The holiday season is sneaking up on people quickly. Thanksgiving will be here soon followed by Christmas and the end of the year. This is a time when businesses and brands often get lost in the hustle and bustle of one of the busiest times of the year. For some businesses, they might start to slow down as employees start to take vacations and people are concerned about their holiday plays. Other businesses might start to ramp up and shift their focus toward holiday obligations. Regardless, it is important for every business to remain focused during the holiday season and finish the year as strong as possible. Some helpful tips are below!
The Benefits of Continuing a Marketing Campaign During the 4th Quarter
It is important for every business to remember that there are significant benefits that come from marketing during the 4th quarter. Holiday marketing can play a critical role in helping a business finish the year strong while also setting it up for the new year. Some of the benefits of end of year marketing include:
- This allows businesses to use their marketing budget in a wise way. Furthermore, this also helps to prepare a marketing budget for the next year.
- Many brands have momentum when the holiday season rolls around. Using holiday marketing helps a brand capitalize on this momentum.
- The holidays, while stressful, are also meant to be a fun time of year. The holiday season allows people to do exactly that with marketing! A brand should show off its personality during the holiday season.
- By continuing with a marketing campaign during the holiday season, a business will stay “top of mind.”
- Finally, the holidays also allow a brand to deliver fresh ads for the holidays.
What Should a Brand Do During Their Holiday Marketing Campaign?
There are several ways that businesses and brands can capitalize on an end of year marketing campaign. Some of these include:
For Businesses That Slow Down: If a business traditionally slows down during the holiday season, there are a few ways to finish strong. These include:
- Placing ads with holiday decoration that will grab people’s attention and deliver a pithy message. For example, an HVAC company might deliver a holiday message saying “Stay warm and safe during the holidays with a freshly inspected furnace!”
- Place snapshots of yard decorations on social media with memorable messages about the holidays, keeping the brand “top of mind.”
- Refresh the ad campaign with new, attractive ideas for the holiday season
- Wear relevant costumes to parties that will help the brand get noticed
- Thank the loyal customers with a thoughtful note. While physical notes are nice, an email blast is still effective!
Businesses that are Busy During the Holiday Season: If the brand speeds up during the holidays, the business needs to capitalize on this momentum. One of the popular ideas is leveraging other profit centers, such as:
- Restaurants that can feature catering
- Renting out an extra room to people that can be used for holiday events
- Promoting gift certificates that can double as both generous gifts as well as advertising
Businesses that are busy during the holidays can also use this to compensate for slower times during the year. For example:
- Those who work in nutrition, physical training, or healthcare can offer gift certificates that can be used at any time of year, as a “gift of a healthier body.”
- Businesses can provide an incentive, such as buy one get one half off, or a similar offer
The goal is to create a way for businesses to leverage the busy holiday season to compensate for the slow season. Make sure to use the holiday season to finish on a strong note.
Connect with the Customers on an Emotional Level
The holidays are a time of year for family members and friends. This means that this is an emotional season for everyone. This is the chance for brands to tap into the feelings of their customers. This needs to be used in an effective holiday marketing campaign. The goal of every business during this time of year is to share their “why.” What makes the business special? Why do the employees matter? Why do the customers matter? This is a chance for a business to present itself as caring and compassionate. Connecting to the customers on an emotional level is going to win their trust and their loyalty.
Invest in a Marketing Analysis
Getting ready for the new year while also finishing strong can be a challenge. It is important for businesses to invest in professional assistance. With more than 20 years of experience, Adwise Marketing has helped plenty of brands during the holiday season. Call us today and let us do the same for you! We would be honored to provide you with a marketing analysis!