2024 Marketing Calendar

New Year, New You

The holiday season isn’t every industry’s busy time – some have their peak busy time during the beginning of the year. Most of us make New Year’s resolutions and are on the hunt for products to help us stay committed to them. From workout equipment, athletic apparel, and home organization to productivity support and self-care—brands in these verticals have huge opportunities during this time. Help shoppers stick to their goals with useful tips and the products they need to succeed. Create buyer personas around common resolutions and send them to those in your database with key traits or drop new colors based on the seasonal change.

Clearance Sales

It’s almost guaranteed that most companies will end up with a little extra inventory at the end of the holiday season, so use a clearance sale to empty the backlog and make room for new items. Plus, it’s a good excuse to reach out to your database with a great deal on last-chance products.

Volume Discounts

May and June are filled with graduation ceremonies, meaning that some shoppers will be buying gifts from a large number of friends and family. Close high-value shoppers by offering a volume discount on certain products perfect for graduating seniors or college students in their lives. Want to drive up order values even more? Product customization or monogramming is a great option to offer as an upsell for these gifts, just like in wedding season.

Seasonal Strategies – Back to School

One-Stop-Shop

Make it as easy as possible for consumers to get everything they need from you (if possible) so they don’t get distracted and abandon their cart for a competitor. Use special collections for your core customer segments, intelligent product recommendations, and strategic page links to navigate through your site and add to their cart.

Know Your Shoppers

Not everyone going back to school has the same shopping list. From teachers and college students to kindergarteners and student-athletes–the potential audience here is huge. Target specifically those in charge of shopping decisions, i.e., parents of school-aged kids, teachers, and college students. These consumers are looking for everything from art supplies, sporting gear, and backpacks to laptops, bedding, and appliances. Narrow in on your target audience and show them how you can help.

Checklist

Back-to-school can be stressful so help consumers stay organized and confident with a checklist of critical must-haves. From “Starting Kindergarten” to “Freshman dorm checklist” and everything in between–this makes you more likely to close the sale and even boost order value in the process.

B2S is home to both procrastinators and planners; make sure you’re prepared to cater to both with promotions, specially timed offers, and shipping timelines to keep everyone on track.

Between B2S and the start of the winter holidays is the prime time to focus on prepping for Q4 and BFCM. Focus on your lead captures now to grow your subscriber base for the winter holidays, creating strong email and SMS lists. Plus, ad costs are lower now, which can be a game-changer for your holiday profitability.

Seasonal Strategies – Winter Holidays

Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store

This has continued to be a mainstay of the natural evolution of brick-and-mortar stores as their e-commerce presence grew and was popularized during the pandemic. As more shoppers are emphasizing shopping locally, this is a great way to connect with customers in your community. BOPIS is also appealing to last-minute shoppers who ran out of time for shipping. Not to mention reducing the last-mile fulfillment strain on your store, improving profit margins, and reducing stress (for everyone).

Beyond The Discount

We all think of BFCM traditionally as the weekend of deep discounts and flash sales, but that doesn’t work for every brand. Bundles, exclusive products/gifts, early access, and more can help elevate a non-discount offer. Collect emails/phone numbers in exchange for VIP access to deals beforehand, offer limited-time products for those above a certain cart value, or donate a percentage of sales to a shopper’s charity of choice. Find your brand’s differentiator and center your messaging around what appeals to your target audience.

Non-Traditional Holidays

Black Friday and Cyber Monday typically dominate the conversation around Q4 sales opportunities, but Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday, Giving Tuesday, Boxing Day, etc., are all examples of how you can use outside-the-box messaging during this season and showcase more personality than just deep discounts or crazy door-busters.

Gift Guides

We all know how hard it can be to shop for some people, so make it easier for customers to find the perfect present. Whether it’s first-time visitors unsure of what they’re looking for or loyal customers shopping for someone new, gift guides work for all segments. Combine this approach with influencer marketing for more tailored acquisition. Influencers whose audience is aligned with your ICP will provide more ROI than any other kind of advertising, lean into it!

Shipping Countdowns

The holidays involve shopping for gifts that are usually needed by a certain time. Use countdown banners to keep visitors informed about deadlines and encourage procrastinators to convert. Being transparent from the start builds trust and keeps expectations in check. Use geo-targeting to make sure that shoppers who can still get their orders in time are aware vs. those outside the shipping radius which you can push towards gift cards or other electronically delivered products.