We can barely believe that we’re at the end of another year! But for Zimple, 2018 has been one of our most exciting chapters so far. We have grown as a company in so many ways – from the size of our team to the scope of our service offering. This has been, in no small part, due to our team's dedication, our incredible clients and the continued interest from future clients who have made every bit of the last 12 months something to be really proud of.
With that, we want to see you and your business continue to thrive digitally, so here are tips to ensure your digital presence remains strong over the holiday period:
Update your opening hours on Google My Business to reflect when you will be going into shut down. This will ensure that your customers will better utilise the times you are open (especially on public holidays), and avoid disappointment if you’re taking extended leave.
Update your website opening hours and availability. These might be two different things. If you are technically closed but offering an emergency service, let your customers know. Be thoughtful with the information you need to give, and provide your customers with what will be most helpful to them.
Set up your out-of-office to ensure your customers are reminded of your movements around the holiday period. This isn’t just about being out of office; you can also set it up to notify of any delays in response time that might occur due to busier than normal business (depending on your industry). Keep it informative and interesting (no need to be too formal); customers want to feel like it’s from you, not an automation.
Schedule your social media posts to take the pressure off yourself during your holiday, and to continue engagement momentum on your social platforms. All platforms either have in-built scheduling systems (like Facebook) or third party apps that push them out. Just check that your chosen third party app is accepted by the platform itself (like Hootsuite or Later for Instagram).
Send out an EDM to notify customers of any other relevant information or tips they can benefit from over the holidays. As always, content should provide value to your customers, and a yearly sign-off is no different. While you want to thank them for their loyalty to your service or product, and notify them of your business hours, it’s best if you also include applicable extra info (like tips on getting through the season without you, or getting the most out of what you provide during this time). This strengthens trust and nurtures future business with them.
Plan for 2019 and ensure you don’t lose momentum as this year comes to a close. You want to hit the ground running in the new year and the best way to do that is to plan ahead. Take time to evaluate how 2018 tracked for you, and identify the areas you would like to improve on. Speak to your agency or internal team about strategy ideas to kick start 2019 off right, and what needs to be done (or can be done) now to help facilitate this. Set a one or two month goal to get started so that you come back in January with a fresh focus.
All of us at Zimple would like to take this moment to wish you a wonderful break if you’re having one, and a prosperous and busy season if you’re working through. And, of course, thank you to all those who made 2018 a truly special year for Zimple, and to those who will make 2019 even more so.
All the very best, and look forward to continuing digital success in the new year!