Your busy season is always great for business, but once that time comes to an end, things can really slow down. However, there are ways your company can keep that busy-season momentum going. Whether you’re coming down from holiday festivities or your most fruitful months happen when the weather’s warm, here’s a look at some best practices that can boost your efforts when you’re not riding the busy-season wave.
1. Increase Your Reviews
Consumers really take stock in the references provided by people similar to themselves. That’s why it’s estimated that more than 90% of people actively seek out reviews before they decide whether to part with their cash. If your brand doesn’t have a robust showing of online reviews, you’re likely missing out on opportunities to attract new audience members.
There’s no way around it: Humans like social proof. People are more likely to make a purchase if someone else agrees that it’s a good idea – even if that someone else is a stranger. When you have a steady stream of positive reviews, you’re building trust and credibility with your customers. This, in turn, could result in boosted sales and greater brand loyalty to push your business momentum.
So, how can you get more reviews? Ask! While reviews that are obtained organically are great, you shouldn’t just sit around waiting for great feedback to come to you. When you talk to customers on the phone or via chat, let them know you’d appreciate an online review. Consider using an automated review invitation service to remind your customers that their opinions matter.
2. Touch Base With Customers
Even if your pipeline tends to be healthy and steady, it’s always a good idea to re-engage past customers from time to time, using suggestions or other triggers based on what they might like or past purchase decisions. This helps you re-establish your brand in their minds, so they’ll think of you first when they need the products or services you provide. If you’ve launched a new product or increased your service offerings recently, this is a great time to have a discussion with people who have done business with you before to remind them that you’re still relevant to their needs.
3. Promote Your Popular Products
Do you know what your top five or 10 most popular products are? This is important to constantly be aware of overall and for key customer segments. Why? Because any complementary products you can pair with your best-sellers offer you the chance to cross-sell to your customers. Being able to suggest lower-value items that go well with your most popular pieces can increase your average order value (AOV). With the right pitch, customers will upgrade their baskets to higher-value items.
Additionally, if past data showcases a particularly popular promotion, consider extending or repeating that campaign.
4. Incentivize Your Loyalty Program
Introducing new incentives for members in your loyalty program can help strengthen engagement. You can present exclusive offers that are available only to members, such as shopping vouchers during slow periods, free delivery or even bonus gifts. This in turn keeps customers coming back and increases your business momentum.
5. Retarget Your Top Customers
Your repeat customers – and those customers who top out as your biggest spenders – are the people who are most likely to keep shopping with you going forward. As such, it only makes sense to invest time and ad spend to nurture your relationships with these best customers. You should also consider retargeting them through the year with dedicated deals and personalized promotions.
6. Personalize Messages Through Cross-Channel Marketing
Use an advanced cross-channel marketing platform to give your customers a better, more human experience with your brand. The sales don’t have to stop just because your busy season ends. Try some of these tips to keep your business momentum going and see your profits rise.
Guest post by Juan Jaramillo is Performance Marketing Director for Cordial, a cross-channel marketing and data platform. He has 13 years of experience in the industry and focuses on performance marketing, search engine optimization, and analytics.
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