Spring is in the air, and that means that Easter is just around the corner. It is now one of the biggest retail opportunities of the year for many, and there is a lot that can be done to help businesses capitalise on this time of year if you get your marketing strategy right.
That is why we have taken a look at how Easter and all the egg puns you can think of could benefit your business.
This year, Easter Sunday falls on 17th April and it is never too early to start thinking about your Easter marketing strategy. With three quarters of the UK population celebrating Easter, each spending around £25, it is no wonder that the Easter season can be worth in excess of £800 million.
Even if you do not sell chocolate eggs, it does not mean that your business cannot enjoy the benefits of the celebration and tap into this amazing form of seasonal spending. There are some great marketing strategies available to allow your business to jump on the Easter bandwagon and give you and your bottom line a boost.
Shop Windows
If you have a shop window, then it is vital that you make the most of it to reflect the time of year, tap into emotions and show what you have to offer. The display that you put in your window is your first point of contact with every customer that walks past so making the most of it can be particularly important.
Statistics show that if they are decorated well, window displays influence purchases an average of 24% of the time, so investing in some Easter bunnies, chicks and eggs, for example, could have a significant effect.
These can create a scene that is still relevant to your business, even if you do not offer any specific Easter items or services and can even be purchased or painted in your brand colours to make sure that it is not too much of departure from your typical marketing and continues to fit your branding.
Online Offerings
Many businesses do not have a retail space and find that their biggest shop window is online. This might be a unique way of working, but it can still be put to great use for seasonal marketing, whether it is through targeted emails or social media.
There are a great many ways that you can tie your products or services into Easter, so keep it light-hearted and get creative.
Remember, you do not need to sell anything relating to the season, you are simply tapping into a theme, so a clever subject line, and some Easter graphics can be enough to grab the attention of your audience.
You might want to run a competition with an Easter theme, ask a question about an Easter product, run a poll, or simply show a bit of Easter fun in your office, salon, restaurant, or store. It is a wonderful way to harness online engagement and still be a part of the seasonal excitement.
We know there are times where we might cringe at certain puns and jokes, but they can still be worked into your marketing to help keep it on theme or raise a smile. Advise your customers to “hop” to your “egg-cellent products” and it will be “chocs away” for your profits!
Promotional Confectionary
If your customers are other businesses rather than consumers, then you might want to take a different approach in order to seem more authentic and create good relations. With 76% of people associating the Easter celebrations with chocolate, it seems logical to tie your marketing into this by making use of some promotional confectionary.
This can be sent to loyal customers as a thank you, packed within orders being shipped at the time or even on display to hand out to customers that walk through your door. They can be a fantastic way to remind your customers that you are there in a fun and non-pushy way.
The confectionary can include your own business branding, and unlike a leaflet or an email, it is far less likely to be pushed to one side or put into the bin and can therefore be more effective.
You can choose from chocolate or other types of confectionary depending on what suits your own brand or your customers best.
Go Hunting
An Easter egg hunt is always wholesome fun and there are diverse ways that you can organise one. This might be done in the best old-fashioned way, or in a more promotional way by getting your customers to look for company branded Easter motifs such as eggs, bunnies, and chicks.
You can even organise an online Easter egg hunt, by asking customers to search for hidden eggs which are dotted through your website. It might seem simple, but it means that you can direct customers to explore all areas of your website, where they will hopefully see something that they like.
This can be a low-cost way to generate goodwill and feelings of generosity, and can attract new people to visit your business as they take part in the Easter festivities.
Promotional Events
You can also run a range of promotional events which are themed around Easter. This could be through promotional discounts, loyalty schemes or competitions and can be great fun as well as encouraging customers to revisit your business throughout the time and hopefully beyond as well.
These do not have to have huge costs attached to them, and prizes can even be sponsored by other local businesses as part of their own Easter marketing strategies. In turn, you could also donate gifts for raffles and prize draws that will expose your business to a wider audience.
Whatever marketing strategy you choose, make sure that you opt for something which suits both your business and your budget if it is going to be successful. It should take a fun twist to help boost good feeling amongst your customers and make sure that you remain memorable whilst also taking advantage of a profitable season.
