Now that 2013 has finally arrived, many businesses are putting the finishing touches to their marketing strategies and planning out the calendar year. Whether it’s coordinating the distribution of newsletters or synchronising strategic door-drops of promotional flyers in order to capitalise on certain events, setting very clear objectives for each month is advisable. The second part of this two-part guide summarises some simple suggestions to boost promotional activity in each month, focusing on the second half of 2013.
July – September
Following on from the precedent set in June, and hopefully riding a wave of interest in their summer sales or new products, July can be a very busy month for many types of business. There are no public or bank holidays of note in this month so creating a theme for promotional drives can be tough, but the ever-present Wimbledon tennis tournament and Murray-mania sweeps Britain during July, and many businesses choose to do their bit to give Britain’s brightest tennis star a boost, through sales or special offers.
Continuing with the sport theme, August sees the recommencement of the football season, meaning that many cafes, food outlets and pubs will find themselves much busier during the weekends. Special one-off deals on the launch weekend can help people to choose their new favourite spot to watch the game and ensure business for the rest of the season.
In September, universities are back in session, and many cities across the country experience a surge in new residents. Local businesses with relevant services or products can take advantage of these prospective new clients by seeking out the ‘student area’ of the city and coordinating a door-drop for printed leaflets containing comprehensive lists of their offers.
October – December
There are often complaints that Christmas starts earlier in every year, but the fact remains that for businesses, commencing festive sales pushes in October is standard practice. The first mentions of Christmas can be hinted at in promotional materials from an online printing service around this time, and perhaps a token collection scheme could be kicked off which will eventually come to fruition for customers around December. October also features Halloween, a great opportunity to enjoy a themed event with spooky decorations, bobbing for apples and a fancy dress competition. This will get customers through the door and will acquaint them with all services and products in the crucial time before Christmas.
November is when the Christmas sales really kick in, as people start to write their Christmas lists and do their Christmas shopping. DIY and home improvements are popular at this time of the year, as families prepare their homes for a deluge of guests over Christmas, so handymen, joiners, builders and those with a specialist trade should remind clients of their price lists with a simple printed flyer or some posters put up around local towns.
December is, of course, when the festive season goes crazy, but the savviest of businesses are already implementing their New Year promotional drives. If the funds are available, taking out an attention-grabbing billboard in a town centre or employing someone to stand in a crowded city centre on a busy Saturday and hand out printed flyers is a great way to capitalise on the Christmas crowds and ensure that business will continue to boom into January.
