It’s Thursday. One week after Thanksgiving, six days after
Black Friday, and three days after Cyber Monday. Did you organization participate in the
most-marketed, most-hyped time of the year?
According to the folks at
blackfriday.fm, 73% of people they surveyed planned to do at least some holiday
shopping online during the season’s “kickoff,” Black Friday. That’s a significant increase over last year:
56% of shoppers reported shopping online on Black Friday. Furthermore, 76% said they would research
their purchases online: only 1% said they would rely on television ads.
What does that mean for you? Whether you “participate” in Black Friday
offers or not, if you aren’t emailing your database or highlighting your best
service or offer on your website, you’re denying your organization an
opportunity to increase exposure and build brand recognition.
But you don’t have to be a “Black
Friday Sale” sort of organization to score big this month. You can still benefit from the increased
interest the internet and email are receiving.
Here’s how.
First, emphasize customer
service. Going online to conduct
business gets both you and your clients only so far. Use email, your website, and even direct mail
to remind your customers, donors, and prospects that the answers and the help
they need are available over the phone and in person by real, knowledgeable
people whenever they need it.
Second, emphasize year-round
reliability. Your market doesn’t need to
wait until the end of the year for offers that knock their socks off. Highlight your organization’s continued
commitment to providing the best service and honoring budgets and schedules,
despite the chaos caused by the year-end hustle-bustle.
Providing clients with consistent,
quality care won’t create the profit spikes of Black Friday, but it does ensure
a happy new year.
No comments:
Post a Comment