As Summer shifts into fall, we notice a lot of changesโthe days get shorter, the weather gets colder, and the kids are sent back to school. So why should your marketing strategy stay the same when the world you inhabit doesnโt? Having a seasonally appropriate and seasonally relevant marketing strategy is a great way to take advantage of how the culture and the environment look at any given time and help maximize interest, leads, and purchases from your company. Here are a few basic tips to help you get the most out of the Fall season:
Update Your Website and Online Business Listings
Okay, weโll level with youโthis one is true no matter the time of year. Keeping your website and business listings (your Google Business page, your social media profiles, your listings on any review sites, etc) up-to-date is hugely important not just for keeping your customers supplied with current information, but it also helps you rank higher in Google Search results, as the algorithm sees you as a relevant and accurate source of information.ย
While this is true for any day of the year, itโs especially important as the seasons change, which can bring about changes in hours or changes in operation (for example, a restaurant that may shut down a patio once September hits). And this is especially especially important during Fall, when holidays (and accompanying closures or hour changes) come one on top of the other. Donโt leave your customers second-guessing if your web info is accurate; make sure itโs up to date today.
Create Seasonally Relevant Content
People know what season it is. This may seem obvious, but marketing your business with content thatโs tied into the calendar and relevant to the time of year can help you attract customers and show that your company is staying up-to-date. Seasonally relevant marketing means more than just putting a festive gourd in your front window display; it means creating marketing messages and content that align closely with what your customers are already thinking about or anticipating what may attract their attention.ย
If youโre a local HVAC company, it could mean shifting your advertising from focusing on air conditioning to focusing on the importance of furnace inspections before it gets too cold. If youโre a restaurant or cafe, highlighting heartier menu items, autumnal ingredients, or warm drinks can capture people who are starting to turn their minds towards sweater weather. If youโre a garden store, it could mean running blog posts about how to prep your yard now for the best blooms come Spring. These are just a few ideas, but we encourage you to think seasonallyโafter all, your customers are.
Donโt Delay Your Holiday Marketing
โThe Holidays start earlier each yearโ is such a common phrase that itโs a cliche at this point, shared not only genuinely but also through memes and jokes. But, itโs a cliche because itโs trueโpeople start thinking about planning and shopping for the holidays sooner than ever. Still consider Black Friday the start of the Christmas shopping season? Think again. With the holiday season so busy, many people like to get their shopping done and out of the way early to avoid undue stress during an already stressful time of the year.ย
This means that a smart marketing mind has an opportunity to pick up extra sales by encouraging this behavior. This doesnโt necessarily mean plastering your business in fake snow starting September 1st, but while your competitors are still pushing Summer clearance sales, you can start reminding people that getting holiday gifts now means one more thing crossed off their to-do list come Winter.
Focus on Local Marketing
Summer is a time for traveling, exploring, and seeing the worldโitโs when kids are on Summer break, itโs when parents plan Summer vacations, and itโs often when various locations are at their most attractive, weather-wise. That means that Summer often brings your business more out-of-town visitors, or your website brings more out-of-town traffic.ย
In Fall, school starts back up and the weather gets colder, so more people find themselves staying put. This means Fall is the best time to shift your focus towards local marketing, however that looks to you. It could mean you run advertisements on local websites or in local papers, events, or businesses, or it could mean tailoring your online content to a local audienceโthink event guides, special offers for neighbors, or incentives for repeat customers. As the weather turns, turn your attention to the people who live and work nearby for strong results.
Audit Your Website and Marketing Strategy
As the new year approaches, thereโs no better time to start thinking about your 2023 marketing strategy. While it may seem like itโs still a ways off and you have plenty to focus on in the here and now, 2023 will arrive sooner than you thinkโand the last thing you want is to be caught flat-footed with an outdated website or a marketing approach.
One of the best ways you can prepare for a new year of marketing, advertising, and business success is to give yourself a website auditโthis means having a knowledgeable expert comb through your businessโs website and find all the areas that could use improving. These changes could be performance-related, like swapping out images for ones that will help the site load faster, or they could be content-related, like rewriting copy to rank your site higher after Googleโs Helpful Content Update. And your website updates can inform your general marketing strategy, as wellโwill 2023 mean focusing more on visual content? Creating more genuinely useful content for your customers to explore? Focusing more on web traffic than ever before? These are all potential outcomes for a business operator that plans a great 2023 marketing strategy well in advance.
If youโre no web expert, the best place to get an audit is from those that are. Skol Marketingโs team knows web design for local businesses and Google Search better than just about anybody out there, and weโre here to help. For one-on-one guidance, site or marketing strategy audits, or to discuss how we can help your company craft the perfect 2023 marketing plan, please donโt hesitate to contact the local website experts at Skol Marketing.
