Wait, there’s only one week left in the month? Where did the time to run marketing campaigns go?
Probably, it was left languishing under a hefty stack of invoices, customer requests, and newspaper articles talking about the UK (or should we say England now?). We get it, we know exactly how busy you are, but that’s exactly why we’re reminding you to pull it out and brush it off because it’s never too late to catch up!
This is the end of the quarter and your last chance to end everything on a high note and set yourself up for a stress-free Q3!
Here are 3 extremely simple month end campaigns to finish strong:
- Run a promotion around a social cause: There’s a reason that month-end promotions still exist, and that’s because they’re effective. They create urgency and take control of a calendar cycle that everyone has to abide by. This month however, make your offer more compelling by layering in a social cause. Offer to do a dollar-for-dollar donation match to a local charity for anything that customers buy before the deadline.
Done right, month-end promotions light a fire under the buyers who aren’t on any sort of a timeline, and would just as happily buy next month. And, this doubly motivates them. As a corporate responsibility study by CONE Communications found, 90% of customers would be willing to switch to a brand associated with a good cause, which means that you stand a good chance of nabbing business from your competitors as they wrap things up too.
Month-end promotions around a social cause both help the world and your cash flow!
Pro-Tip: Remember to make that deadline the last business day of the month, not the last day, although this July both are one and the same!
- Simply say thanks: When’s the last time you took a moment to say thanks? We don’t do it often enough, and we’ll start this one off: thanks for being such a great customer of ours! You inspire us daily and make this job fun and interesting!
How’d that feel? We’re hoping pretty great, and you can pass the good vibes along to your own customers with a soft-touch campaign that simply says “thanks” and doesn’t have a direct ask. Before you balk, realize that there is still a cunning marketing strategy behind doing this, as it keeps you top of mind and builds a relationship and primes customers for future sales.
As the eminent psychologist Robert Cialdini discovered, simply giving without any expectation of a return is the best way to inadvertently get more back. More giving is more getting, and according to his Rule of Reciprocation, people tend to give back more than they get, often buying things in return for “freebies.” This is why grocery stores give out food samples, why companies at conferences give out swag, and why you should send a postcard simply to say “thanks” and build some goodwill!
- Create an online contest (yeah, we’re guilty): Want to create some urgency among your customers? Nothing compels action like a ticking timer. Create an offer and broadcast it on a landing page with a big ticking clock that’s counting down to the end of the month, whereupon your offer expires. You can print out posters to advertise it in your shop, email your list, and send postcards with a tiny URL. Unfamiliar with tiny URL’s? Use Google’s tool to shrink them so they’re easier for prospects to type in on their phones!
Types of offers that work well:
– Drawings or sweepstakes in return for a gift card
– Limited time offer or discount on services
– Social media contest which promises gift cards in return for positive reviews
And there you have it! These 3 simple end-of-month campaigns that’ll help get your client base un-stuck and making a few purchases before the bell rings and the quarter is effectively over.
Need to bring out the big guns?
For those of you who need to play serious catch-up and need a full-fledged plan, Opportunity Knocks can help! Shoot them a call at 1-866-319-7109 and they’ll kick-start the flow of customers faster than you can say “marketing!”