The end of December gives us a pause that's hard to come by during the rest of the year. With inboxes quieter and calendars less packed, it's a great time to step back and take a look at what's actually working. This kind of break isn't just about rest. It's a chance to reset, especially when it comes to how we've been showing up online all year.
Making a few small changes now to our online marketing strategy can set us up to start strong in January. When we take time to prepare in December, we don't feel as rushed trying to get organised once the holidays wrap up.
When it comes to digital marketing, this quieter time of the year gives us room to ask questions we might otherwise ignore. What's been connecting with our audiences most? Where have things become stale or repetitive?
Which parts of our strategy feel meaningful, and which ones have just been ticking along without much return? Getting honest about these things will make any updates more targeted, so we're not stuck repeating the same patterns year after year.
Review What's Working (and What's Not)
Before we start changing things, it helps to know where we stand. Early winter's slower pace makes it easier to go back and look at the choices we've made across the year. Not everything deserves to carry over into the new year.
• Check your social media performance. What kinds of posts got real reactions, shares, or messages? Which ones didn't get much attention?
• Look at traffic to your website. Where are people landing? Where do they leave? This can tell us what holds their attention and what doesn't.
• Think about leads and contacts. Were there any stretches where things were quiet? If so, what was happening (or missing) in our outreach during that time?
• Reflect on the kinds of feedback received from clients, customers, or collaborators – did you hear anything about your communication style, your content, or the value of the updates shared? Sometimes these offhand comments reveal blind spots or highlight strengths worth keeping.
Sometimes what we expect to work just doesn't, and that's fine. Noticing those spots now means we don't repeat them next year. It can be helpful to jot down which tools or platforms were easiest to use, too, since that contributes to how smoothly our systems will run in the future.
Refresh Your Visuals and Messaging
After months of posting and promoting, our content can start to feel recycled. December gives us time to clean that up and bring in some new energy. This doesn't need to be a full overhaul. A few noticeable tweaks can go a long way.
• Update your logo or brand colours across your socials and email footers if anything has shifted
• Swap old header images for something newer that feels more like where your brand is now
• Rethink how your text sounds, does it still match who you're talking to and how they speak?
• Review story highlights or featured posts to see if they reflect your best or most current work
• Adjust language that's become outdated or doesn't fit who you are today, so your messaging is still authentic
We can also prep a few new graphics or short videos now so they're ready to go in January. Having new visuals on hand gives us a bit of breathing room once work ramps back up. These updates might seem small, but they can make your content feel much more current, helping your audience see your business with fresh eyes.
Clean Up Your Online Presence
It's easy for websites and platforms to collect clutter as the year goes on. A short cleanup now makes everything feel fresher without a big push.
• Remove old promotions, expired offers, or seasonal links that are no longer helpful
• Update staff pages, contact info, or service descriptions if anything has changed
• Make sure all forms work and your site still loads quickly, especially on mobile
• Check if social profiles list your current hours or services, since many people rely on these details during the holidays
• Go through comments and messages in case there's anything left unanswered, so you're not starting the year with loose ends
Small things like broken links or outdated bios can make a strong brand look a little off. Tidying them in December helps our work present better right from the start of the new year. Even a quick review of links, images, and pages can point out lingering issues or gaps in your site that are easy to miss day-to-day.
Set Clear Priorities for Q1
We don't need a full plan for the year right away, but it does help to choose one or two priorities for the first part of it. January always gets busy fast, so knowing what matters most keeps us from scrambling.
• Pick a small number of goals we can tackle early, maybe a new email sequence or a better posting rhythm across socials
• Focus on the platforms that saw the best results this year instead of spreading ourselves thin
• Think about how our online marketing strategy supports other areas like sales, client experience, or events
• List out any skills or areas you want to get better at in the coming months, like video editing or audience research, and set aside time to practise or learn
Setting a direction now gives us something solid to build from once everyone's back at their desks in January. Having these focus points written down can keep us from feeling lost or grabbing at too many trends at once. This intentional narrowing of effort saves us energy and helps measure progress along the way.
Getting Ahead Without the Rush
The best thing about doing this kind of work in December is that there's less pressure. We don't have to get it perfect or finish everything. We just need to make a few smart moves before things speed up again.
• Tidy up old blog posts or landing pages that don't reflect current offers or messaging
• Schedule one or two posts in advance so you're not starting cold in January
• Flag things that need more time so they're not forgotten, we can come back to them with a plan later
• Organise design files, docs, and creative resources so it's easier to find what you need when work gets busy
By chipping away now, we set up the kind of momentum that's hard to build once the calendar flips. Small tasks today can mean fewer headaches and late nights later. The more we handle in these quieter days, the easier it becomes to focus on bigger projects and creative work once the new year routines return. Even short, ten-minute updates add up when they keep our online spaces tidy and ready.
Make Space for a Better Start
End-of-year updates are about giving ourselves space to think clearly. We don't have to do everything, but we can look over what's working, make a few simple changes, and get ready for what's next. That quiet window in December is a gift we don't always get.
When we take that time to reflect, clean up, and make focused updates, our work feels lighter going into January. The rush will return soon enough. But if we've already handled the basics, we don't start the year behind. We start ready.
Ready to strengthen your business’s presence online as you head into the new year? With better visuals, clear messaging, and a more consistent posting rhythm, aligning everything under a clear online marketing strategy is key. At Dingus & Zazzy, we’ll help you decide what to keep, what to update, and what to let go, so you can move forward with confidence. Connect with us to discuss your next steps.
