Your seasonal campaign is months away but when should you start thinking about your digital marketing planning? The answer: it is never too early to begin thinking ahead.
For many businesses, certain seasons are critical to overall success, and getting the timing right for executing your campaign can have a big pay off. Don't wait! Start thinking about your seasonal campaigns well in advance and keep tabs on your ideas via digital organizational tools or notebooks.
Not sure how to get started? Here are four steps to maximize your time and make a plan to prepare for a successful busy season.
Take a Look at Last Year's Campaign
Evaluating the successes and challenges of last year's campaign will give you a rich set of data to make informed decisions. Whether last year was a success or not, the goal is to take the learnings to make this year better. Pull as much data as possible to hone in on which mediums were most successful and why. If your social media campaign delivered the best results, determine if you can shift budget from other tactics that didn't perform as well. It's all about tweaking what currently works and maximizing potential in those areas. Bonus tip- at the end of each busy season, quickly capture your thoughts while they're fresh so you won't have to remember 6 months from now.
Consider the Consumer Journey
How do customers find your business now? Are return customers the biggest source of revenue? Understanding how potential customers discover your business and make their decision will help you determine where to invest and what message to promote. If return customers are the biggest source of revenue then investing in a seasonal email marketing campaign ensure your key customers know about your specials and promotions. On the flip side, if you're looking to target new prospects, try to pinpoint which platforms or types of media they are most likely to interact with.
Evaluate Your Competitors
What do the other businesses that provide the same products and/or services you provide offer during your busy season? It's important to understand what they say so you can create compelling messaging that highlights why you are different and how you are better. A simple Google search for your product/service can give you great insight into what your competitors are doing. You may stumble upon an idea that you can apply for your own purposes.
Early Bird Gets The Worm
Early shoppers are a great resource to look toward for early sales. Offering additional savings for early orders is a tactic you can offer to boost early sales and to ensure you will have the adequate inventory or employees to handle the last minute rush of those that choose to wait to the last minute for seasonal shopping.
When addressing a seasonal marketing plan, it is imperative to invest in professionals. Just like you follow your physician's advice to maintain personal health, it is important to invest in the health of your business and view hiring a professional for your marketing needs as an investment to keep your bottom line in the black. Partnering with a professional marketing agency is an excellent way to develop your plans and ensure you have the time and resources to handle other aspects of your blooming return.
Contact us to find out how we can best serve your needs.
