The phrase ‘slow season’ means different things to different people. It could refer to when the weather is changing and your product or service won’t be in demand for a few months. Or maybe you sell water bottles, the latest drinkware has hit the market, teenage girls are flocking to the new brand, and your sales have slowed.
While there is often a negative connotation with the phrase “slow season,” for marketers, it also presents an opportunity. So, should you continue advertising in the slow season? The short answer is yes! Keep reading for the long answer of why.
1. There’s Less Competition & Budget-Friendly Prices
If you’re wondering if it’s worth advertising in the slow season, it means your competitors probably are as well. Advertisers often pull back on budget or pause ads altogether during this time.
Luckily for you, this can be a time to capitalize on less competition, which in turn leads to cheaper ads, higher impression share, more time in front of your audience, more visitors, etc. This is the perfect time to stay in the game!
2. You’ll Stay Top of Mind
Branding and awareness are never a waste of money.
It takes an average of nine touchpoints to spur a user to take action. Digital advertising is the cheapest, most effective way to achieve those touchpoints, especially during the off-season. Building audience trust requires ongoing communication and the slower season presents a chance to foster trust and stay top-of-mind for when the audience is prepared to act.
3. It’s the Perfect Time to Be Creative
Test, test, test! When the demand is down, it’s the perfect time to test anything and everything. Is there a promotion you’ve been considering? Try it out and see how the audience responds. Have an out-of-the-box idea for a landing page? Send some cheap traffic there and analyze the results. This is the ideal time to prepare to go full-steam when business picks back up.
4. It Lays A Solid Marketing Foundation
While business will always ebb and flow, marketing efforts don’t have that luxury. If you want to grow, marketing shouldn’t be optional—it should just be the cost of doing business. When business is booming, however, marketing tends to take a back seat because who has time for that?
Don’t fall into this trap! Take the opportunity to plan, test, and really think through your strategy when business is slow and you have a little extra time. When business picks back up again, you’ll have positioned yourself with a well-defined strategy, ready to execute efficiently and capitalize on the increased demand.
Decided to Keep Your Ads Running? Now It’s Time to Adjust Your Expectations
Congratulations, you’ve made the right decision and kept advertising in the slow season. Now you need to adjust your goals and expectations.
Reach for the stars, but maybe closer ones. Perhaps your new KPI becomes impressions or clicks rather than conversions. Or target a high impression share as your measure of success and find out how that impacts your traffic.
If you go in with the right mindset, this slow season could be the perfect time to strengthen your marketing efforts and grow your business.
Lemonade Stand Can Help Anytime—Even Advertising in The Slow Season
We love helping our clients succeed! Whether in the crazy of peak season, or the lull of the slow season, our seasoned professionals are here for you. If you have questions about what the best months to advertise are or why your ads aren’t getting conversions, we can answer them!
Let’s collaborate on ways to make the most of your slow season and position your business for success. Reach out to us today to start collaborating on your path to growth!
