Fall’s in full swing and before you know it, the end of the year will be upon us. It’s the fourth quarter, a crucial time for businesses to market their business, attract repeat customers, and gain new leads. So if you haven’t done so already, start executing your end-of-the-year marketing strategies.
Here are 5 tips to remember for fourth quarter marketing:
1. Start planning early for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This holiday isn’t just for retailers and major department stores. Any business can make the most of the shopping madness that occur during Thanksgiving weekend. Not to mention that it’s crucial for branding. So start brainstorming early on, and come up with a promotion or sale to get customers through the door, or clicking all the way to the checkout page.
2. Plan early for the holiday season, too. December is full of holidays and celebrations, and one of the busiest months of the year for consumer spending. Instead of following what you did last year, why not come up with a new, creative idea to test as well? Starting ahead of time ensures you have the time and focus to brainstorm, test, plan and delegate, without getting into a horrible frenzy.
3. Be festive. Start planning and getting your designs and decorations ready to go. Customers are very visual, and love to see businesses that are ahead of the curve. By capturing these customers early on with seasonal imagery, banners and postcards, you’re not only building credibility but capturing those early birds! Consider the following: seasonal graphics for your website, decorate your physical store, and send catalogs with seasonal imagery and products, way ahead of the actual holidays.
4. Go mobile friendly. Is your site mobile friendly? If not, invest some time and resources to ensure you capture mobile shoppers. Given the overwhelming increase in mobile users and shoppers, this is one demographic you shouldn’t miss or avoid. Busy lines at the shops and busy schedules, means more customers will spend time on mobile phones waiting for their turn, so ensure your site has a simple-to-use ordering system for those on mobile.
5. Reward loyalty. With so many of your competitors offering great deals, it’s hard to compete during the fall and winter seasons. And since most orders for businesses are likely from repeat customers, it’s important to stay front of mind by rewarding customers who have been loyal to us. Consider loyalty cards, an online point accrual system, or a special sale day for just your VIP customers.
