Why does seasonality matter in marketing?
Seasonality isn’t just a marketing challenge; it’s a challenge for the entire company (if not a problem). There are months when production and other departments are overwhelmed with demand, and there may be others where you can hear a pin drop.
There are various reasons for this, but one of them is simple human behavior: Consumption is higher during the transition of seasons (spring, autumn). Economically beneficial holiday traditions like Halloween, Christmas, and Thanksgiving provide some relief, but in general, most businesses experience some seasonal effects on their financials.
Your marketing budget must reflect that seasonality!
Seasonal marketing budget that sucks!
You should be alarmed when your current marketing budget is spread out evenly over a 12-month period. It’s even worse if you schedule campaigns and marketing during the off-season to compensate for diminishing revenue.
Why? There are sayings like “Set sail while the breeze is fair” or “Make hay while the sun shines.” It’s the same concept – during the off-season, when demand for your product/service is low, pouring marketing money on top of it does not create more demand.
A seasonal marketing budget that rocks!
Yes, if you have a large, inflexible production, it’s more complicated (but still worth it). Generally, the best approach is to distribute the marketing budget where it is most effective. This means saving money during the off-season and allocating those funds on top of the high-season budget.
Why? It’s simple: you’ll generate more sales by dominating the market during the high season. Investing the most at the start of the high season will have a lasting impact in the subsequent months. We have real-life data and case studies that confirm this.
How to create a marketing plan that adapt to seasonality?
First, you need to map out which months/weeks are your business’s high seasons. After a couple of cycles, everyone in the company knows these periods by heart. However, even as Ninjas, after we start working with a new account, we still need to back it up with data. If you’re a CEO and are sure that you know those periods, still back it up with data.
You can use metrics such as new sales, purchases, revenue, subscriptions, or something else.
Secondly, you need to plan it out. As professionals, Ninjas use extra high-tech software called Microsoft Excel.
Start with the annual marketing budget. Yes, business happens, and you may need to change it later, but a realistic marketing budget is a must.
Divide the annual marketing budget between months using percentages. Spend more at the beginning of the high season. Cut back on marketing during the off-season. Play with different scenarios. If satisfied, calculate those to actual euros/dollars.
Now it looks like it’s done, but you still need to allocate funds across marketing channels month by month. If you have a bigger team (different people/agencies responsible for ads, content, website, etc.), you can now provide budgets for each marketing channel. Pretty neat, right?
One (eternity) Excel spreadsheet later…
Get everyone on board!
Having a plan is not the same as implementing it. Plan your biggest campaigns months ahead. Your marketing content must also consider seasonality. It makes sense to review your marketing budget quarterly and compare results with projections. You will learn with every cycle and eventually master it!
Adjusting the marketing budget after seasonality also helps prevent ad fatigue and attracts more eyes at the right time, especially in niche markets and smaller target groups.
If it all makes sense but you can’t see yourself doing it, get in touch, and for a big pile of money, we may help you.
