Plan Today for the Holidays

August is the perfect month to create marketing strategies to amplify holiday campaigns. The long, warm days in the month of August allow teams to slow down, use the daylight hours wisely to analyze Q1 and Q2 results and gear up for the holidays. Afterall, retail spending is anticipated to climb to over $960 billion in 2023 which might be the highest figure yet according to the National Retail Federation. On average, customers spend over $800 per person and small businesses need to capture the spending early to ensure successful holiday sales.

Here are a few tips to include in your Q4 strategic marketing plan:

Plan a promotional schedule.

Write a plan for promotions, giveaways, and sales leading up to the holidays. If new products are arriving throughout September and October, schedule a video as you unwrap the boxes for display.

Plan out the sales weeks or special in-store events. Have all ads and fliers created early, so you can beat the holiday rush. Like many small businesses; printers, media representatives, and marketing firms are busy and may not be able to handle your late requests—especially if you wait until early Q4 to schedule. Do the work today, so the holiday craze is not only successful, but stress-free. Create more content to engage customers.

Connect with your customers to help your brand by giving them a sneak peek at the holiday preparations or packaging of your products. Customers will feel special and a part of the business. If your employees are planning to dress up or create a series of window displays, film it, and let your customers see what’s going on. When in your store, the “VIP” view access will entice holiday buying as part of their traditions.

Align with organizations for Goodwill.

Now is the time to make plans to give back to a charity, or volunteer at the local food bank or offer gifts for underserved children. Learn how this project aligns with the company and employee values. Ask employees to vote for an organization or encourage leadership to tackle this give-back work. An afternoon serving hot coffee at the local food bank or generating gifts for children in need will not only help the local community but help shape the business culture for months to come.

Even though it might be over 100-degrees outside, now is the ideal time to plan for Q4 sales growth. Roll up your sleeves, dive in, or reach out to the experts for help today.