Welp…we’ve done it! 

We’ve made it to the 4th quarter of 2020. And successfully reaching the end of a year that’s had more twists & turns than a David Fincher film is really saying something. 

The last quarter of the year is a special one for businesses. 

For eCommerce brands especially, the last quarter of the year is one of immense importance. Last year, Cyber Monday sales hit $9.4 billion, the single biggest sales day in history. 

Ordinarily, companies would be kicking off their all-important holiday campaigns around this time. From “Spooky Season” to “New Year, New Me!”, the last quarter of the year is ripe with opportunities to meet your customers exactly where they are in a fun, casual way.

But 2020 has been far from ordinary. Between a global pandemic, school & business shutdowns, lack of entertainment options, and an upcoming election, traditional holly jolly holiday marketing seems well…unrealistic. 

It’s easy to phone it in given the circumstances. And, if you don’t already have a plan laid out, creating one now can seem like a daunting task. Apathy, for either reason, is misguided. Right now is the perfect time to push forward. And the way to do that is to create a 4th quarter marketing plan designed to pull in quick wins. 

Define Your Q4 Marketing Goals

First things first, what do you want to accomplish? 

The groundwork you lay in each quarter directly affects how your business will perform in the next one. But in Q4, you can begin to see the fruits of your labor earlier than usual. That’s why defining your goals specific to the 4th quarter is so important. 

Set SMART Goals

• Specific – Do you want to gain followers, increase newsletter subscribers, or, just prep your prospects for what you have planned in 2021? Be specific with your goals, long or short term.
• Measurable – What are your ROIs for the holiday season? How you measure success will change depending on what exactly your goals are but the ROI should always be clear to everyone involved. 
• Attainable – Look…I don’t mean to burst your bubble but setting a goal like, I want 10,000 followers is unrealistic given the time frame. Even if you dare to dream big, make sure you’re not setting yourself or your company up for failure. 
• Reasonable – Although Q4 marketing is built around the holiday season your overall messaging should still be in-line with your brand mission, vision, and voice. Nothing wrong with trying something new. But if your target audience is Dental clinic owners, throwing a hail mary in the form of a TikTok strategy isn’t going to do much.
• Time-Bound – As it stands right now, we only have about 7 weeks until Black Friday. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you’re able to get it done before you hit 2021.

What’s Working Right Now?

Assessment is the key to meaningful growth. 

Before creating a Q4 marketing plan or implementing these tactics for quick wins, ask yourself the following questions…

1. What pages on your website are seeing the most traffic?
2. What types of emails are getting the highest open rates?
3. Which social channels are gaining the most traction? 
4. And of that tractions, which type of content generates the highest engagement?

The magic is in taking what already works & leveraging it to revise your current strategy, revamp your automated systems & funnels, and re-engage with prospects & customers on social media. Let’s get started! 

Plan Your Promo Calendar

Once you’ve defined your goals & analyzed your current systems, it’s time to build a promo calendar around the many upcoming seasonal events this quarter. 

A promo calendar differs from an editorial one in that it encompasses all marketing activities that reach a common goal. From social posts to blogs to advertising, your promotional calendar should cover it all.

Different businesses will want to highlight different events in the Q4. If you’re an eCommerce brand, for example, your strategy will need to focus on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. If you’re a B2B business, you’ll need to be mindful of the holiday operating hours of your clientele. 

This is something that’s unique to your brand so put some thought into it. 

1. What holidays will your business observe?
2. Which holidays will your business be active?
3. How can you tie your product and/or service into the season?

Batch Creatives & Content 

Outlined what you’re promoting & when? Fantastic! Now it’s time to batch your Q4 marketing content. For creatives, whether you’re using an in-house graphic designer or you’re outsourcing, you want to give them plenty of time to create cohesively. 

Important Dates to Remember for Q4 Marketing

10/31 – Halloween
11/11 – Veteran’s Day
11/14 – Diwali (Hindu Festival of Lights)
11/26 – Thanksgiving
11/27 – Black Friday
11/28 – Small Business Saturday
11/30 – Cyber Monday
12/10 – Hanukkah (through 12/18)
12/24 – Christmas Eve
12/25 – Christmas Day
12/26 – Kwanzaa (through 01/01)
12/31 – New Year’s Eve

With content, whether email campaigns, ads, sales pages, or blogs, all of your content this quarter should be focused on closing the year strong & building a foundation for 2021. And of course, it should be aligned with any campaigns you choose to promote.

Re-Market with Social Ads

Remember that tip earlier about finding what pages on your website are seeing the most traffic? Add a CTA to them to convert casual visitors to prospects or subscribers. Using Facebook ads to push these pages to anyone who hasn’t signed up is a surefire way to re-engage with fans and followers.

Re-Engage Subscribers with an Email Campaign

Speaking of re-engagement, how about a quick campaign to pull in current subscribers? Segment your audience into two parts:

1. Subscribers who have low open rates
2. Subscribers who, for whatever reason, you haven’t contacted in awhile

For subscribers with low open rates, create a sequence to draw them back in. Use punchy subject lines or, even better, add their name to get their attention. If they aren’t engaging even after the sequence, make sure to remove them from your subscriber list to start the new year off with a clean slate.

One important thing to remember is that subscribers need an incentive to engage. A few incentives you can offer are: 

• Discounts on goods or services
• Exclusive, limited-time offers or bundles
• Coupons for referrals or social sharing

For subscribers you haven’t contacted in a while, note why. If they are current clients, consider shooting them an email thanking them for their business & offering referral incentives through 2021.

Write Compassionate Copy

Don’t shy away from the current issues of the world, instead, lean into them. Let your prospects & customers know via social, email, or blogs what your business is doing to make your community and the world a better place. 

Share your story. Share your wins. Give your audience hope with the content you put out & watch your engagement grow.

Show Your Appreciation

During the holiday season, there’s really no better way to lift the spirits of your clients & customers than to show your appreciation.

This goes beyond an email or an Instagram post. 

Get out of the inbox & send your clients thank you gifts. A kind, thoughtful card or gift helps with client retention, customer engagement, and relationship marketing – all of which are vital for the growth of your business. 

Create a Smart Strategy for Q4

It’s not too late to get started with your Q4 marketing plans. And, with a digital partner who understands just how time-consuming good strategy creation can be, you can relieve some of that burden & shift your focus on what really matters…your customers. 

Schedule a Discovery Call with Smart Girl today. Let us help you close quarter 4 with a bang!!