Busy Season vs. Slow Times -- When Is It Best to Advertise?

Tiffany Romeo

Tiffany Romeo About The Author

Jun 24, 2021 11:15:00 AM

Busy Season vs. Slow Times -- When Is It Best to Advertise?

 Many businesses experience slow and busy seasons throughout the year, and marketing efforts will change during these times. However, having a year-round marketing strategy can keep companies ahead at all times. It may be tempting to pause campaigns during slow seasons to save money, but the fact is that consistent marketing will yield the best results. 

To help you develop an effective marketing strategy that takes advantage of both on-and off-seasons, consider the following suggestions. 

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1. Marketing During Off-Season Is Crucial

Companies may consider delaying advertising during slow seasons to cut down on costs, but this will hurt rather than help. A lack of marketing will set your business back as competitors continue advertising and producing content. 

If you can strategically plan marketing efforts during the off-season, you can stay top-of-mind among audiences. You'll also be able to maintain the traction you've had in SEO efforts, whereas pausing campaigns could hurt your rankings. Slow times are great for focusing on creating and curating content, brand awareness, and social media. 

Additionally, you can advertise sales or deals that you're offering, which can boost sales during these slower periods. If business is stagnant, you'll have plenty of time to sufficiently prepare your business for peak season. Curbing marketing while business is slow can diminish sales during the rest of the year.  

You can also use the off-season to learn new ways to find customers, as you should have more time to perform market research and look deeper into what competitors are doing. In turn, you can use this knowledge to fuel your campaigns during peak season. 

2. Don't Forget to Market During Peak Season, Even if Business Is Thriving

Even during your busy season, you should always continue marketing to make the most of it. During these times, you can showcase social proof like reviews and testimonials. You can also discover new ways to improve customer interactions and better relate to them, which can further streamline the sales process. 

Peak season is a perfect time for brand awareness and customer engagement. You can connect with audiences regularly on social media platforms, respond to Google reviews, supercharge your customer support efforts to improve responsiveness, and more.  

If business is booming, you'll want to keep it that way, which is why high engagement times are perfect for building your brand’s influence. If you can develop a stellar reputation among your customers, they'll be more likely to recommend you, which could even lead to more sales during slow seasons. 

Another great way to supercharge your business during the peak season is to grow your database of leads. As the slow season arrives, you can take the time to reach out to these prospects via email marketing or other communications. This will keep your brand top-of-mind and help convert more leads to customers when business has stalled.

3. Don't Stop Marketing Efforts — Consistency in Marketing Is Most Important

Regardless of the season, don't quit marketing. You might see a temporary pause as a means of maintaining cost-effectiveness, but stopping advertising could hurt your overall ROI. Marketing is a fluid process—it's never done, nor should it stop, during peak times or slow times. 

Consistent marketing will help you build more trust in your brand, keeping your business connected with audiences at all times. It will also yield more regular and reliable results, seeing as ceasing these efforts could hurt your bottom line.  

If you can maintain persistent marketing and advertising efforts, you'll be able to ensure customers still think about you and you’ll stay ahead of competitors. In the end, you’ll benefit from considerably higher ROI than you would if you chose to cut back on your efforts. 

Implement a Year-Round Marketing Strategy to Stay Afloat 

Marketing year-round can make sure your brand is always flourishing. During peak season, you can improve your reputation through customer engagement. Meanwhile, you can spend more time developing content and finding new customers in the off-season while competitors wait until their busiest time to market.  

The most important step to take is to advertise all year, increasing customer loyalty and creating a steady stream of sales. Otherwise, your business could suffer as audiences drift away from you when marketing efforts cease. If you have the time and capabilities, always connect with potential customers as your business grows. 

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Topics: Marketing ROI