If you have a business that offers a product or service, you’ve probably given thought about how to increase your sales as we come to year-end. But if you were thinking of waiting until right before Black Friday or Cyber Monday to determine what your offers will be, you may want to reconsider.
Here are a few reasons why:
A “fly by the seat of your pants” approach can be timely and costly.
I’m a planner and always recommend that in business. And while I do think it’s okay to sometimes have a light bulb moment with a fantastic promotional offer that is slotted into your schedule can be beneficial – I think not planning these out can have lasting effects.
First and foremost, if you don’t have your promotional schedule planned out in advance (I recommend at least quarterly) – you can spend more time coming up with concepts, getting approval, and working on graphics / templates, etc. than you would have if you planned in advance. I also find that when things are rushed, it can lend to more mistakes. The frantic pace leaves people needing to reach a deadline instead of having time to work on the required elements of your promotions.
Putting it down on paper in advance can help you visualize – and change – your strategy.
Whether it’s email marketing, social media or advertising – put your schedule down on paper; or Microsoft Excel, to be more precise. Seeing it laid out will help you understand the big picture. Did you included everything that needs to be promoted? Are the special offers spaced out enough so that your audience doesn’t become overwhelmed?
Did you allow timing for holiday offers? Create your promotional calendar for the holidays so that you can revisit and revise as needed.
Knowing what you want to offer in advance can help you schedule things out and time when offers will be most effective.
Once you’ve mapped out what you want to offer, your calendar can help you schedule the promotions for when they’ll have the most ROI. The big three are Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas. Be sure you’ve slated big (and different) offers on these days.
Good luck as you get started on your holiday marketing plan, if you haven’t already. Here’s to a successful 2013 holiday season!
Need help with your holiday marketing, including email and/or social media? Contact us today to learn how we can help!
