Content strategy development is integral to reaching business goals. But not all types of content work effectively at every time of year.
Once peak season ends and winter sets in, it can be tempting to allow your website and storefront to go fallow – however this doesn’t mean marketing should stop altogether!
Create Content Around Your Products or Services
Off-season marketing must aim to keep your brand at the forefront of consumers’ minds. A great way to do this is with regular, valuable content that engages your target market.
One simple way to create relevant seasonal content is by capitalizing on seasonal topics, trends or events. For instance, ski companies might release off season content about skiing destinations and tips for getting ready for next winter’s skiing season in order to drive traffic and promote new products or services. This type of content helps drive engagement while driving business growth.
Effective off-season content might also include how-tos, FAQs or guides about your product or service. For instance, ski shops could use blog posts and videos about properly storing or maintaining equipment to boost engagement while simultaneously building trust with their audience. This content not only generates sales but also helps establish the brand.
One effective strategy for off-season content generation is creating informative podcasts or videos that address frequently asked customer questions. For instance, a ski shop might create videos addressing customer issues like how to choose the appropriate ski size or get started in skiing; these can then be promoted through social media channels as well as emailing current customers directly.
Although producing engaging content during the off-season may seem counterintuitive, it is nonetheless critical for businesses that depend on seasonal traffic. By continuing to create engaging material during this period, you can prevent an abrupt decrease in both traffic and sales during this period; additionally, producing this type of material will help preserve your SERPS ranking which will give your company an advantage when busy season arrives again.
Content related to products and services should only be half of your story; you should also highlight benefits. For instance, a ski shop could use off-season activities as an opportunity to promote itself by sharing articles about indoor attractions or rainy day activities – creating off-season interest as well as using this content in paid and organic search engine campaigns.
Your business should take advantage of the off-season to promote gift certificate programs and provide discounts to locals. By doing this, you will attract new customers while increasing sales during this period.
Create Content Around Your Industry
If your business relies on seasonality, creating content tailored specifically to consumers during the off-season is a fantastic way to maintain brand recognition and keep customers in your sales funnel. For example, if yours is a ski shop or beach resort, creating winter sports-oriented content could help customers through colder months while staying excited for warmer weather when spring arrives – this way building relationships with audiences that could become buyers during busyer seasons!
Social media, email marketing and website promotions are great platforms to use to spread the word about your business during peak seasons. Take this time to update your database and reach out to those who expressed an interest during this season in order to turn them into new leads.
Increase audience engagement during the off-season by featuring positive customer reviews of your products or services from previous customers. Utilize these testimonials in all promotional materials available, such as websites, social media pages/updates/updates/blog posts etc. This will give credibility and show people are willing to trust your product or service.
Your off-season can also provide an ideal time for you to promote any special offers available during this period, such as discounts or free items. Use this time wisely by focusing on marketing initiatives you were unable to implement during peak season such as raising brand awareness or spreading word of mouth; doing this will create a pool of prospective leads ready to convert once your season starts again, which will pay dividends when sales resume again.
Create Content Around Your Target Audience
Off-seasons are an excellent opportunity for businesses to create content that draws their audience closer together with them and their brand, creating anticipation among people waiting for the season to resume. You could even take this time to promote any successful loyalty programs for their company.
Create content that captures the interests and curiosity of your target audience, whether this means videos, blog posts or infographics. For instance, a bed and breakfast could create a blog post about exciting date ideas while summer camps could offer advice for keeping their kids occupied on rainy days.
Create content around events or holidays occurring during your off-season. For instance, if you run a ski shop, create content about where people can ski in your area while offering early bird specials or discounts during this period – this will put your brand front-of-mind with customers and encourage them to book their vacation during your peak season.
Finally, take advantage of the off-season to create content that aids your audience in meeting their goals and desires. For instance, summer camps might offer tips for bonding with children or bed and breakfasts could share recipes for romantic date nights; by creating content related to your business mission you can keep customers engaged throughout this off-season period.
An off-season marketing strategy is crucial for seasonal businesses that aim to succeed. By making use of your quiet period to nurture leads and develop your customer database, you will create a stronger foundation from which to expand and thrive when your busy season resumes. Take this chance to craft a strong content plan that will benefit your company in the long run – don’t stop posting! This content should be delivered via all available channels such as email, social media and website updates.
Create Content Around Your Brand
In the off season, it’s an ideal opportunity to invest in building your brand. By creating content that demonstrates what sets your product or service apart from competitors and creates a strong brand identity for your business, this type of material will keep you top-of-mind with audiences as you transition into busy season business activity.
At this point in your marketing plan, it’s also an ideal opportunity to share content that highlights your daily operations as a brand. Customers appreciate seeing a human face behind the company; doing so builds trust and loyalty with potential clients. Just share some exciting or interesting updates from seasonal businesses such as upgrades on vacation rentals or upgrades at ski shops.
Use the off season as an opportunity to collect customer reviews. Invite satisfied guests to submit their experiences using a custom hashtag, or hold an end-of-season photo contest at your hotel or vacation rental. These positive testimonials can build brand preference among audiences and convince them to book with you again next year.
Dependent upon the seasonality of your business, use this time to promote early-bird specials or off-season discounts that encourage people to come visit during off season months; doing this can also help build your contact list so you can start nurturing leads right away!
An effective way to build brand recognition during the off season is through interviewing industry experts and influencers for content creation. Engaging interviews can be shared on websites, social media channels or email newsletters; video series of skiing athlete interviews or Instagram skiing influencer interviews for instance will give your target audience reason to engage with your brand while simultaneously driving engagement and sales during peak season.
Use the off season to complete all those marketing initiatives you’ve been delaying during busier seasons of the year, such as revamping your website or social media profiles or planning an email campaign that has been languishing. Doing this now will reduce pressure during those busier times of year so you can focus on providing excellent client services and results!