Q: After the Holiday Season Is Over, How Do I Generate Engagement & Sales in Q1 of the Following Year?
Start a Sale in January: Do you have excess products from the holiday rush? Great – sale time! Use your customer communication list and get your message out – even if someone has already purchased a product, you would be very surprised about how many people wanted the same or similar items for themselves but had to sacrifice and purchase for family and friends instead.
Market with the New Year in Mind: Just because you don’t directly sell gym apparel or health services, does not mean you cannot generate revenue at the beginning of the New Year. Here are some examples:
- Clothing Brands – Focus on training / workout / light weight material items, including shoes.
- Cookware – Highlight products that are useful for a healthier diet, such as juicers & steamers.
- Home Goods – Promote items that help people organize their home or work space. Also, highlight products that promote home improvement, such as new paint, appliances, artwork etc.
Too often we are stuck in a bubble of New Year = Gym Memberships. But if we start think as the New Year = A New Opportunity to Inspire, then Q1 success should follow.
Release a New Product: Try saving product releases until the start of a New Year. This will be more impactful if the product is a “game changer”, something never seen before, or a feature / product your customers have been waiting for.
Gift Cards: Promote and sell more gift cards during the holiday season so people redeem them in Q1. Big Ecommerce brands will tell you often times the customer will buy more than the gift card amount and/or still need to pay for shipping and other fees on top of the dollar amount in the gift card – thus you are making money in Q4 and a little more in Q1.