Make Your Work Work For YOU
I live in a mountain town where the ebbs and flows of seasonal businesses seem to dictate how and when people work. In an ideal world, we ski when it snows. We float when the river is right. We play when we can, yet ALWAYS it seems like we all wish we were playing a little bit more, while (hopefully) our businesses seem to magically flourish. The thing with seasonality is that you need to capitalize on the vacation weeks and the general flow of tourism while trying to find some sense of balance. It can be tough and extremely exhausting. When it comes to properly marketing your business, how do you know when to spend those advertising dollars, promote your product, and maybe even offer a discount, all while enjoying the lifestyle you came here for?
Know Your Audience
In a seasonal town, it’s important to know who you are speaking to. If it’s off-season, please cater to your locals - offer specials, create enticing reasons to welcome them into your doors and appreciate them. After all, your locals are your brick and mortar to your establishment. Many of your customers are in the service industry and word of mouth is invaluable.
This might be an unpopular opinion, but in a small town, I’m not exactly sure that print advertising is your best bet in this digital age for the off-season. Save those dollars for your money-making weeks. Create enticing content with video, photos, and quality copy. At the end of the day, be a wonderful host and a good person….I promise you, your locals will return.
Now onto those vacation weeks- THIS COULD BE YOUR TIME TO SHINE. If print advertising is your thing…this is the time to go for it. Create specials. Promote live music on your social media outlets. Advertise in well-read publications. Get creative!
Spend Wisely
I’m going to keep this one super simple. Only YOU know your budget. Ever feel like everyone and anyone is hitting you up to spend your marketing dollars? Ouch. It hurts, and it can be awkward. Make yourself a marketing budget (I’m serious!) and prioritize what’s important to YOU and the growth of your business. Just because you live in a small town doest’t mean you have to advertise in EVERYTHING. There are some amazing publications in the valley, and some will probably work very well for you. Starting with a plan will serve you well and set you up to make the decision to say “YES!” and “no thank you” a little bit easier when the time comes.
Make Hay While The Sun Shines
I know we all hem and haw over vacation weeks but this is the time we make those dollars, right? The best thing to do is be prepared for the absolute best and the horrific worst. Staff properly so that you can deliver on your promises. Pay attention to those reviews, take care of your staff, and show everyone what you’re truly made of. That downtime will come, and guess what? Downtime is a great time to work on your next marketing strategy whether or not your peak season was a home run or unsuccessful.
Remember Why You Are Here
When I find myself outside recreating, I usually take a huge breath and proclaim to myself, my dog, the trees, or whomever I might be with “Oh! THIS is why I do this!” Be sure to check in with yourself and make sure your work is aligned with your goals and your overall happiness (I know…I’m a total hippy at heart!) If things aren’t jiving…if you feel like you’re constantly swimming upstream, it might be time to check-in and reevaluate. All marketing plans are easily fixable and tweak-able, which is the best part!
Need help? Reach out! I’m not a wizard, but I’m great at creating marketing strategies and helping to implement those plans. I get that most people just don’t always have the time or wherewithal to implement the marketing that their business might, but I promise it’s completely doable.
Contact me today for $100 off of your social media management for the month of March.
