I love the holiday season. I always remember it being such a time of anticipation and joy as the holiday neared. As a professional, the holidays could get to be a stressful time of coordinating lots of “to-dos,” running from one event to the next and trying to stay focused on the true meaning of the season.
Well, the 2012 holiday season is upon us now and we are getting inundated each day with winter specials, seasonal promotions and amped up advertising. While writing this post, I received 11 unsolicited emails and a handful of unsolicited calls on my cell phone alone. Cutting through the clutter and keeping a simple focus on giving is becoming more and more of a challenge. In the business sphere, there are plenty of things you can do to be in the spirit of giving this holiday.
Recommendations and Quotes
When you take the time to write a thoughtful recommendation on a person’s or company’s LinkedIn profile, they will often recommend your own page in return. LinkedIn is known in the professional world for its business networking usage, and you never know what will come of making a positive recommendation or reconnecting with an old colleague. Quotes are free to give and receive as well – if you know of someone with a new consulting business or tech start-up, you can offer a positive quote for them to include as a testimonial on their website.
Favorite Tweets
You can also use the opportunity to be more generous in your social media practices. Tweet recommendations and promote products and services that are helpful to your business. In many cases, it is in the spirit of generosity that we end up receiving as well. Be sure to check your company’s “@ Mentions” each day and “Favorite” the best Tweets. These can be added to a company website as testimonials in the future.
Giveaways and Likes
Everyone loves a sweepstakes freebie. Facebook is a great place to give away an item or service for free – and in return, get page likes, post shares and word-of-mouth exposure for free. Perhaps giveaway a best-selling product to one Facebook fan who has just liked your page or shared a post to their own newsfeed.
eCards and Apps
Addressing physical cards and keeping track of stamps isn’t always the best practice for business acquaintances or co-workers you see every day. You can still spread the holiday cheer or send a laugh with a free eCard message or holiday app! This year, check out free options like 123Greetings, eGreetings.com, or the Portable North Pole app. Send your work friends a hilarious greeting from JibJab.com or SomeEcards.
Support a Charity
By giving away time, talents and service for free, you (or your business) in turn receive a great feeling of accomplishment, increased morale, and perhaps even free news exposure. This holiday season, consider volunteering with a local charity or service in your town. Doing so also helps you take a break from the holiday stress and refocus on what is really important.
Merry Christmas from Eye-To-Eye!
