Happy first day of fall, y’all! I’m a summer person, so my heart breaks a little every time we cross the threshold out of those glorious summer days.⁣
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I’m drowning my seasonal sorrows by talking about Q4 marketing and PR strategy for Marketing Monday. This is typically a very busy season for businesses and marketers, for good reason. Figures from October through December typically account for about 20% of retail sales. Are you ready to meet consumer demands with your Q4 marketing strategy? ⁣
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Consider how your short term strategies ladder up to your long term strategy. What’s the difference? Long term strategies create your customer base. They drive in your target customers and keep them coming back for your products or services. Short term strategies create demand and traffic. They’re typically used to drive new and reward existing customers. Examples include promos, discounts, BOGO offers and gifts with purchase. ⁣
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If you’re a retailer planning for a big Q4, do you have your short term strategies ready, and the infrastructure to go back them up? Plan for increased web and in-store traffic. Train your employees on all deals so they can communicate them to customers. Make sure your digital strategy is aligned with your brick and mortar and social media. ⁣
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If you’re a service based business, what you can offer during this holiday buying timeframe? Consumers might be interested in your service, but are short on cash during the holiday buying season. Could you offer a subscription or gift card for your service that could be sold as a gift? ⁣
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If you haven’t started planning for Q4, don’t panic. Think about your long term strategy. Jot down some ideas for short term goals that could help you reach those big picture objectives. Be realistic about what you could offer and promote in a short period of time, and what type of sales those offers would bring. Choose three or less that would bring the most revenue and align best with your long term strategy. Now break those down into steps and implement! ⁣
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If you need extra help, send me an email to learn more about my PR and marketing services. I’d love to help you kill it in Q4!