Aaahh the Christmas period. A time when the office is the last place you would want to be.  A time to be out enjoying the sun and thinking about work as little as possible.

Wishful thinking. The rise of digital communication means your potential – and existing – customers don’t stop looking and comparing. So how do you keep sharing your ideas while you’re trying to have some R and R?

Well, it is possible to keep engaging with your audience without too much stress. 

Here are the five ways you can maintain your digital presence while you’re on the beach:

Preparation

It’s just a matter of preparing and making the most of the tools at your disposal. Reading on holiday is a favourite past time of many, so Christmas is a great time to share content.

Fresh Content

It’s important to keep posting fresh content during the holiday period. By making social media posts and updating your blog you can stop both from slowing down. Automated posts are the perfect solution for the holiday period when no one is around the office to update your social media.  Craft them with the same style you usually would. Just because they’re automated, doesn’t mean the content needs to be bland. 

Stay engaged

Prepare to jump online and engage with readers over this period too. A responsive online presence is always more engaging than an information drop. And with your smartphone handy, this is easier than ever.

Consistent Content

Queue up a few posts using your social tools. By posting regular blogs over the holiday period it shows you’re still engaged with your business. Using automated tools for social media is a great way to keep sharing interesting content.  Your digital partner will be able to show you what to use and how to use it. Remaining active online shouldn’t be a huge burden in an age where your devices can go with you on vacation. There is no excuse for dropping off the digital radar these holidays.

Support

With whatever you’re doing, be sure to have your digital supplier available to fix any digital issue that may pop up. You should have an agreement with your digital partner on how they will deal with any issues that arise. Make sure you have a direct line of communication open with your digital supplier. The ability to deal with a broken site or digital product may mean the difference between a happy and sad start to the New Year. 

Along with having your digital supplier on call, a PR partner on hand is always a good idea too. Christmas is one of the most unpredictable periods of the year, so it’s important to cover your bases. As much as you prepare there will still be things outside your control. It’s your business’ ability to handle a crisis that will keep your customers loving you.

It’s with issues in mind that bka Interactive has developed Crisis Manager. Crisis Manager is an application that can help you deal with any unexpected issues. With Crisis Manager each manager has 24 / 7 access to staff and support contact details. It provides an easy and effective line of communication between you and anyone of any importance to your business. Important documents, (such as a guide for what to do in the event of a PR hiccup) are available within the app.  

App to deal with crisis

We designed Crisis Manager in response to the needs of Foodstuffs following the Christchurch earthquakes. Crisis Manager provides Foodstuffs with a way to communicate with all staff to ensure their safety. This app has proved to be versatile in dealing with a variety of issues and crises. You could even use it to send out invitations to staff for an emergency Christmas party.