Integrating holidays into your marketing

Winter is coming and, with it, the holidays. Recently during an Infusionsoft training call we tackled how you can prepare for the upcoming season to continue marketing your business without sacrificing personal time. While that training focused specifically on Black Friday and Cyber Monday strategy, today I want to share more generally about upcoming holidays, no matter what you celebrate.

Strategy #1 Plan your time off

While some people first start with their holiday marketing strategy, I prefer to know the time and dates that I want to take off and work around those restraints. Taking time off will not only force you to be more efficient with the time you are working, but creates a sense of balance in an otherwise hectic time.

You don’t have to celebrate major holidays to employ this in your own business; it works whether you have a graduation on the horizon, a new member of the family on the way, or are simply in need of a mental health holiday.

Strategy #2 Know when your team will take time off

It’s only fair to inquire, in advance, about the plans that your team has for travel or time off. Depending on your employment agreement, these plans may need to be approved but either way you’ll want to plan around these constraints.

In online businesses, it’s especially difficult to think about team members not being available, because with an internet connection, everyone can technically be available 24/7. But unless you have previously communicated about coverage for a big event such as a launch or book release, you have to expect your team will, and should, take time off.

Strategy #3 Create your strategy and plan accordingly

After you take into account when you and your team members will be gone, it’s time to look at your marketing strategies and workload for the upcoming months. As you review your goals, ask yourself some key questions:

• What campaigns or offers will be launching during this time frame?
• Which websites, membership sites, or sales pages need to be completed?
• What regular marketing needs to go out?
• What clients and customers need to be served or have products delivered?
• Do we have obligations to outside media, editors, partners or affiliates?

I know, this can start to feel a little overwhelming, which is why I’m giving you my simple monthly planner for online businesses to track all the responsibilities you may have. After all, we’re not inclined to focus on that bonus offer we promised months ago until clients come knocking at our virtual door.

If you want to consistently deliver on your promises with high value and well thought-out content and strategies, then organize your commitments.

In fact, let’s talk about managing your time, as it will be your best ally or worst enemy as you operate and grow your business.

I’ve shared a lot about the process of hiring your team and managing them well, but there’s the little issue of motive when it comes time to growing your business through team.

I’d argue that some entrepreneurs build a larger team as an egotistical journey. After all, it’s a sign that you’re making good (enough) money to pay those salaries and you’ve generally got your shit together. And let’s not forget the thrill of being ‘the boss’ who gets to make the calls. #ladyboss #amirite?

But for every entrepreneur feeding an insatiable ego, there are others who are building a team of experts because they’re aware of their own limitations and need support for the journey ahead.

Truthfully, having a team of support behind your goals will not only help you to achieve the things you don’t do well but also gives you more time to focus on accomplishing what you want most.

How you make the most of your time is the challenge.

Hiring anyone for your business should be a boost, not just to the output you’re able to create but also for your own personal productivity. The (wo)man hours you hire are a direct tradeoff in your own calendar and how you choose to fill that time matters.

You could celebrate the fact that you’re not editing a blog post by sleeping in… or reaching out to editors.

You could be grateful that someone manages your schedule as you click on ‘Next Episode’ in Netflix…. or you could get on the phone and close new clients.

You could brag about your “awesome team” over a long mimosa fueled brunch with your friends… or you could work on that TED talk you want to deliver.

We all make choices and while having a productive, professional team is, admittedly, awesome, reconsider your motivations if you’re not using the extra space in your schedule to reach your goals.

Managing your time isn’t just about a schedule.

In my opinion, it’s simply about how you use your time to accomplish your goals. There’s an awesome book from my colleague Elizabeth Saunders which tackles this topic in ways I could never match. If you really want to use your time effectively to reach your goals then I can’t recommend How to Invest Your Time Like Money highly enough.