your customers want to see behind-the-scenes of your company. They want to get to know the people behind their favorite product. They want to feel connected to the company they’re giving their money to. Live streaming makes this possible.
A1: One trend for #Smallbiz in 2017 is Livestreaming – how to bring your customers into the life of your biz. #MSBizTips
— Ivana Taylor (@DIYMarketers) December 13, 2016
In 2017, embrace this technology instead of fearing it. Live streaming doesn’t mean you have to sit in front of your computer and talk about yourself for an hour. Take your customers for a tour of your office; stream a company meeting or event; or film your product being made from start to finish. Video options are endless.
The New Year is the perfect time to start improving your business. Start 2017 off on the right foot by implementing these three simple yet extremely beneficial ideas and watch your business grow over the next 12 months.