Businesses of all kinds will be looking at the months ahead with some trepidation. Whether it’s because the biggest shopping season of the year could slump, or the cost of living is set to bite, it’s vital to be prepared.
But all is not lost. There are some short-term certainties that can be planned for. Take a look at our recommendations below to ensure you’re well-positioned for the weeks ahead.
1. October presents more opportunity
With energy cost caps due to rise again, consider bringing budget for your advertising campaigns forward, before the winter really bites. After October bills roll in, customers are likely to be saving their money as the heating goes on, as well as being cautious in their decision-making. Make sure you have high visibility amongst your target audience, and October could well be a better month for sales.
2. Be aware of the World Cup effect
When the World Cup is on, online sales typically dip, as fans are naturally preoccupied with the tournament. That’s not such an issue in summer, but the 2022 World Cup falls in Q4. That means you’ll need to keep an eye on match schedules and results to spot opportunities, potentially adjust messaging and for wider context when analysing your data.
In case that wasn’t enough to think about, the USA and England will go head-to-head on Black Friday, so you’ll need to factor that into your strategy – which leads us nicely onto…
3. Look to extend sale periods
With the World Cup and rising prices, consider how you can encourage purchases throughout the season, rather than just Black Friday, Boxing Day, and other high-traffic sales dates.
Take a leaf out of Currys’ book with its ‘Price Promise’: They discount products for the whole month, with a promise that the price won’t drop any further on Black Friday weekend. The bonus is twofold: customers don’t have to hold out for a better deal, and you secure sales throughout the month.
The key is in the preparation. Make your messaging clear, get users signed up to email alerts, and quickly convert those already in the market for your products with your ads.
4. Uncover what resonates most in a recession
Both shoppers and businesses are likely to be tightening their belts as the recession hits. Be mindful of this as we get deeper into winter, testing which messages resonate when securing sales. Does your audience value money off? Free gifts? Loyalty points?
A/B testing will give you the best idea of what works, on your website, in your ad campaigns and email marketing. For more ideas on how to uncover these insights, take a look at our ‘capturing first-party data’ blog to understand audience signals and turn them to your advantage.
Need a hand?
At Launch, we leverage paid media, data solutions, and conversion rate optimisation to ensure our clients are getting the very best results for their budget. If you need your ad campaigns to work harder, an analytics setup that’ll give you the edge, or advice on tailoring key pages of your website, talk to us today.
