November is here and we are all feeling the effects of the 2010 after-party  in South Africa. Many of us haven’t even begun to think about marketing for Christmas and beyond. The trick with marketing activities is that they can take a month to plan, or opportunities can be seized overnight.

Now, let’s be honest, the World Cup didn’t offer real-time profits that we hoped it would; you know you need to make the best of the Christmas rush, but how? Here are some simple suggestions that may help boost your business for the upcoming silly season.

Marketing insight

First, we need to revisit the year and look at past marketing activities. What worked best? Can we improve on the methods that were successful? Next, try to make an inventory of the products or services that sold well and those that were not in demand. This will give insight in terms of how best to drive marketing efforts, focusing on the products or services that your target market is demanding. If you have the time and personnel available you can approach a different type of target  market for the products or services that were not good sellers, or you can sell them at discounted prices to other business that are interested in buying the stock.

Goals and planning

Whether you have a small business or a large enterprise, short, medium and long-term goals together with effective planning are the basis of every successful business. There is no right or wrong time to start planning goals and working towards achieving them. Start today, write down a goal for the next three months, December, January and February – then revisit it at the end of the quarter and resolve how best to proceed. Make changes to your business plan, and don’t be scared to scrap a product or idea that is not working for you – as everything else changes so should your business needs.
As Christmas and the New Year are upon us, make sure that your goals are specific to each purpose. Goals should also be realistic and achievable considering the resources you have available. If your business has financial constraints it is never a good idea to anticipate success on an opportunity that may not materialise. For instance, don’t overstock – wait for a client to commit to an order before placing an order with your supplier.

Christmas is also a great time to investigate other markets. In every market the trendsetters are the key to getting your product to the masses, but during Christmas and with the tons of shopping that needs to be done more people will be on the lookout for new and exciting products and services. Be bold – if you are thinking about launching a new offering in 2011, set up promotion stalls and find out exactly what market thinks.

Other interesting ideas:

• E-communication and social networking are great ways to communicate with the masses in one go. However, it’s always better to say something worthwhile to your customer base than just sending out generic information. It will pass over them like the energy-warning alerts we see on TV – remember, opening a newsletter is not the same as reading a newsletter, so don’t let the statistics fool you.
• Reinvent your holiday greetings and communication. Still sending out Christmas Cards? Go green – send e-cards. For those companies that can afford to send presents to their clients – how about donating the cost of the present to a deserving charity on behalf of the client? The organisation SANTA PAW would be an ideal start.
• For the next few weeks most of us will have the opportunity to attend many a celebration. Use the time to network. I don’t mean wearing a name-tag and handing out business cards at the bar, but try to connect on relevant business ideas and interests with the people around you, and build your business brand through your personal reputation.

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