10 Things You Need to Know for Winter Advertising Campaigns

There’s something especially unique about winter when it comes to marketing. Unlike the other seasons, winter has several faces and countless associations that can make or break your business. It poses danger and unpredictable weather, yet contains some of the most precious holidays, traditions, and memories of potential clients. All these things create avenues to profit and client loyalty. You just need to know how to take advantage. Below are ten things you need to know to make this winter your most successful advertising campaign yet.

The Brighter the Better

As I mentioned above, winter is, well, cold. Despite the weather in most places this time of year, people still want to be actively doing things. They crave warmth and light and fun. So the brighter and more enticing in these regards your advertising is, the more people will be drawn to it.

Place Clients Where They Want to Be

Depending on what your advertising, sometimes it can work in your favor to use images that portray places those viewing it want to be. That may be a traditional setting by a Christmas tree or a tropical location in the heat of the sun. With loved ones or by themselves free of responsibility. Using images to create a fantasy like escape can foster interest in your product or services.

Put Ads Where People Will Look

Now might be a perfect time to mix up where you are choosing to spend your marketing budget. This time of year people are shuffling in and out of the weather both locally or traveling.  So rather than waste money on a billboards or banners they might not look up to notice, consider smaller indoor advertisements such as transportation venues and in reading material.

Trick the Senses

Can you smell the holiday scents like pies and cinnamon and roasting fowl? Can you hear the chatter at the table, the music at the party, or the giggle of children as they sled down a hill? Using images to trigger emotions associated with senses has been proven effective in marketing.

Take Advantage of National Events and Smaller Holidays

We all know Thanksgiving, Hannakah, Christmas, New Years, and Valentine’s Day happen during the long winter months. It’s wise to utilize them. However, other events or smaller, lessor known holidays can often garner more attention because of their uniqueness to a particular caste of potential clients. Some examples include National Novel Writing Month (November) for the writing community, International Woman’s Day March 8th, and December 1st is eat a red apple day. (For a complete website dedicated to these type of quirky celebrations, check out www.daysoftheyear.com.)

Capitalize on Uniqueness

Research has found that each up and coming generation tends more and more toward uniqueness. That is why so many items on the market offer variants in style, color, and available features. If you take your marketing in a really unique, risky direction it often results high sales from these younger buyers.

Make it Fun!

If you have fun organizing and creating your winter marketing strategies, it will show. Customers will notice. Unique and entertaining marketing, even something as silly as a giant snowman balloon by the entrance, will make people walking by and clients smile.

Feature People

There is an innate sense of community this time of year. (This sometimes also makes certain people feel lonely.) If you portray real people in your advertisement, whether it’s a friendly face holding your sign or a multi-person commercial, budding clients will connect to it better than animation or drawn out chatter.

Mix up Routine

As we mentioned above, winter is a good time to change things up a bit. If you usually send out dry newsletters to your email list, consider creating an eCard or snail mail postcard instead. OR better yet, hire a temporary person to call clients personally. Clients will appreciate the extra effort.

Give to Get

This point’s about as old as dirt. When we give back, it reflects well on us. Plus, it feels good. There are multiple places to give and different things to donate. You can give time by speaking at local events or serving in a soup kitchen. You can give financially by contributing to community charities or by offering discounts. Some believe that giving comes back to you, and when potential buyers see your effort, they might just make that belief a reality.

With these ten marketing strategies in your arsenal, your marketing campaign is sure to blossom this winter. Be sure to contact us for some detailed suggestions on making each one work for your business.