You might be asking yourself; if I use trends or make a limited-time offer on a special occasion, would I look like I'm out of touch with the audience and just capitalizing on trends for the sake of relevancy?
Well, it's a very valid question indeed. However, there is more to it than just a silly meme that caters to millennials and Gen- Z. What if I told you that huge corporates from different fields don't just use trends to increase sales but also to boost engagement with their fanbase. From McDonald's, Wendy's, Starbucks, etc., it's one of the easiest and more fun ways to drive revenues and popularity across the market.
3 things you should consider pre-capitalizing on trends
The first rule of using trends and memes, you must be self-aware. Secondly, you must understand the joke itself, and last but not least, the third rule of using trends and international days for promotion; you must be aware of your customer's interests, age demographic, and most frequent purchases. For example, suppose you have a coffee shop and today is international coffee day. In that case, you can make special offers and limited-time discount that uses the special day and encourage people to either:
A) go to your store and buy coffee.
B) order by using your own loyalty program.
Whatever the technique is, your business will expect a bit of exposure due to capitalizing on this special day. So without further adieu, here are some efficient techniques to capitalize on seasonal trends and special days to boost sales.
- Create a content marketing calendar
Every day we come across international days and holidays that are documented and well known to all (Mother's day, Valentine's day, National Friends day...etc.). From here, you can properly plan the days you want to create special offers through social media platforms or schedule a pop-up notification on your loyalty app that encourages customers to purchase your product/service.
"Make him an offer he cannot refuse"
- Make specific and personalized rewards during the special days
Based on the data you have on your loyalty app program and social media feedback, you can provide offers and rewards tailored for your customers that can be redeemed on special days.
For instance, your loyalty program offers points to its customers, and if they reach a certain number of points, you can make a very specific reward that either:
A) fits your service/product
B) relates to your customer's most repeated purchases
C) can be used during holiday seasons
This way, you get more customers excited and eager to purchase from your brand, not to mention that it's a great opportunity to introduce a new product to the audience, as customers tend to be hesitant to try new products. However, if it's on sale or can be attained on a very special occasion, customers are more likely to try it.
As seen above, Bath & Body works used Mother's day to not only make new offers. But also, they offered new candle scents for their customers as a gift to their mothers.
Simple, approachable, personalized, and to the point
- Be always ready to use the current trend in your favor
After making the content marketing calendar with all the special days and holiday offers planned, you might suddenly face the appearance of a new meme dominating the social media platform. Using memes and specific trends can be tricky; the key here is to understand who you're addressing. Memes and current trends don't always stick to the landing with the older generations like Gen X. If you decide to cater to millennials & Gen Z, you must be less corporate in your tone of voice. Relatability works regardless of the age demographic you're addressing, as customers want to feel seen and that the offers suit their lifestyle and daily habits.
So, it begs the question, should you use trends to attract customers and increase sales?
The short answer is if it fits the brand, it can be applied properly according to the type of customers you have, and it's made on an offer that caters to their needs? then yes, absolutely.
In conclusion, no matter how difficult it seems to increase sales and gain customer retention, you can rely on seasonal holidays and trends to capture their attention and boost your sales number for the better.
