If you’re looking for ideas to promote your company’s products and boost overall sales, then a seasonal marketing campaign is an effective way to attract both new and repeat business. Consumer buying patterns are greatly influenced by the changing seasons, religious holidays and other special occasions, and being able to make the most of buying trends will help you increase profits and promote your brand. Christmas and Black Friday are well-known shopping holidays that lead to a reliable spike in sales, but there are many other opportunities that are often overlooked.
Changing Seasons
According to an online poll by Ezonomics, consumers spend more money during the summer months that at any other time of the year. If your company sells items that change according to the seasons such as clothing or footwear, then you need to ensure that your customers are aware of new styles and collections as soon as they arrive. Social media is extremely useful for promoting new items through advertisements and videos that can be shared thousands or even millions of times in a day. Once the cold weather arrives, consumers may be reluctant to venture outside for shopping trips. Online shopping provides the perfect solution as consumers can browse items without having to leave their home, and offering special online discounts is a great way to tempt new customers.
Special Occasions
The run up to Christmas is without a doubt the busiest time of the year for retailers, and a report by Mintel states that the last three months of the year are responsible for 29% of annual retail sales. Many businesses offer incentives to attract customers during the holiday period such as two for one offers, free gift wrapping or free home delivery. Easter is another occasion that leads to increased sales for a number of weeks before the actual day. Even if your business does not sell anything related to Easter, you can still benefit from the holiday by offering Easter weekend sales or a free Easter egg with every purchase over a certain amount. Other occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and even Halloween are also important shopping days that should never be overlooked.
Reaching Your Target Market
One of the most difficult aspects of designing a marketing campaign is working out how to target your key demographic. Studies have shown that advertising aimed at a particular group is far more effective than campaigns that target a wide range of people. If your company sells outdoor apparel and camping gear, then you should target families and adults from 20 to 40 years of age. Advertisements in men’s magazines, social media ads and video tutorials are all effective methods of promoting outdoor gear as well as online ads on travel websites and review sites. Brand recognition is an important part of growing your business and can help you establish a presence in your chosen market. Dynamic Gift Promotions specializes in items such as key chains, mugs, lighters and stationary that can be personalized with your company’s logo to increase your brand recognition among your chosen market.
Upsell Vs Cross-Sell
Holidays are also a perfect opportunity for businesses to increase the amount of money that each customer spends by using upselling and cross-selling techniques. If a man visits a florist to buy a single red rose for his wife on Valentine’s Day, the sales assistant can suggest a bouquet of twelve red roses or even a basket flower arrangement. This is known as upselling as the customer has been offered another product of greater value than the one initially requested. Cross-selling involves adding other products to the initial purchase to compliment the original item. In this case, the florist could suggest adding a box of chocolates or even balloons to the purchase of flowers to increase the amount of money spent.
As certain times of the year can lead to a sudden increase in sales, it is important to be fully prepared for the extra workload. Many companies choose to take on extra staff during busy periods or extend their opening hours. Figuring out stock levels can also be difficult during seasonal holidays, and retailers should always refer to the previous year’s sales to accurately gauge how much stock they will require to meet all orders. Providing excellent customer service and a seamless buying experience will encourage new customers to return to your company throughout the year, so it is important to ensure that you are able to handle the increased sales without compromising on your customer service standards.
About the Author
Brian Perry is the founder and acting director of Dynamic Gift, a promotional product supplier located just north of Sydney, Australia. Brian has been working in the industry for 10+ years, With a specialty in importing and exporting large volumes of products at a time and meeting tight deadlines he knows everything about how to make an event or conference successful.
