Summer is such a wonderful time of year. Apart from the lovely sunshine, it’s the perfect opportunity for business owners looking to cash in on the happiness of their potential target market.
Bobby Unser said that success is where preparation and opportunity meet. We tend to agree with that, which is why we’d like to give you a few of our best tips to help you prepare for a spectacular busy season. If you’ve been overwhelmed by the tumult of changing seasons in your business, planning can help you make the most of your marketing efforts to balance out the low times.
Whether your busy season is only in December, or possibly in summer, these tips should help make it easier to cope the seasonal ebbs and flows.
How to Market Your Business During Busy Season
Making the most of the busy season starts with proper planning. Instead of flying by the seat of your pants, take the time to think things through and develop daily habits that become the cornerstone of your company’s culture.
1. Invest in a Planner
… and take the time to plan out a daily business strategy that will help you continue to grow wherever inspiration takes you. Set your goals – remembering that a goal without a deadline is just a dream – and plan the activities that will help you achieve it.
Instead of scrambling around reacting to unfolding events, plan each quarter, four months ahead of time. It doesn’t matter whether you’re using a spreadsheet, a notepad, notebook or a calendar, as long as you have space to write all your notes.
- Brainstorm ideas
- Make to-do lists
- Mark dates when you will need time off
- Mark dates that are optimal for big business move
2. Create a Marketing Plan
A marketing plan or strategy is the blueprint that will drive your brand marketing efforts now and into the future. Use this to plan out those projects that have been on the backburner for a few years, because busy season snuck up on you too soon. Assign deadlines to keep you on track.
Your marketing calendar should include:
Time off – Good marketers understand the value in taking off to recharge their batteries.
Goals and projects – You plan will help you stay on track so that you can cross it off your to-do list long before you release it to the public.
Promotions and sales – A marketing planner can help harmonize your marketing efforts to ensure that you are prepared for the busy season well in advance.
Blog posts – Your marketing plan will be an excellent tool to use for planning your editorial calendar. It will allow you to make the most of your marketing efforts, by enabling you to blog about significant sales and promotions ahead of time.
Social media – Likewise, by keeping a running log of all your potential social media activities will help tie your marketing themes together and help to optimize interactions for better results.
3. Always Be One Step (or one lap!) Ahead
Avoid the feast-or-famine energy trap by using the slower seasons towards planning and preparation for the busy season. Slump season is a good time to brainstorm, go for training, deep clean your office, catch up on admin, and other marketing and administrative tasks. By doing that during slump season, you free up time during busy season.
Find ways to stay in contact with your customers all year long. Subscriptions are a great way to do just that while making money even during the slower months.
4. Diversify
Consider whether you can diversify your offering to appeal to a previously untapped market. Take your time during the busy season to connect with your customers. When you surprise and delight your audience, they are bound to mention that “you really should…” Don’t brush them off without giving it some through. They may just be onto something!
5. Stay Ahead of the Curve
Who’s to say your customers will only be interested in buying at the peak of the busy season? Take advantage of your competitors’ low activity levels by offering a promotion before they do.
Seasonal fluctuations add a lot of intrigue to the small business owner’s life. By using these smart practices, you can remain profitable during all the different seasons.