Developing a Holiday Marketing Plan
Summer is coming to an end, and your marketing calendar is about to get a lot busier. Starting with Labor Day and continuing on through the end of the year, there is a virtual cornucopia of great holidays. Is your marketing ready for the blitz?
Do you have the resources you need? Unless you have an exceptionally large marketing budget you can’t go after every holiday, or you’ll risk spreading your resources too thin. What about some of the new marketing holidays that have sprung up in recent years? Events like Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday may not appear on a traditional calendar, but they may be extremely valuable to you.
Which holidays are you going to choose? Think about the traditions and trappings associated with each day and see if you can find a way to pair it with the products and services you offer. You may find there are some natural fits that would make perfect holiday bundles.
What events will work well? Will people be out and about or will they tend to stay home? Will they be going to parties, spending time with family or is it typically a work day? Along with your budget, the type of holiday will help dictate your marketing efforts.
What’s the purpose of your marketing? Before planning an event or a campaign, consider what you’re trying to achieve. Do you want to build goodwill, increase awareness of your brand, generate leads or do you want quick sales? Whatever your goal, make sure that all your marketing efforts and content lead you towards it.
What about follow up? If your campaign is successful, you’ll be getting a lot more notice, and of course, a lot more traffic. Are you prepared to handle it? Are your systems up to speed, and are your people trained in what to expect? Are you ready to quickly follow up on the leads you generate or to answer the inevitable product questions from new customers?
In addition to those factors, you’ll want to take some other steps to gear up for the holidays. Freshen up your website and be ready with some great new content. Check to make sure new customers can quickly and easily find out about your products and purchase them with a minimum of hassle. And of course, don’t forget to give your social media sites like Twitter and Facebook and Instagram the attention they deserve.
The holidays are coming, and along with all the festivities and fun there are some great marketing opportunities. Get your marketing plan together and be sure not to miss out.