This year has been an incredible one for me and my business. I can’t say there haven’t been any ups and downs, because there have been, and there’s also been a lot of growth and changes.
One of the things I know for sure for myself and my business is that strategically planning out my quarters has significantly helped my business grow and it’s helped my clients grow their businesses, too. When I’m able to sit down and plan out a strategic marketing plan for the next quarter, I’m able to make sure that we hit our goals. This will help you to hit your year-end goals and help you to create massive momentum for the next year.
The 4th Quarter
I often see businesses ramping up their marketing in the 4th quarter. Usually, it’s in the hopes of generating more leads and sales before the end of the year.
I get it.
And, when it’s done well, it can be effective and profitable.
However, if you wait too long and do it at the last minute, it may not be as effective as you want it to be. This is why you want to start now, in the middle of August, planning for your 4th quarter marketing strategy. Let’s be honest, there is a lot going on in the 4th quarter both in our businesses and in our lives. The last thing you want to think about is additional marketing efforts!
As we look into the 4th quarter, start thinking about how you can maintain momentum and keep it moving forward. Maybe even take a week or two off to enjoy all of the holidays with your family!
Content Marketing
Planning your content marketing strategy for the 4th quarter can be so fun! There are a ton of holidays that we can plan content around – Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. Whatever holidays you celebrate! Look at your content and marketing strategy from that perspective and you’ll be able to grow your audience in a really fun way.
I like to plan out my content calendar now and begin to create those assets that I’ll be sharing in the 4th quarter. This means I can avoid the marketing overwhelm and frustration during the holiday season.
Here are 7 tips for creating a successful content calendar:
1. Start with your marketing goals in mind.
What do you want to achieve with your content marketing? Keep those goals top of mind when it comes to planning out your content.
2. Be realistic about what you can accomplish.
Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew. It’s better to create a few really high-quality content pieces than a ton of low-quality content. One piece of really high-quality content can be repurposed and better create connections and provide value to your customers.
3. Plan for different types of content.
Be aware of how your audience consumes content and make sure that you are providing all of those types of content for them to consume. Make sure whatever type of cornerstone content you create, can also be repurposed in multiple ways.
4. Schedule your content in advance.
This will help you to stay on top of things and ensure that your content is published in a timely manner. There are plenty of applications that will allow you to schedule your content well in advance. Scheduling content takes a lot off of your shoulders, especially in the 4th quarter when you want to be enjoying time with family and friends.
5. Make sure your content is promotional.
You want to be sure that you are using your content to promote your product, service, or solution.
6. Create holiday-themed content.
Not only is this fun, but it also helps to connect with your audience. If you can take your product, service, or solution and connect it to the holiday – even better! Make it fun and creative.
7. Prep your website and social media platforms for the holidays.
Plan ahead and make sure that any holiday-themed updates to your website or social media platforms are created ahead of time and tested.
Focusing on creating content in a way that’s strategic and revolves around the end of the year while also supporting your goals is going to make your life easier in the 4th quarter and build momentum to end the year strong!