Q4 has a way of filling every available minute.
Stock is arriving. Orders need to be packed. Staff need to be rostered. Customers need help. Christmas ranges need organizing. And somewhere in the middle of all of that, you're still supposed to send your weekly email and keep showing up on social media.
The problem isn't that retailers don't know marketing matters. The problem is that when the business gets busy, marketing is often the thing that gets pushed to "later."
And later rarely comes.
In this episode, Salena Knight shares three simple strategies to keep your marketing moving when you're already at capacity.
1. Set a sales target and check it every Monday
When Q4 gets busy, it's easy to stop looking at the numbers and simply hope sales come in. Instead, Salena recommends setting your target now and checking in on it every Monday.
Knowing where you are versus where you need to be gives you a much clearer idea of what action needs to happen that week.
2. Prioritize what actually makes money
Not everything on your to-do list is equally important.
Salena shares the example of a boutique owner who was overwhelmed with everything she needed to do. When they stripped the list back, it came down to two priorities: find staff and make money.
When time is limited, the tasks that directly contribute to revenue need to get a place in the calendar rather than waiting for a gap that may never come.
3. Double dip your marketing
You don't need to create brand-new content for every channel.
Take the newsletter you've already written and turn it into several social posts. Use the same promotion on your website, in-store signage, text messages, and email.
The content you've already created can work harder for you.
The bigger takeaway is that busy season isn't the time to try to do everything. It's the time to prioritize the marketing that actually moves the business forward.
And if you need help knowing what marketing needs to happen and when, Salena's free 12-week holiday marketing calendar maps out the key marketing activities from October 1 through Christmas.
