It’s hot, it’s sticky and one of your major concerns right now might be making sure the air conditioning in your store stays on, but the next item on your to-do list for September should really be planning for your holiday selling season.
That’s right, even as the beach sand continues to accumulate in the trunk of your car, now is the time to start thinking about that all-important fourth quarter and how you’re going to maximize your holiday profits.
While your in-store marketing efforts can wait until the first leaves begin falling from the trees, your e-commerce plans should be put in place right now.
Yeah, we know, the flexibility of all your e-communication marketing efforts has probably spoiled you as you can execute campaigns at the last minute. Think again. Coordinating e-mail, mobile messaging and other cyber communications for the most important quarter of the year requires solid planning. Statistics from all over the e-marketing world are showing that e-marketing for Q4 truly heats up starting in August and continues unabated until January. Today’s constantly connected consumer expects this and now even looks forward to the onslaught as their holiday shopping plans are starting earlier and earlier every year.
We’ll offer up a few tips and tricks as you balance beating the heat with planning your Q4 holiday sell.
Rising above the Clutter. We’ve seen a recent statistic that claims the volume of B-to-C e-mails increases approximately 62% between October and December. Add to this the deluge of marketing materials consumers receive from other media channels and it’s easy to see why consumer marketing fatigue often sets in sometime after Halloween.
The key is to think about ways to rise above the clutter rather than simply becoming a part of it. Nothing should ever go out that isn’t well thought out. Sounds obvious, but I bet you’d be surprised how much of your holiday e-communication last year was lost in the shuffle. Don’t let it happen again.
Rearview Mirror. What worked last year? Which of your e-marketing efforts resulted in the greatest return? Like the instructions on the side of the shampoo bottle—lather, rinse, repeat. Also consider some of the specific behavior that may have resulted from those efforts: customers who purchased a DSLR might be ready for some new accessories, so target past buyers with additional communications focused on items they have recently purchased from you.
The key is to think about ways to rise above the clutter rather than becoming a part of it. No promo should ever go out that isn’t well thought out. You’d be surprised how much of your holiday e-communication last year was lost in the shuffle.
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