Every business has natural fluctuations. Airlines sell more
tickets around the holidays and in the summer; marketing companies tend
to get very busy after the new year, when new budgets and new
resolutions come into play. The issue is that in most cases, these
businesses have to keep employing staffs and working hard all year
round, which requires a constant, consistent cash flow. Is there any way
to overcome these natural fluctuations in sales? Of course. But it
requires some bravery.
For many people, it can be scary to spend more money when sales are dipping, but that's exactly what needs to be done. When you know you're coming into a slow period, you need to ramp up your marketing dollars, not down. During your peak periods, you can even scale back. In most cases, there's enough natural demand-people want to go home for the holidays on airlines, businesses want to make the most of new budgets-to carry you through. Instead of using the bulk of your marketing budget during high periods, save it for when you know things are going to get quiet. That's when you spend.
What your marketing needs to do during those quiet periods is to create that demand. It's not that people don't want to travel on airlines during the fall, it's simply there's no natural compelling reason for them to do so. As a savvy marketer, it's your job to show them all the fabulous places they could be going, the vacations they could be enjoying. You need to remind them how great it is to unwind, how much better they'll feel after a brief getaway. Creating demand where there is none is the true sign of a great marketer.
One way to jazz up your off-season marketing is with, you guessed it, direct mail marketing. It allows you to create a steady flow of persuasive information and content starting just before your slow period and continuing, ramping up and up until you've built a compelling case for making the purchase. It allows you to create pieces that are lingered over, postcards that people can put on their fridges to fantasize about the vacations they can be having. It's a more immediate, more emotional marketing tool that ephemeral email or irritating phone calls.
Spending more money when you know you're about to be quiet can be frightening, but it's usually the right move. Just as the government pumps money into the economy to stimulate it during dry spells, so you need to stimulate your down cycles.
For many people, it can be scary to spend more money when sales are dipping, but that's exactly what needs to be done. When you know you're coming into a slow period, you need to ramp up your marketing dollars, not down. During your peak periods, you can even scale back. In most cases, there's enough natural demand-people want to go home for the holidays on airlines, businesses want to make the most of new budgets-to carry you through. Instead of using the bulk of your marketing budget during high periods, save it for when you know things are going to get quiet. That's when you spend.
What your marketing needs to do during those quiet periods is to create that demand. It's not that people don't want to travel on airlines during the fall, it's simply there's no natural compelling reason for them to do so. As a savvy marketer, it's your job to show them all the fabulous places they could be going, the vacations they could be enjoying. You need to remind them how great it is to unwind, how much better they'll feel after a brief getaway. Creating demand where there is none is the true sign of a great marketer.
One way to jazz up your off-season marketing is with, you guessed it, direct mail marketing. It allows you to create a steady flow of persuasive information and content starting just before your slow period and continuing, ramping up and up until you've built a compelling case for making the purchase. It allows you to create pieces that are lingered over, postcards that people can put on their fridges to fantasize about the vacations they can be having. It's a more immediate, more emotional marketing tool that ephemeral email or irritating phone calls.
Spending more money when you know you're about to be quiet can be frightening, but it's usually the right move. Just as the government pumps money into the economy to stimulate it during dry spells, so you need to stimulate your down cycles.
For more information on evening out your cash flow, contact Premier Advantage Marketing. We'll help you figure out the best way to create a consistent customer base and great marketing that creates demand.
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