Timing is Everything - Creating Timely Marketing Campaigns

A few months ago I was passing by a major department store and saw a huge ad in the window advertising the Independence Day sale. The deals sounded great, except that it was August 12th and very few people would expect an Independence Day sale. Naturally, the advertised sale had ended over a month before and the store employees simply forgot to take down the notice.

Just like in everything else in life, timing is everything in business. Appropriate promotions targeted to specific days provide excellent marketing opportunities, such as a picnic supply sale for Independence Day or jewelry sale a few weeks before Mother's Day. It is very important to remember, however, that special occasion sales should closely correspond with the timing of the actual event. When you announce sales that are structured around a date (such as a Memorial Day Sale), it should be start near, but prior to that particular day and end promptly after.

All of this sounds simple and obvious. However, we have seen several Christmas sales in April and Mother's Day Sales in July. Here are a few tips on running a successful special event campaign:

• Prepare in Advance. Add every major holiday for which your products make appropriate gifts to your calendar. Mark a special "Preparation Date" to begin making arrangements for every holiday and be certain you have allotted sufficient time to prepare. This will serve as a reminder to prepare appropriate products for promotion and plan the special event campaign.
  
  Give yourself enough preparation time to brainstorm holiday marketing, prepare products and create advertising and promotional campaigns. Many companies start their Christmas campaign preparation in January; give yourself enough time to prepare, anticipate difficulties and review your own marketing.
  
  
• Target your Products and Specials. Make sure that you run specials on products that are appropriate for a particular holiday. Sometimes businesses run specials on stale inventory, and try to tie it with a special event. A Mother's Day Domestic Car Parts Sale would reach an exceedingly small target market. Very few mothers would like to receive shiny new break pads for Mother's Day. Consider running specials on necklaces and other jewelry instead. Ditto yoga apparel for Father's Day.
  
  
• Remove Holiday Specials on Time. Holiday Promotions should be promptly removed from the web site as soon as the holiday is over. Displaying information about a holiday special long after the holiday has ended gives the customers the impression that the store is not being maintained and that product pricing is suspect. Perform web site maintenance on a regular basis, and remove outdated information and product promotions.
  
  

Special event or holiday specials are an excellent way to bring in more sales. A special, time-limited holiday sale will provide the right incentive for people shopping for seasonal items. Schedule your holiday campaigns effectively and change them on time for the most effective holiday marketing.

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