The end of the year has a way of sneaking up. One minute it's early November, and the next you're in the middle of your busiest season, trying to figure out what to post for a sale that starts tomorrow.
It's also the most crowded time of year to be online. Feeds are full of holiday promotions, inboxes are packed and everyone is competing for the same attention. When your content for that season gets put together at the last minute, it's easy for it to get lost, or for it not to happen at all.
Your biggest moments deserve a plan
For a lot of businesses, the end of the year holds some of the moments that matter most: holiday sales, seasonal launches, events and the push into a new year. A few weeks ago, I wrote about making marketing a priority instead of waiting for things to settle down. The end of the year is one of the best places to put that into practice, because you already know these moments are coming.
How to plan for it
Mark the dates that matter to your business.
Start with a calendar from now through January. Add your holiday sales, launches and events, along with the weeks you know will be slow. Seeing them all in one place makes it easier to tell what's coming and when you need to start preparing.
Plan for before, during and after each moment.
One post on the day of a sale or event usually isn't enough to carry it. Work backward from each date: let people know it's coming a week or two ahead, show up while it's happening, then follow up afterward by thanking the people who showed up or sharing how it went. That way each moment builds instead of passing in a single post.
Decide what each piece needs to do.
Every piece of content has a job: bringing new people in, building trust or inviting a next step. The posts leading up to a sale might bring new people in, the ones during it invite a next step, and the follow-up builds trust. Knowing the job helps you decide what to make.
Think about what your people are going through.
At the end of the year, the people you serve are busy, shopping for others, traveling and looking back on their own year. Content that meets them where they are, like a gift guide that makes their shopping easier or a reflection that gives them a moment to pause, will mean more to them than another reminder about your sale.
Capture what you need ahead of time.
Your busiest weeks are the hardest time to stop and create. If you'll need photos of your holiday products, your space decorated for the season or your team at work, plan to capture them before things get busy, so the content is ready when you need it.
Don't forget January
Once the holidays are over, a lot of people start the new year making plans and looking for help with what they want to change. That makes January a good time to bring new people in. If you plan that content now, you won't be scrambling to put it together while you're recovering from the holidays.
Give yourself room to rest
When your content is planned and ready ahead of time, you can step away during the holidays without going quiet. Your people still hear from you, and you get to enjoy the season too.
How you end the year shapes how you start the next one. A little planning now means your biggest moments get the attention they deserve, and you walk into January ready.
What's one moment at the end of this year you want to plan for now?
Share it in the comments if you'd like. I'd love to hear it.
If you missed it, you can catch up on my last post here.
