A fact of human nature is that we get bored with the same message, day in and day out. Even the most compelling advertisement will lose its “oomph” after it’s been seen a few times in a row. The best way to keep your marketing fresh, fun, and effective is by taking a seasonal approach and tying your messaging and promotions to holidays and events throughout the year. Here are our top tips to take advantage of the 365 brand-building opportunities each year brings!
Everyone looks forward to holidays — we get time off work, we plan vacations or parties with our friends and family, and we get ready to buy. Consumers are so conditioned to seeing sales around Victoria Day, Labour Day, etc., that many will hold off on making a purchase until one of these dates. This is true of big purchase decisions like buying a car or ordering a service like house painting, but it also applies to small retail businesses. If consumers are expecting things to be on sale, they’ll be more likely to check out their local businesses. This means that all retailers and service providers have the opportunity to capitalize on increased buying interest by offering a big sale.
Be sure to give yourself enough time in advance of the sale to promote it and draw customers in. It takes time to design and print signs and other marketing materials to get the word out, so you’ll need to allow a few weeks for production before you’re ready to drop the news.
Although people aren’t planning purchase decisions around National Talk Like a Pirate Day or Hug Your Pet Day, these smaller holidays can also offer plenty of opportunity for businesses. Marketing is not just about sales — another crucial component is simply capturing attention and engendering positive feelings toward your brand. Companies can pull this off with small, unexpected gestures designed to surprise and delight clientele.
Consider these ideas:
The options are endless! Ranging from charitable, feel-good events to simple silliness, all of these holidays offer opportunities to capture attention and set yourself apart from your competition. Be sure to spread the word about each event with signage, newsletters, yard signs, and more!
For any promotions involving a giveaway, look into partnership opportunities with fellow local businesses to cut costs. On National Pizza Pie Day, advertising free pizza slices with every purchase from Joe’s Pizza around the corner is a great opportunity to both bring people into your business and get the word out about Joe’s Pizza. Many local restaurants or retailers will be open to providing you their product at a heavy discount or even for free to take part in this joint promotion opportunity.
Your marketing campaigns don’t have to involve sales. Driving awareness of your products and services is just as important — and seasonality can play an important role in these marketing efforts, too. Consider whether there’s a particular time of year that your offerings are in demand, then launch an appropriately timed campaign. For example, landscapers should begin getting the word out about their services in early spring, while a personal trainer might get the best results by promoting their business in late December and early January to get the attention of those who are looking to start working out as part of a New Year’s resolution.
Planning ahead is important when determining your marketing campaigns and events throughout the year. For each event, it takes time to flesh out your idea, determine the appropriate promotion, and get the word out. Early in the year, get out a calendar and start brainstorming. Do a Google search each month to find all those fun holidays — ie, “Holidays in March.” Get creative with it! Then make yourself plenty of reminders and set schedules so that you don’t forget all those great ideas as the year goes on and you get busy with other things.
When you’re ready to start promoting your sales and marketing events, stop by your local PostNet centre! We’ll help you plan, design, and print everything you need to make each campaign a success.
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