Where did time go? It’s already the second week of December and people are in a jollier, happier mood. There are blinking lights everywhere and window displays are beckoning passers-by to look and spend their bonuses. Small business owners, meanwhile, are busy rolling out promotion after promotion, hoping to cash in on the impulsive buying tendencies of shoppers this holiday season. Yes, it is Christmas indeed!

But aside from attending parties, December is also the perfect month to plan your online marketing efforts for the whole year. You’re in high spirits and the festive atmosphere makes the future look bright and prosperous. Such a frame of mind would be most conducive to thinking beyond the traditional means of marketing and developing a plan that incorporates new channels and techniques. Here are some strategies that you should consider.

1. Blogging for Business – The era of static web sites has been long gone. Now’s the time for web sites with fresh, updated content that captures the loyalty of its target market as well as the attention of search engine spiders. The best way to do produce new content is through blogging. What can you blog about? You can blog about milestones in your business, developments in your industry, special promotions, and case studies. You can also blog about company events like Christmas parties, anniversary celebrations, etc,
2. Social media marketing — The latest Small Business Success survey revealed that only 31% of small businesses in the US are using social media to engage customers. If your business belongs to the  61% that’s still trapped in the dark ages, I suggest that you get on social media now. You can get further enlightenment on this topic here: Must-Join Social Networks for Small Businesses.
3. Article marketing – Nowadays, everyone’s calling themselves an expert. Guru this, ninja that…. so why shouldn’t you? After all, you’re running a business and that in itself can be considered an expertise. Position yourself as an expert in your industry by writing short, informative articles about your field and then distribute it through article directories like eZine. You can also apply as a contributor to trade magazines that are published online.
4. Online press releases – Getting exposure in traditional media, i.e. TV, radio, and print, can be expensive. Getting exposure in the online world, on the other hand, is cheap and easy. Write a press release for your business and submit it to press release sites and news website. You can also publish your press release in industry blogs and for a wider reach. Submitting press releases is also recognized as a good SEO practice because it builds backlinks to your web site.
5. Video marketing – YouTube has surpassed Yahoo as the world’s second largest search engine. You know what this means? This means that your target market is hanging around in YouTube watching video after video after video. Therefore, it makes perfect sense for you to create videos about your business.  For example, a termite exterminator may create a video that shows how to confirm the presence of termites in your home.

Are you overwhelmed?

While some Internet-savvy small business owners might find these techniques easy to plan and implement, there are those who will find it overwhelming and confusing. If you belong to the latter group, I strongly suggest that you get help instead of trying to do everything yourself.