Believe it or not, every business faces seasonal trends in one way or another, whether it's peaking because of an annual sale or holiday events. While certain industries are strictly seasonal, you don't want your business to get locked into that — there's more inconsistency in sales and profit, less consumer engagement, longer periods that are slow to profit, and honestly, more stress.
In fact, 1 in 12 businesses close every year, and 82% fail due to inconsistent cash flow. Seasonal businesses are more susceptible to this problem, which is why it's beneficial to position yourself outside of being a seasonal business. Here's how to increase sales in the off-season with year-round marketing campaigns.
Of course, you want your campaigns to boost sales during your peak, but you shouldn't ignore the "off" season in the meantime. The key to truly maximizing your potential and profit is to allocate part of your budget and marketing plan to maintain sales momentum year-round.
There are four ways to turn your seasonal business into a year-round success:
Your peak season can be an excellent opportunity to acquire leads and customers, which you can, in turn, target in your off-season to make loyal customers. That will also increase your sales during your slow periods.
That can be done in several ways, as long as you stay connected with consumers and engage them at various touchpoints. Consider posting to social media regularly, interacting with current and potential consumers, blogging about your seasonal advantage AND off-season-related topics, and creating an email newsletter series to keep them informed.
Email marketing is known to help businesses nurture leads and gain lifelong customers because it's personalized and lets customers know about all your sales, deals, and new off-season opportunities. After all, it's repeat business that makes a sustainable company! Furthermore, email marketing also gives you much more control over your marketing because you've built your email list instead of how social media followers can unfollow you easily.
Consider tying this into a loyalty program to nurture past customers or people who have yet to make a purchase. You could also encourage foot traffic with in-store exclusive deals, which can be promoted across multiple platforms to increase your reach among your target audience.
When using digital tactics to promote urgency and in-store foot traffic, make sure your call-to-action (CTA) is strong and actionable. For instance, a clickable link that says Send Me Specials Now! will encourage more traffic and interest than one that says Contact Us. While it has its merits, it is overused, simplistic, and has no urgency to take action.
Leverage your digital and social media presence by specifically targeting your local customers. It can be done through local phrasing and relevant imagery that attracts and resonates with people in your area. The key is to be relevant and creative in the way you choose to communicate with your audience.
You can target local customers for your online ads or set up guerilla marketing in other stores or public areas to gain more visibility and attention. Seasonal business owners have to be bold and creative, thinking like guerilla marketers to make the biggest impact on their customers. Take the time to brainstorm what works best for your off-season, and don't be afraid to experiment to find what works best for you.
Working with a media partner can make all the difference by taking the pressure off you and helping you maintain year-round visibility beyond your seasonal peaks. They have their existing expertise and keep up with the latest technology and trends, allowing you to adjust more quickly than you could otherwise.