The 4th business quarter is only a couple weeks away, which means now is the best time to plan a final marketing push that will propel you into the next year.
In my experience, we have found that waiting until halfway into the holiday season to plan end of year promotions does not provide enough time to maximize the success of these campaigns. Here is what you can do for the next three weeks to prime your brand for Q4 marketing success.
1). Run reports on all campaigns created this year
Gather insights from all the campaigns you have pushed this year, or at least the largest ones. This process is known as a marketing audit, and will help guide you in shaping future campaigns. You will want to find any goals you may have written and set for yourself at the end of last year.
Did you meet them?
Which campaign performed the best?
Should you change how you are defining success?
2). Work up a list of strengths and weaknesses
Analyzing the data from the reports into strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and pros/cons will help you determine where to prioritize your efforts moving forward.
Where did you succeed?
Where did you fall short of goals?
Will you invest in improvement for shortcomings or expand upon your strengths?
3). Research new innovations for the upcoming year
This step is optional, but one we highly recommend. Check business magazines as well as marketing publications in your business’s niche. Look for substantive articles which discuss new technology or innovation in your field.
What is the next growing trend?
How lucrative does it promise to be?
Can you see your company benefiting from this tactic?
4) Factor industry trends into your current efforts
You can use your supplemental research to assess the success of your past marketing campaigns. Perhaps they succeeded despite not utilizing innovation, or perhaps they needed modernization.
How feasible would it be to integrate innovative ideas into your future efforts?
Would this innovation strengthen the output of your marketing?
5). Start planning your 4th quarter and new year marketing push
Now that you have all the information needed, you can start planning your Q4 promotion. Decide what your objective is (loyal clients, more leads, general brand awareness) and sketch out a strategy.
Ideas that you might consider for this campaign include:
- Video production
- Giveaways
- New product launch
- Social media takeovers
- Event hosting
Marketing strategy is no easy feat. My agency Pearl Marketing is always available to help you take your business to the next level. Contact us today at 603-732-9070!
