6 Ways to Prepare Your Brand for Q4
With the end of summer looming on the horizon, it’s that time of the year when marketers all over the world start gearing up for Q4. Although you might still be pining after the sun, it’s never too early to put together a tight-knit strategy and foolproof marketing campaigns to really help your brand stand out from the crowd.
In the marketing world, Q4 is the biggest and, for many, the most profitable time for advertising (think Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas, Boxing Day AND New Year’s). With so many upcoming events, staying prepared will help to avoid any last-minute panic and make life as a marketer that much easier!
Without further ado, here’s everything Digital Media Team believes you need to consider in your Q4 planning…
Create a Solid Content Plan
The secret to a successful Q4 is to have a solid content strategy in place. Not sure where to start? The first step is to mark out any important dates or notable social media/ national days that would resonate with your audience. Over 65% of consumers feel emotionally invested in the brands they love, so it helps to pay attention to what your audience likes and dislikes!
From there, you can think of how to roll out your content by outlining your marketing adjectives, time frames and the KPIs you’d like to hit. If you’re looking for a handy social template for Q4, digital marketing tools like these templates from Monday.com are great for coordinating your marketing efforts.
Optimise Your Website
Having a good, visually-appealing website is one thing, but if it’s not converting, it’s serving no purpose. The average conversion rate for a website is between 2% and 5%, and anything above is considered even better. To ensure you’re converting in the best possible way for Q4, optimise your website in as many ways as possible to get high click-through rates and conversions.
To improve online conversions, pay close attention to optimising websites for mobile use. It’s estimated that 54.4% of global website traffic comes from mobile devices, and 55.4% of internet users prefer to purchase online using their mobile.
To optimise for mobile use, make sure you’re taking advantage of tactics such as; improving site loading times, redesigning pop-ups for mobile use, and prioritising user-friendly optimisations to keep customers on-site for as long as possible!
Focus on Video Content
With the huge waves of content being rolled out throughout Q4, it’s important to stand out amongst competitors. The solution? Video content is king when it comes to marketing, especially on social platforms.
With the popularity of TikTok soaring and Instagram slowly taking the route of becoming a video-only platform, it’s worth investing time into creating video-based content and ads, specifically for socials. It’s estimated that 68% of consumers prefer watching videos to learn about a brand’s products and services over text-based and infographic ads.
Focus on Top-of-Funnel Activity
During Q4, while all stages of the marketing funnel are important, such as retargeting previous customers to keep them engaged, it’s actually the best time to emphasise your top-of-funnel activity.
By focusing on top-of-funnel customers, you’ll be able to increase brand awareness right before peak season, which is great for attracting new people to your brand. You’ll be at the forefront of their minds regarding the busy shopping season!
Know What Your Goals Are
It might seem like a given, but it’s important to know your goals before you begin your Q4 planning. In marketing, you might have heard of SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound). These goals are set to help marketers generate better results and refer back to!
Whether your goal is to gain leads, increase conversions, promote brand awareness and so on, it’s helpful to figure out your aims ahead of time.
Make Sure Your SEO is Spot On
SEO is something to keep in mind all the time, but even more so during Q4. Search Engine Optimization works to increase your website’s traffic and ROI. It not only improves branding but also contributes to a better user experience. By ranking at the top of a search engine, you’ll open your brand to a better user experience and establish a more trustworthy reputation.
To stand out amongst competitors, it’s beneficial to rank above other brands. Some top tips for staying ahead of SEO this Q4 are to analyse what your competitors are doing, review previous search terms, determine which channels drive the most traffic and tailor your strategy accordingly.
