Wisdom from a fortune cookie
Nothing like a bit of Chinese food to give you the kick that you need to start the year haha
I don’t think I’ve opened a fortune cookie since I was about 10 years old, but for some reason, I felt compelled to pick this one up as I was leaving the restaurant.
It broke cleanly and the piece of paper fell on the ground with the writing side up...almost like a sign
“Many a false step is made by standing still”
Pretty wild hey?
But it got me thinking... it couldn’t have been more symbolic for the year ahead.
January is such an interesting month.
While some may be buzzing with motivation, refreshed from a much-needed break - amped up by resolutions, and the promise of new opportunities.
Others may feel like its Groundhog Day, getting back on the hamster wheel for another 365 days, already counting down to the next public holiday.
For the latter, it can be feel like the most dormant period for your business - slowly watching your cash reserves whittle down, while you silently bank for the mid-January flurry of enquiries (if they come at all).
When we feel the pinch, we’re likely to stick to our guns and do what we’ve always done.
Hit the phones
Follow up on some emails
Try to reconnect with some old clients
Put up a few posts on social media
Throw some dollars at Adwords
Cross our fingers
Hope for the best
But things might be different this year, and the early year hustle that paid off last year, may now have diminishing returns.
That’s because consumers are more clued on than ever before, their attention is wavering because of the very fundamentals of human communication are changing…
We aren’t looking at the same places for information, and the core of how we make purchase decisions is changing.
It’s hard to make time to really think our next moves through until we’re forced to.
But a simple change in perspective can change that, and allow us to make moves.
Even though it feels natural to stay safe, rinse and repeat old methods of marketing - this can also be the most exciting time to look at things from a different lens, to take the lessons of last year, and improve on what you’ve already created.
Whether it’s adding more layers with your existing clients, or new initiatives to diversify.
January is an incredible time to get creative - experiment with some fresh messaging and try some placements on new platforms (LinkedIn and YouTube are heating up btw).
In today's environment, the risk of staying still is much too great.
Do you have any fresh idea’s you're going to implement this month?
Let me know!
Zac
ps. I’ve spoken about this before, but I’m in the middle of crunching numbers on the costs of misdirected energy, and marketing (i.e. the cost of not having a marketing strategy over a six and twelve month period)
Let me know if you’d like to see the report when it’s done :)