Can you hear that?
It's a clock... and it's ticking away the minutes until the holiday season. Now seems like a good time to make sure your marketing assets are ready to help you maximize success.
Show up on social media
If you haven't been posting frequently on your social media platforms, now is the time to begin. These days, organic posts flow like a fast moving river through most user's feeds but if you're showing up regularly on the same social media platforms where your potential customers hang out, they'll be more likely to remember your business during the holiday buying frenzy.
Take note: building an online community takes time and patience. That's why it's important to start sooner, rather than later. Commit to posting several times a week, respond to comments, and engage with others on the platform. And, remember, you're building a community so don't wear your sales hat in every post.
(If you need help writing posts that build community and engage users, check out my online training.)
Build an email list
Just a reminder... you may have a lot of followers on social media but you don't own their contact information. That belongs to the social media company. And, if their policies change, you could find yourself without a way to communicate with that carefully cultivated online community.
That's why it's important to build your own list. Your website provider likely has an app you can use. If not, check into email services like Mailchimp or Constant Contact. Both of them integrate with your website or can act as a standalone email marketing service.
Whichever you choose, remember to ask for permission to send emails. You can do this with an opt-in on your website, request with link in your social media posts, or by asking for subscribers at networking events.
Review your website
Your website is likely the hardest working employee on your payroll. It doesn't need to sleep and never asks for time off. How can you maximize its effectiveness? Here are a few tips:
Use good visual design and simple navigation so your customers want to stay on your site.
Make sure the information is relevant, most especially your contact information and hours of operation.
Add an opt-in so you can collect email addresses from current and potential customers.
Update your products and services to reflect current pricing and store links.
Make sure the content plays well on mobile devices.
Optimize content for SEO. In other words, make sure you use terms and phrases potential customers are using to search the internet for your products and services.
Plan for direct mail
Now is the time to plan a direct mail campaign, even if it's as simple as sending a holiday appreciation card to everyone on your list.
Never underestimate the power of direct mail, especially if you have loyal customers. Here are a few statistics*:
Direct mail offers a 29% return on investment (ROI).
42.2% of recipients read or scan their mail daily.
Recipients purchased 28% more items and spent 28% more money than individuals who did not receive the direct mail piece.
73% of American consumers say they prefer being contacted by brands via direct mail because they can read it whenever they want.
Ready to take your toes out of the sand? Consider this. Even if your company doesn't rely on a strong holiday sales to meet annual projections, it's always a good idea to review these marketing assets to make sure they're an effective part of your marketing strategy. That way, your business will be ready to put its best foot forward, regardless of the season or its opportunity.