Maximize Down Time | Marketing Agency Edition

Time: The Only Unreplenishable Commodity

If you have time (and health of course), you have everything. We should never take that for granted, but let’s face it, we do. In such a fast paced world, time flies by faster than we think, leaving us wishing for extra hours in the day. On occasion though, life dials down the hectic knob. In precious moments like these, it’s important that we breathe in our appreciation and stay involved in the things we love to do. For us, it’s all about passion. When those slow months of the year hit, everyone in the office is eager to get their hands on a new challenge. What do you do if there are no new projects to bring to the table? How can you maximize down time during the slow months? Well, here’s what we do.

Sometimes, it’s Right In Front of You

If you’re marketing agency does solid work, you have long-term, loyal clients just like us. Why not take advantage of these slower months to dig deeper into your clients’ marketing strategies. We got our team to deploy site audits, making sure that everything from design to SEO has been maximized. For example, if you have a client that has been hesitant about incorporating a consistent content marketing strategy, invest some time into a proposal for them. Examine these types of possibilities for all your clients. Making your clients aware of potential ROI positive opportunities is an important part of the job. Even if your client decides to hold off, given solid information and real metrics, they will keep your proposal in mind for the future.

Self Improvement

You’ve built countless websites for your clients over the years, but how is yours holding up? Dedicate some time to going over your corporate site and making some tweaks. Maybe your SEO is out of date or maybe you need a design revamp. Investment in yourself and your business is important too. After all, how can you sell a web development contract if your website is not up to par? Get your team motivated by allowing them to delve into their creative sides and propose some changes. Not only will you get some great insight, you’ll bolster team spirit too. Now that’s how you maximize down time!

Reverse Engineering

Look at what you’ve delivered recently and take some time to reassess your workflow. What could’ve been done differently? How could you have streamlined the process a little better? Sit down with your project manager and dissect your workflow. It may be that some processes were overlooked and some tasks could’ve used smarter delegation. Real progress is made when you accept your mistakes and learn from them. Here at Carte Blanche Media, we make it a point to meet with the team regularly in order to iron out any kinks in our armor.

Make It Happen Yourself

Sit down with a hot cup of coffee and comb the web for potential leads. Watching the game from the sidelines isn’t nearly as fun as getting in there yourself. Most businesses have very minimal online presence, if any at all. Narrow down a few that could benefit from your services and make a contact list. We did and it’s been serving us very well. If you never shoot toward the net, you’ll never score that game winning goal. Additionally, lead by example. Your team will appreciate your hustle and follow suit in their own way.

Plan for the Future

Your clients deserve the best so getting a head start on things is always a good idea. We decided to organize future marketing campaigns for our current clients. This avoids last minute rushes to meet deadlines and also takes stress off our shoulders. As the old adage goes, “Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” Even when it comes to your long list of errands to run or tasks that need to be taken care of outside of the office, get them done and out of the way. The less you have in your way moving forward, the clearer the path ahead. Hey, I just came up with that myself. Not bad for a blog writer, right? I’m not done. Let’s maximize down time even better.

Find Your Niche

Some industries are better suited for your services than others. Take it upon yourself to do some online triage and make a list of the industries you can potentially find clients in. This list can prove really helpful in the future. We put together an industry list and make a point of updating every 3-6 months, making sure that we remove or add as we see fit. Finding your target markets is important and trust us, it’ll save you tons of time.

Maximize Down Time for the Ultimate ROI: Happiness

Here’s a quick walk-through of what we’ve done to keep busy and ultimately, be the best Carte Blanche Media we can be:

• Don’t dig too deep. Your loyal clients deserve the best. See what you can do to optimize your services for them.
• Look in the mirror. Improve your corporate identity, online presence and branding.
• Consider the mistakes you’ve made and make an effort to avoid them going forward.
• Get your hands dirty! Find potential leads online and/or word of mouth.
• Look forward and get a head start on future plans.
• Research industries that can be interesting to scope out for potential clients

Keeping consistent in our efforts to better ourselves is important in maintaining happiness and longevity. Our team comes to work every day because they are passionate about what they do. They are 100% involved in their craft while keeping their minds and hearts open. During the slow months of the year, we maximize down time by taking initiative. There’s always something new to learn and a new challenge within the learning process. Don’t be afraid to face your mistakes, discuss them, and move forward in a positive way. Now go maximize that down time will ya!