How To Keep Sales Momentum Post Holidays

How To Keep Sales Momentum Post Holidays

It’s a New Year and everyone is excited about all the possibilities that this year has in store. For online companies, however, this is also the start of the slowest season of the year.

During the holidays, it’s a completely different story. Businesses often see 30% of their revenue between Black Friday and the end of the year alone.

In order to stand out in front of everyone else and entice these holiday shoppers, online stores create a huge seasonal marketing push. This push typically involves long brainstorming sessions, bigger budgets, and longer man-hours to convert as many sales as possible.

Following this intensity, it’s easy to see why there’s a drastic dip in sales and why companies are tempted to pull back on marketing efforts during Q1. If you can get past this fear and keep the focus on marketing, it can make a big impact on the growth of your brand.

Your Biggest Concern, “Do I want to spend this much?”

The instinct to pull back on marketing efforts all comes down to budget. There are massive amounts of money spent during the holidays and it often impacts companies in the months that follow. The common response is to reduce your marketing budget during these down periods and push during peak season.

Stopping and starting up again can be a huge momentum killer! People lose interest in brands that aren’t actively in front of their face. The last thing you want to do is lose the interest of potential buyers during the biggest valley of the year.

Keeping constant strategies and budgets in place make for a much smoother year. You’ll save money when you’re not making a new campaign every busy season, which will make things easier to plan throughout the year.

Make a Marketing Push

Putting together a first quarter marketing push essential to building a lasting brand. We know that identifying the right areas to focus post holidays can be a struggle. These are a few ways to see that momentum carry into Q1.

• Focus on New Customers

Right after the new year begins is the perfect time to focus on bringing in new clients. Since client acquisition can be one of the most expensive parts of business, putting a large emphasis on acquiring new customers while competition and costs are low is really a no brainer. A big new client push during this period will give you the base for a much more lucrative holiday season for 2020.

• Increase Ad Spend

Just like we see with new client acquisition market, when it comes to ads, the least competition you’ll see is in the beginning of the year. By putting together a larger budget for your ads, you’ll get more bang for your buck, which will generate a steady flow of sales into the year.

This is especially important in the realm of social ads. The biggest companies go heavy with their Q4 blitz on Facebook and Instagram which can make it incredibly difficult to be seen. When those companies pull back their social ad dollars, it is the most opportune time to invest in growing your reach and feeding your sales funnel.

• Focus on Resolution Keywords

Every January comes with a massive crowd of people looking to kick start their “New Year’s Resolutions.” As it’s commonly known, everyone gets on google searching for ways to improve themselves.

These resolutions are at the top of the list for organic searches. May it be, “how to eat healthier” or “how to improve my sleep,’’ there’s always something that is relevant to your brand. Do some research on which resolutions are searched the most and identify which are the most relatable. Use that data to put together a plan to show those people you understand their needs and know how to solve them.

• Personalized Your Approach

You shouldn’t just care about connecting with your audience when they’re in buying mode like in Q4, you should always care!

People can spend in unlimited ways and are drawn to brands that they connect with. Whether it be sharing a story about your team or showing your process, getting personal will create the emotional connection in your audience. This will keep you at the top of their mind when it’s time to buy.

• Offer New Products

Not all buyers are looking for a bargain or left-over holiday stock. Some buyers want something refreshing and new. Don’t just offer any new product to online shoppers. Use the data from the buying behavior of the holidays to predict what your audience is seeking. Now you can create something that fits their profile, persona and specific tastes.

• Re-target & Segment

There’s a lot of people who saw your brand but didn’t pull the trigger over the holidays. Using specifics, launch segmentation and retargeting campaigns to get back on their radar. The more personalized the message, the more likely it is to turn that missed opportunity into a conversion.

• Have Attentive Customer Service

Given the influx of buyers during the holidays, it is imperative that your customer service remain prompt and effective. Nowadays, most questions are being asked through social channels, so they expect to answered right away. Be sure to answer all inquiries within 30 minutes to really impress your audience. Aim to have an FAQ page (frequently asked questions) and social media content based on your most talked about products and promotions to show you understand your audience.

The key is to constantly try new things and ask advice when it comes to marketing your business. Keeping a heavy and consistent marketing push during the slow period is a great way to gain attention and grow your customer base. The effort put in during this time can transform your brand for years to come.