Written by Manpreet Singh
$7.4 BILLION!
That’s how much Americans spent on Halloween this year, including $2.8 million on costumes alone. The record numbers could be a positive indicator for the economy.
But, you’re no retailer. You don’t just sit around, watch your own hot air turn to vapor in the cold wind and count the days until Black Friday.
Popcorn and scary movie rentals dominate family entertainment budgets. But, the essentials are your bread and butter.
And guess what:
– The leaves dropped like flies and consumers need someone to rake them
– The cold weather is just strolling through the windows as if their outdated insulation were a “Welcome Mat”
– Their car wheels are bald and will start to slip so badly you’d swear they’re slathered with Rogaine.
Consumers will need your help, like yesterday, and they’re starting to realize it.
And, the same unseasonable chills in the Mid-Atlantic and beyond that drove trick-or-treaters home early also lit a fire under consumers’ backsides that will eventually rocket-propel them through your door.
So, to help you turn up the heat this season, here are 5 Autumn Marketing Ideas Consumers Will Fall For
1. Send them a holiday card:
A simple message of well-wishes and appreciation is the softest, warmest way to sell your services and your brand.
2. Give them a “gift”:
Sales and consumer rewards are welcomed during the holiday season. Still, with the holidays coming up, promotions that have too aggressive a tone can feel as invasive as interrupting family dinner…no matter what time it is. But, wrapping those same promotions in the form of a present can enhance the warmth of the season.
3. Focus on the essentials:
During the colder months, people instinctively focus on survival. Meanwhile, the coming holidays elevate people beyond selfish materialism. So, while a gentle up-sell is always smart once you’ve built a rapport, your direct marketing outreach should focus on those products and services with a clear tie-in to the protect-and-nurture instincts of your consumers. Few people want to feel like they’re just treating themselves or keeping up with the Jonses. Make your services about a needed quality of life improvement for the whole family.
4. Give:
Even as consumers value investments in their own home and family right now, they are acutely aware of the less fortunate. Helping the consumer act on those feelings will make them feel good about their purchase while distinguishing you from competitors. Specialize in Heating and Cooling repair? Partner with your local Fuel Fund and offer a limited-time promotion where you donate a portion of every sale to helping low-income families meet their energy needs. That’s just one of many ways to help consumers enrich their lives and the lives of others at the same time this season.
5. Decorate the store front:
Seeing seasonal and holiday cheer on the shingles and in the windows of community shops helps to open hearts, and therefore wallets, during a walk-in visit. Be sure to find affordable ways to carry the theme throughout your stationery: email signatures and even flyers. And, remember to retain a welcoming atmosphere for people no matter what holiday they celebrate.
But only if your marketing strategies are hot enough to attract those heat-seeking missiles…
