Winter Marketing. Are you ready or should you bother?

Winter is around the corner and, like most people, you are probably focused on just getting through the end of the financial year before you even think about what you will be doing next quarter.

That is exactly why this is a good time to start getting a plan in place. Many people are feeling the effects of the cost-of-living crisis and sweeping government changes, wondering why they should even bother with a plan if nothing ever seems to follow one.

Case in point. But you can’t adapt a plan if you don’t have one.

Winter marketing tips for business

Cut the slow. Pick to grow.

By this time of the year, you should have a pretty good idea of what worked last winter and what didn’t, as well as a few ideas for new things you are keen on trying. So even if you are not quite ready to sit down and nut out a full marketing plan, creating a page with these three columns will be perfect to collect ideas as they pass you by.

Things to cut

Slow momentum campaigns and those ideas that just didn’t take off, get rid of them

Pick to grow

Those things that you want to focus more on for the next 12 months to see where they will go

New ideas

Concepts, ideas and other new things you are keen on adding to your menu.

Be honest

Any successful marketing plan needs a mix of old and new, some of the things you do consistently and some things you do on the fly.

So be honest, which one of these things that you are currently doing is actually earning you money?

Pinterest might be fun, but it can also be a great time waster.

If you were paying someone else to pin and prepare things for you, can you measure any of that time into money? If not, it may be time to bin your efforts and direct them elsewhere. Like LinkedIn.

Find out where your audience hangs out and meet them there.

Harness the gains

Lockdowns plunged us all into unchartered territory and four years later, the way we do things has changed.

Harness those gains, the learnings from the tough and terrifying times. The positive swing from those dark times has made people way more resilient.

Don’t forget how resourceful you were when things were at the most uncertain.

If the plan you make now starts to go off script, you already know you can adapt it and survive.

So now is the perfect time to get ready and before you know it, it will be time to harness some fresh spring energy.