Bank holidays are an interesting time for any business. Last-minute trends and weather changes mean that it can be difficult to plan a marketing strategy in advance. Additionally, the world has opened up again and this is the first time in two years that people aren’t limited in what they can do and where they can go, so consumer trends will be different.
Here are some of our tips for how to plan your marketing in advance in order to make the most of the bank holidays this year… whatever the weather!
Update your Google My Business opening hours
A lot of businesses have varied opening hours during holiday periods. Ensure that your Google My Business (GMB) hours are accurate so that customers aren’t disappointed upon attempting to visit your shop only to find that it’s closed.
Search volume changes
Search volumes tend to dip significantly during holiday periods. You may have noticed that April was a mixed month in terms of conversions, and this is because the combination of bank holidays and the much improved Covid situation meant that people were finally keen to get out and about or travel abroad.
Of course, it depends what your business is – if you own a shop that sells DIY products, barbecues or gardening tools, your website traffic could be through the roof on a sunny bank holiday! This is why it’s important to plan for all possible outcomes. Use Google Trends to find out what people are searching for in the run-up to the bank holiday.
Adjust your social media ad budget
It’s worth thinking about increasing your social media ad budget over the bank holiday period, particularly if you are a B2C business. As people have more free time, they are more likely to spend time scrolling through social media channels.
Plan ahead
Remember that a lot of your own members of staff will be taking time off around the bank holidays. This means that it’s essential that you don’t leave bank holiday strategy meetings to the last minute, as social media posts, blog content and ad campaigns will need to be scheduled well in advance.
If your product or service is something that people will use over the bank holiday, such as a visitor attraction or a hotel getaway, make sure you put a marketing campaign in place in the weeks leading up to the bank holiday so that your customers have time to plan their weekend and make a purchase.
Special offers
Instil a sense of urgency in potential buyers by promoting special offers, giving email subscribers and website visitors a limited time bank holiday discount code, or running a giveaway competition throughout the weekend.
Make it fun!
Remember, everyone is being bombarded with special offers and discounts around bank holidays. Your audience is already having to sift through hundreds of promotional emails and social media posts, so make sure your content is entertaining, educational and refreshing, as opposed to just trying to get people to buy your products. Ensure that you are also reaching your target audience across multiple channels.
Use scheduling tools
For your social media posts, we’d recommend a scheduling tool such as Sprout Social or Hootsuite. This will allow you to plan your strategic bank holiday posts in advance and have them go out at the best possible times over the weekend. Similarly, you can use HubSpot or MailChimp to schedule your email marketing campaigns in advance.
Keep track of your social media channels
Make sure that there is someone on hand over the bank holiday to reply to any messages or queries from followers on social media. Followers will find it strange and inconsistent if you are posting regular content but not replying to their questions or interacting with accounts.
If you would like to hear more advice on managing your marketing campaigns during holiday periods, feel free to give us a call on 01992 582 824 or drop us an email at [email protected].
