As the person in charge of marketing your small business, it can be easy to fall into a rut of doing the same marketing every day, all year round. You might be using the same copy and sticking to familiar channels day in and day out, but the quick approach of the holidays is a great time to mix things up to gain new customers, followers and fans. Here are a few, simple ways you can change your marketing plan to fit the season.
Seasonal Products
Once you see Starbucks start to promote their Pumpkin Spice Latte, you know it’s time to jump into fall. As seen with this special, seasonal drink, people are so excited about the changing of the seasons and the start of sweater weather. Take advantage of this excitement by offering a seasonal product or simply making a seasonal twist to one of your products. This might be a new flavor, a new color or a new service specific to the needs of your customers in the fall.
Where Your Customers Are
Chances are, your customers aren’t on the ski hill quite yet, but they also aren’t spending as much time on the beach. Understanding how the weather and season affects your customers location, both physically and digitally, can help you reach them more effectively. For example, your customers might be college students who are heading back to school for the year or stay-at-home moms who are spending more time on Pinterest looking for Halloween costumes. Recognizing the location and attention of your customers allows you to create relevant ads, place them on platforms they are using and geotarget their physical locations.
How Your Customers Feel
As I mentioned above, fall is full of strong emotions. Some people might feel cozy with their chunky sweater and apple cider, some might feel spooky with their Halloween decor and pop-culture costume, while others might feel dread with the promise of winter around the corner. Understanding your specific customers and how they feel about fall can help you speak their language in your digital marketing efforts. It also allows you to easily address the pain points and fears your product or service is designed to fix.
Nurture the Giving Spirit
Fall also brings around feelings of generosity and thankfulness as holidays like Thanksgiving sneak up on us. One way you can use these happy feelings to impact your marketing efforts is by partnering with other companies. Once you find a company who has a similar customer base as you, consider partnering up to host a giveaway to your audiences. Another way to use these feelings to impact your marketing efforts is to make your product or service an easy and desirable gift. Maybe you give a free $5 gift card for every $20 gift card purchased, or maybe you offer a unique gift wrapping option.
Creating a Marketing Plan Perfect for the Season
Whether you decide to offer a seasonal product, partner with other local businesses or offer gift incentives, creating a marketing plan specific to the fall season is an important way to grow your business. It is estimated that over $1 trillion is spent on Christmas gifts each year in America alone. By segmenting your marketing based on demographic, location, and yes, season: you’ll stand out and gain a competitive advantage from the marketers of the world that set it and forget it. If you have any questions, be sure to reach out to our team!