The Secret Weapon to Stay Ahead of the Competition
You smell the freshly cut grass and the tangy barbeque sizzling on the grill. You sip a nice, cool beverage by the pool and start to fall asleep.
Ah…summer. It’s time for rest, relaxation and fun. But wait a minute…Wake up!
It’s also a time to be aware of your business. Why?
Well, while you’re napping, your competitors may be doing something you’re not…something that can significantly squash your future sales… and even put you out of business.
What is this secret weapon?
Planning future promotions.
That’s right. Even though the sun is blazing (and you’d rather not work), it’s time to think about snowflakes and holiday sales. Before you know it, the holiday season will be here, and if you don’t act now, you will miss out on some great publicity and marketing opportunities… so what’s a business owner to do?
Here are three, quick tips to fight the holiday battle now:
1. Figure out what your target market will want.
Start thinking about how you can fulfill the needs of your customers in the months ahead and get them to buy your products and services.
Will an updated product, discount coupon, layaway process, gift-with-purchase, or other special discount bring in more sales? What do you want to accomplish this holiday season?
Be creative and think of ways you can promote your unique benefits while exceeding customer expectations.
And even if you can’t afford a big sale, you can always provide extra customer-service, work with a charity on a special, holiday event, have a theme day, hold a contest, or create other, free activities that will bring customers in your door.
2. Make plans now.
Got your big, promotional ideas for the holidays? Great!
Write down all of the activities, responsibilities, budgets, deadline dates, and specifics necessary for you to make your plans a reality. And don’t forget to include all of the marketing and public-relations tactics that go with each activity.
This way, you’ll know what needs to be done when, and who is responsible for accomplishing each task. Not only will this help you meet your goals, but it will help you avoid last-minute surprises and missed deadlines.
3. Start promoting.
Once you have your plan in place, start your promotion activities. After all, many media venues are already working on their holiday issues, and you don’t want to miss out on interviews, articles and advertising placements.
Be sure to get your Web site ready too. You’ll probably need new, holiday copy for search engine optimization, landing pages, newsletters, brochures, blogs, social media, and other, promotional materials.
Got it all together?
Fantastic! Now, you can go back to the hammock and that tall glass of lemonade. You are in control and ready to take on the competition in the cooler months ahead… And if not, give me a call, and I’ll help you get it done!
Do you need help writing good, search engine optimization copy for your website and marketing materials? How about publicity to get people to your site? Please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help. (Also, look for my new book, “Simple Publicity,” coming soon!)
August 13th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Too true. Time to think of office furniture promotions for the end of the year, beginning of 2011. Guess I’ll get out my wall calendar and start planning.
August 13th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for your comment. It’s probably not what you want to do right now, but you’ll be glad you worked on your PR now. Plus, all the office stores have their new, 2011 calendars out now!
For more info, check out my site at rembrandtwrites.com. Thanks, and all the best with your planning.
August 13th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Great article and yes I need to start planning! Kids start school in 10 days, then work, work, work! I’m going to check out your website, was just recommended working with someone to help get people to my website.
August 14th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Thanks for your nice comments Sheena. I’m glad the article was helpful. If you need help getting people to your site, please let me know.
Good luck,
Melanie, rembrandtwrites.com
August 18th, 2010 at 8:54 am
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August 18th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
What kind of promotions can I do with vending machines? It’s not like having a store to have a sale in, it’s just snack and soft drink vending machines.
Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.
August 18th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Hi Edward,
Have you thought about having some kind of contest?
Perhaps, you can paste a special label on an item in your vending machines, and the person who finds it wins a prize?
Or maybe you can team up with a local charity or a business that complements yours on a special promotion or charity event?
Be creative. Think about your target market and what they would like. Also, think about other products and services they use, and see if you can tie them into a promotion with your products and services.
I hope this helps you get your creative juices flowing.
Thanks,
Melanie, rembrandtwrites.com
August 19th, 2010 at 12:27 am
Nice post it will be helpful for me! Thanks.
August 19th, 2010 at 8:05 am
Glad to help. Thanks,
Melanie, rembrandtwrites.com
August 20th, 2010 at 8:15 am
I need to get back on the ball, lol. Thanks for the push.
August 24th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Helpful article. Social media sites are a wonderful (and free) way to promote one’s business. While Facebook and Twitter are the dominant forces, they are not the only players in town. Digg and Squidoo are also prominent social media sites to promote your business for free.
August 24th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
Thanks Cards. Social media sites are great. It’s just a matter of taking the time to post valuable information that can help your business and credibility.
Melanie, rembrandtwrites.com
September 27th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Very true! I have found by experience that slacking off and taking it easy isn’t such a good thing just because things are flowing at the moment. You do need to plan ahead. A hard lesson I’m learning right now! Thanks for the reminder!
September 28th, 2010 at 9:17 am
Thanks Andrea. Good luck!
Melanie, rembrandtwrites.com