How to start planning your goals for 2022
For most business owners, the holidays approaching means slowly ticking items off the massive pre-vacation to-do list and time to reflect on the past year. Often pondering what went well, what didn’t go well, and what needs to be changed for the following year.
For me, as soon as December 1st rolled around, I had an itch to start planning 2022. With many of my large projects wrapped up, I’ve now started thinking of how I can work smarter instead of harder in 2022.
It’s time to consider things like:
What services do I want to focus on?
What new offerings do I want to create?
Will I hire?
Will I blog weekly instead of bi-weekly?
There are so many things to consider, and I’m excited to think about all of them. Here are some of the things I do at the end of each year to set myself up for success in the following one.
1. Plan your daily activities
Remember that the small steps you take every day will help you achieve your bigger goals. When you pick your big overarching goal for next year, try to break down some daily habits you can develop to move you toward your goals.
Slow and steady really does win the race in this case. This can be as simple as:
Post on Facebook right after checking my email each day.
Connect with one potential new client per day.
Create 1 Instagram story per day.
Getting to check those small tasks off your list will keep you satisfied on the long road to achieving your big goals.
2. Plan your services
While there are some industries that favour jack-of-all-trades, for the most part, you'll find more success in being a master of one or two. So choose what you really want to be doing for your business.
Do you love making graphics for use online? Offer social media graphics packages.
Are you hyper-organized and want to keep projects on track? Offer project management.
Love reviewing Social Media accounts and offering suggestions? Offer Social Media Audits.
Look at your current offerings from this year, figure out which ones made money AND made you happy—and then plan those services to be your main offerings in 2022.
3. Plan Collaborations
It's never too early to plan partnerships or collaborations. Do you have a brand or other business that you would love to work with? Contact them ahead of the new year to plan how you can work together in 2022 in a way that benefits both of your businesses!
If we've learned anything in 2020/2021, it's that working together and supporting each other has become the key to success for any small business.
If you don't have a specific business in mind to partner with, look around at other entrepreneurs who offer services or products that you can combine to solve problems for your current audience.
For example, my web designer and I worked on several projects this year to provide my clients with a website and social media strategy to promote it effectively after launch. That way, my clients only have to work with a single team while getting access to multiple consultants—skipping the cost of working with a full-service agency!
Plan to figure out how you can best serve your audience and then make a plan to move forward in the new year.
4. Plan your events
Even though conferences and events are still half online/half in person, there are plenty of them available to attend online from the safety of your home or in person if you are comfortable with it.
Take some time to look up all of the conferences you've ever wanted to attend but couldn't justify spending the money to go in person. Many of these coveted conferences have moved online and offer free attendance or reduced rates for their tickets.
Plan out which ones you want to attend and add them to your 2022 goals list.
5. Plan your Social Media Marketing
Last, but certainly not least, plan your social media marketing. As we're heading toward the holiday season, you might find yourself with more time on the schedule to plan your upcoming year.
Now is a great time to plan out what your themes and overarching campaigns might look like for your services next year. What are your goals on social media in 2022? Do you plan to increase your followers? Finally figure out Instagram Reels/Stories? Get on Tik Tok?
As we move into 2022, this downtime around the holidays makes the perfect time to plan what’s next. Do you work better and brainstorm better when surrounded by like-minded people?
Join us for the 1st ever Connect & Conquer Planning Retreat happening Jan 14-16 in Halifax NS.
This will be a small intimate group, the spots will sell out fast so if you are interested confirm your spot NOW! (Already have a copy of The Social Media Content Planner? Check your inbox for an exclusive offer just for you.)
Keep looking forward to what your business has to offer in the coming year and aim to make 2022 the best year for your business yet.