Most people love fall, thanks to the cooler temperatures and pumpkin spice lattes. But fall is also an excellent opportunity to market your small business. Here are five fall-inspired marketing ideas you can use to promote your business and gain new customers.
Create a fall-themed promotion
Start thinking of ways to create a fall-themed promotion that works with your business. For example, if you have a brick-and-mortar store, you could host a fall-themed event at your store.
E-commerce businesses might consider hosting a fall-themed giveaway on social media. And you can gain new followers by requiring users to tag a friend, follow your page, or share the event to participate.
Your social media posts may be easier to find if you incorporate fall-themed hashtags. Whatever you decide to do, make sure it fits with your brand and overall content marketing strategy.
Start promoting gift cards
Gift cards are a great way to build brand recognition, create a rapport with your customers, and offer flexible payment options. You should offer gift cards year-round, but you may find they’re in high demand once fall arrives.
Gift cards are a great gift option, and many people will purchase them as stocking stuffers for the upcoming holiday season. The global market for gift cards is expected to reach $2.1 trillion by 2030.
Offering gift cards can bring in new customers who may never have considered shopping with your business otherwise. And 56% of gift card users spend 38% more than the gift card amount.
[Read more: How to Offer Gift Cards at Your Business]
Offering gift cards can bring in new customers who may never have considered shopping with your business otherwise.
Launch a charity initiative
The fall season is a great time to focus on giving back to your community, and you don’t have to wait until Giving Tuesday to get started. This is a great opportunity to engage with your customers and demonstrate that your business cares about social responsibility.
Take some time to think about what your community needs and how your business can help. For example, you can host a food drive or partner with other local businesses to host a chili cook-off. You can also take advantage of the cooler weather and host a walk-a-thon to raise money for charity.
[Read more: How to Plan a Company-Wide Charity Initiative]
Participate in Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday always falls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so this year, it’s on November 25. It’s an excellent opportunity for small businesses to offer special sales and incentives for customers. You can also use Small Business Saturday to build your customer list for future marketing efforts.
If you plan to participate, you’ll want to come up with a marketing campaign ahead of time. Email your current list to announce it, post it on your social media channels, and create a pop-up for your website.
From there, think about any special promotions you plan to offer or exclusive products or services you plan to launch. You might consider partnering with other local businesses to maximize your reach.
[Read more: How Any Business Can Make the Most of Small Business Saturday]
Create a gift-buying guide
Once fall has officially arrived and the back-to-school craziness has died down, most people start thinking about the holidays. Retail businesses can capitalize on this opportunity by creating a gift-buying guide for their customers.
You’ll need to understand your target audience and their preferences to do this successfully. You can use your point-of-sale system or Google Analytics to gather customer demographic data. This information will show you the age groups and genders of those who frequently shop in your store.
Once you understand your target audience, you can begin choosing products based on their preferences and current shopping trends. It’s a good idea to create different categories based on interests, price, and shopping behaviors.
Start promoting your gift-buying guide early since 40% of holiday shoppers prefer to start early. And you might consider offering buy-now pay-later options to make it easier for customers to pay.
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