As the year comes to a close, your business may be entering into a slower period.
For almost every industry there’s a time of year that’s a bit quieter than usual. Often businesses find that it’s over the holiday season that sales and activity experience a natural dip, with people preparing to wrap up for the year.
The upside is that when there’s less work to be done, it’s the perfect opportunity to do those tasks that fall into our “I’ll get to that eventually” basket. While they aren’t a top priority when you have more urgent work at hand and looming deadlines, quieter periods like these give you the chance to finally tick them off your list.
Here are a few ways to make the most of those times when business slows and you have more free time on your hands.
1. Improve or create new resources
When was the last time your resources were reviewed?
From how-to guides and case studies to brochures, it might have been months or even years since you had a proper read through of your collateral. There could be inconsistencies between older and more recently published resources that you pick up, or information that is out-dated and no longer relevant or accurate.
Looking through your resources also gives you the chance to ensure your writing is clear and concise. Are there any instances where readability could be better? This is a great time to fine-tune those sentences or sections.
As you complete the review you may notice gaps in your content, which can help you determine other areas or topics that would be beneficial to cover, particularly in your blogs. If you have the time now, creating these new resources could be something you reap the rewards of well into the future.
2. Build your library of blogs
Keeping up a consistent blog while juggling your day-to-day responsibilities isn’t always easy. That’s why when things slow down it’s a great opportunity to get ahead, so you can continue posting consistently even when times get busy.
But what makes blog writing a worthwhile use of your time?
One of the main benefits is that it helps with link building and search engine optimisation, which improves your visibility online to drive more traffic to your website.
Blogs can also be easily repurposed, such as sharing them on social media or using them to create new downloadable resources.
After they’ve been posted, they stay on your website and continue to provide value in the months and years ahead.
3. Research and enter business awards
With a New Year approaching, why not start looking into the business awards you could enter in 2024?
Winning an award or being announced as a finalist is a remarkable achievement that brings recognition, boosts your profile and improves staff morale. It’s a great PR opportunity and can be included across all types of assets, from social media posts to email signatures.
But when you’re under the pump, researching and entering awards might take a backseat. Avoid missing out on opportunities or hastily throwing together an award submission at the last minute by using this quieter period to get organised.
Which awards do you want to enter (see our Award Finder)? What are the entry requirements? Will you have time to manage this process or could you use help from an award writer? As entry deadlines approach, you’ll be glad to have answered these questions now rather than later on when things pick up again.
If you are looking for extra help with proofreading, copy editing, copywriting, blog writing or award writing, our team at Proof Communications can help. Contact us or ring us on 02 8036 5532 or 0448 566 377.