Last year you missed Valentine’s Day… again. Mother’s Day, you didn’t give it a second thought. Easter, you were far too busy to notice and as for Christmas … it’s too late to do anything now!
I’m not talking about sending cards, flowers or chocolates to your loved ones. I’m here to talk marketing. Whether you are a romantic who celebrates or a bah-humbug who revels in ignoring these occasions, seasonal events provide a great opportunity to promote your business or service. You don’t have to be a card manufacturer to profit.
There’s huge potential for businesses to include seasonal events in their marketing plans and perhaps in ways that can be really creative if you put a bit of thought in. If you have a blog it’s an opportunity to write some interesting articles to attract more business. Or the seasonal event might be the catalyst to create a more intense marketing campaign – social media, website, mailings, PR or advertising, to name some options.
Let me give you a few examples to set your creative juices flowing. One of the biggest seasonal events (for florist and chocolatiers) is Mother’s Day. I put together a press release for a travel company with ideas for alternative Mother’s Day gifts such as:
- Instead of a bouquet of flowers: book a weekend in Jersey, known as the Floral Island, to coincide with the annual June in Bloom flower festival
- Instead of a scented candle: book a spa break.
- Instead of a box of chocs: book a trip to Brussels to taste the best Belgian chocolates, moments out of the confectioner’s kitchen
- Instead of a Sunday drive: book a cruise.
Here are some ideas for other seasonal events:
- A garden designer or hair salon could use social media to offer a spring makeover.
- Travel agents might blog on 10 ways to keep kids happy on the plane this Easter.
- Builders might try, ‘Give Dad a rest from DIY, call in the pros’ on Father’s Day.
I strongly recommend using real life to help people grasp immediately how you can solve their problems. For example, a security company could offer: ‘Night security patrols for the price of a cup of coffee, while you enjoy Christmas peace of mind.’
I know I’ve mentioned the C word, but there are plenty of businesses that have to do all their Christmas preparation in the heat of the summer.
Now it’s over to you …
To help you plan ahead for the year and take advantage of seasonal events here’s a simple downloadable plan for you to fill in and refer back to over the year.
Seasonal Blogging Plan
I wouldn’t expect you to blog on every event (your customers would turn if you did) but choose those that spark an idea or mean something to your customers or your business.
