As the holidays speedily approach, it is easy to put marketing and business development on the back burner. Resist that temptation! Keeping momentum on your marketing efforts is critically important to making meaningful progress. While there is no replacement for person-to-person efforts, you can maintain your momentum with some quick activities. Employ these easy tips to carry you through to January!

• Use Linked In:  Linked In is a great tool for keeping in touch, remaining top of mind, giving visibility to your network and reminding people that you are a viable option. Think along the lines of posting, sharing, commenting and liking for 15 minutes twice a week.
• Thank your clients and referral sources: The holidays are a great time to let people know you appreciate them. Take some time to thank those individuals for what they have given to you over the year.
• Update email and/or snail mail lists: Take a few minutes a day to review contacts on your mailing lists. Update important contact information and categorize your network for easy outreach in the new year.
• Reach out to your networks: Send a quick email to your target contacts to say hello, set up a lunch date, perform a status check, ask a question or provide relevant information.
• Ask someone to refer business to you: As you finish up matters during this calendar year, remember to thank clients for hiring you and also ask them to consider referring you to other businesses who may benefit from the types of services you offer.
• Update your marketing plan: Read through the marketing plan you set for yourself last January and note where you made progress. Identify areas that need your attention and plan how you will achieve success in those areas. Put it in writing and schedule your first tasks in your calendar.
• Identify your targets for next year: Consider who your target clients or contacts are for the new year. Once you know who they are, identify how you will connect with them in meaningful ways throughout the new year. Schedule yourself to make that outreach in your calendar.
• Reflect: Take some time to think about what went well over the past 12 months. Think about how you can repeat that experience in the next 12 months and what steps you need to take to get started.  Then schedule yourself to take the first step in your calendar.

There are certainly many more ways you can make the most of your limited marketing time over the next 8 weeks.  The important thing is to choose activities that help further your marketing goals and keep your momentum moving. Trust me, you will thank yourself in the new year!