Seasonal Advertising Tips for Successful Sales Events
Knowing when to begin advertising for your next seasonal sale is one of the biggest determining factors in how successful this event is going to be. Not only must you be able to predict which products your customers are going to want but you also need to guess when they are going to start shopping. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a clairvoyant to figure this out – just use the following tips on seasonal advertising to boost this year’s sales while also leaving you with less product to discount at the end of the event.
Avoid Mixing Sales
You should never advertise the next sale while one is still active. Always wait a few days or weeks to clear out the existing stock of seasonal items. If you are still pushing older merchandise, your efforts seem fully calculated to grab sales rather than attempting to meet the needs of consumers. People need to be ready to start thinking about the next event, which means they need time to put away all of their decorative items from the previous one.
Take a Three-to-Six Week Lead
Focus advertising on seasonal items at least three weeks before the holiday arrives, giving customers plenty of time to shop leisurely without feeling pressured to make a purchase. If you begin too early, you risk alienating potential customers while on the other hand, postponing your advertising efforts allows other retail shops to draw customers to them instead of to your shop.
Consider the Holiday
Some types of holiday sales merit a longer shopping period, so advertising for larger events such as Christmas or Halloween require an earlier commencement point. Customers don’t usually buy everything they need for either of these holidays in a single day, so it is important to start advertising at least four to six weeks before this holiday arrives.
Evaluate Customer Shopping Habits
When a purchase requires thought on the part of the customer, it often makes sense to begin advertising the item weeks or months prior to the sales event. For example, expensive items such as jewelry and electronics should be advertised well in advance, so customers have time to research size while also finding a way to pay for the purchase.
With expensive items, many customers like to consider their options before making their choice. Displaying these items at least two to three weeks before the holiday arrives provides sufficient time for your shoppers to peruse your merchandise in their quest for the perfect selection.
Impulse shopping, on the other hand, requires little consideration, particularly if the item is readily affordable. In fact, some customers are already looking, so you might as well tempt them with a few simple advertisements.
Starting your seasonal advertising too early can hurt your sales just as much as doing it later than you should. Figure out the sweet spot when it makes perfect sense to start advertising for the best results. Starting too soon or too late can push some customers to boycott your shops despite the fact that you might have really good merchandise and prices.