Invest time in the timing

Marketing is a dish best served well timed. We all know this, it’s marketing 101, however, life, internal business pressures and external factors beyond our control sometimes get in the way of the perfectly timed marketing campaign. Which leads to the question; what is the best timing strategy for maximum reach and impact?

Well, this really depends on the product, industry, and budget. For example, if you are in retail, it would be unheard of to not market over peak periods like Christmas, whereas in the real estate world you’d see tumble weeds blowing down the proverbial marketing street at this time. This is based on a few factors; historically real estate sales soften towards the end of the year whilst workforce resources (aka staff) become scarce with the impending silly season and long summer break. Perhaps though if you went against the grain and did market at this time, you’d have a better chance at complete market saturation and message cut through? Which poses another question; is it better to go against industry trend and blow your horn while everyone else is hibernating or do you ride the peaks and shoot while the ducks are flying? Sometimes dipping your toe in the water with a low cost and measurable marketing campaign is the only way to find out. In any case, when it comes to marketing, invest time in the timing of your campaigns.

Strategy is key

Strategy always plays a key role in marketing but for tighter budgets strategy is paramount and a well thought out and expertly timed marketing plan will make your dollar go further. Often this is about riding the wave of peak periods with campaign hype and navigating troughs with effective maintenance marketing in the form of email campaigns, customer loyalty incentives and social media presence.

Sitting alongside this well thought out marketing plan should be a calendar of events which notes key project milestones, industry events and external events that may have an impact on your campaign, such as government elections, school holidays and competitor activity.

Be onto your competitors

Sniffing around for competitor activity and keeping a keen eye on what they are doing in the market will serve you well. There is nothing like launching on the very same day as your competitor as you fight for the same audience or customer attention! #marketingfail  An annual competitor analysis is best practice and will keep you on your toes as to not become complacent and presumptuous.

Your database is king

Whether your budget is big or small, your database is king and should be kept in pristine condition. Data entry is dry and boring, hence why it can be left to the wayside and not maintained and updated. Using those quieter trough periods to prioritise a clean and well-maintained database is best practice marketing. Subscribing to a CRM program should be a key consideration for any business who values customer retention, loyalty and brand affinity and takes the pain and clunkiness out of data maintenance. Put simply, if you value revenue growth you should value your database.