Written By: Andy Ogg, Editor and Marketing Director – Travel Professional NEWS
December is not just about the holidays, it’s also the perfect timing for you to assess and plan for the next year so you’ll be geared up and prepared for exciting things. If you want a successful and productive year ahead, be sure you read these tips that will surely motivate you for a prosperous 2019:
Analyze and give feedback on the year
Before you move forward with the new year, it’s essential to evaluate the present year that you’ve worked on. Try to assess what were the strengths and weaknesses of your brand, and also rate events or areas where you could improve. Whether it be a clearer set of goals, or even a more strategic marketing approach, these areas of improvement will help you jumpstart your year for a bigger and better 2019! Don’t forget to handle your evaluation with a professional attitude, so you won’t have to dwell on your mistakes. Use it as a driving force to make you better.
Set your goals
Have you ever written any new year’s resolutions? The end of the year is the perfect time for you to look ahead for amazing possibilities! Plan your goals strategically by being specific of what type of growth you want to receive. Whether it be an increase in clients or even a growth in followers online, it’s always good to write them down so you can keep track.
Have a proposed timeline
Planning ahead and committing to a timeline of events will definitely help you be focused and organised towards the new year. Try scheduling a theme per month, like focusing on marketing new itineraries during January, and by February you can create exclusive promotions and sales for Valentine’s Day. By having a timeline, you create consistency for your business and it will lead you to a successful and organised year!
Update your social media platforms
Haven’t changed your profile picture in almost a year? Since 2019 is just around the corner, double check all your social media profiles and websites to make sure it is up to date. Whether its’ a changed mobile number or a new team member in your business, it’s great to inform your clients about what’s new in your brand, so they know the new happenings. Furthermore, strengthen your brand by updating your profile with recent awards and accomplishments, so that your clients’ and potential clients can be aware of your latest achievements.
Do some research
What are the trends of 2019? Since technology and social media is an ever changing hemisphere, you need to be updated in the ins and outs of social media and content marketing. For instance, should you add more video content to adjust to the millennial generations or should you invest on chatbots for automatic response for clients? Those are just few of the ideas that you should be brainstorming about!
Start early
The holidays is a perfect market strategy to increase sales, as your potential clients’ have this mindset of starting purchasing. Be competitive and pump up your marketing efforts before 2019 starts by offering incentives for new clients or even giving discount coupons to long-time clients. This will also set the pace of the year, so you start strong with sales!
Be positive
Did you try something new this year, but it didn’t work out as you expected? The new year is all about starting things with a “new” mindset, so better shrug off the mistakes and failures of 2018, because you have 12 new months to work and challenge yourself. You know as they say, “out with the old, in with the new.” Happy New Year!